ADS Association Members battle for charity in the 2019 Culinary Competition
Named 3 winners: Team Khaki, Team Green and the Hope Food Pantry Austin
(October 6, 2019) – In an event that is part cooking competition and part networking, two teams of colleagues from the salad dressings and sauces industry today were both awarded bragging rights and a $250 per team donation in their names to the Hope Food Pantry Austin during the Culinary Competition at the Association for Dressings and Sauces 2019 Annual Meeting, held Oct 5-7 in Austin, Texas.
Similar to head-to-head cooking shows such as Chopped on the Food Network, each team of three were presented with the same basket of ingredients to use with one caveat: make it with macaroni and cheese and one or more types of hot sauce! Quite different though from the typical pairings on cable television were the contestants – all six team members are friends and work colleagues, and have been attending the ADS Annual Meeting for years. So the bragging rights were important!
ADS Team Green’s members included (above, from left) Ryan Schuelke, Enercon Industries Corporation; Jason Dabrow, Chelten House Products, Inc.; and Daryan Johnson, Kagome. ADS Team Khaki’s members included (above, from right) Vince Pasquale, Accurate Ingredients; Suzanne Hammer, Red Arrow Products and Tom McGirty,T. Marzetti Company.
After 35 minutes, competition official George Arbocus (not pictured) of Chelten House Products had the teams put down their utensils.
On tap to judge the dishes was Chef Khoa Pham (above, center) of the JW Marriott hotel. Chef Pham awarded Team Khaki as the winner. “They had the most creativity with the way they made the cheese sauce using four different cheeses. By combining chorizo and bacon, they created the depth in flavor for the dish.”
ADS members in attendance at the event voted Team Green as the winner, based on taste.
The real wins though were many – the fun and camaraderie from working together and competing with those they have known for years, the chance to show off their skills, and most of all, the help they can give to those less fortunate in the Austin area through the local cash donation to the Hope Food Pantry.
“Our members tell us that ADS conferences, such as the ADS Annual Meeting in October and the ADS Technical Meeting in April, are “can’t miss” events as the relationships they have built over the years, and the bonds they can have with each other, are priceless,” said Jeannie Milewski, executive director of the Association for Dressings and Sauces.
About Hope Food Pantry Austin
According to their website, “Our mission is to help alleviate hunger in the community. Hope volunteers have been supplying Austin families with groceries since the year 2000. Every shopper’s circumstances are different so food is distributed in a grocery store type setting to provide the empowerment of choice suited for individual needs.” Hope Food Pantry Austin is housed at Trinity Church in Hyde Park, 4001 Speedway, Austin, Texas 78751. More at www.hopefoodpantryaustin.org.
About ADS
Founded in 1926, The Association for Dressings & Sauces is an international trade association of manufacturers of salad dressings, mayonnaise, condiment sauces and the suppliers to the industry. For more information about ADS, visit the Association’s website.
