How Childhood Memories, Exploring Queens, Sketching on the Subway and a Makeshift Grill Made a $100,000 Burger:  

Sutter Home’s Build a Better Burger Contest

Lust! Murder! Backstabbing! Adultery! This exclusive tell-all has . . . well, it actually none, but when Cooking Contest Central’s Kristina Vänni invited me to share some thoughts about my experience as a finalist at this year’s Sutter Home’s Build a Better Burger contest, I was incredibly honored.  CCC is an incredible family of insanely talented, creative, inspired and highly-successful competitive home cooks. On May 18, 2013, I placed first in the Beef Division of Sutter Home’s Build a Better Burger Contest with the “7 Train Caramelized Green Curry Burgers with Crispy Watercress Salad, Roasted Cashews and Minted Basil Aioli.” A couple of weeks and a media tour later, the experience is still in soft focus and not yet quite real. The following are my memories and ramblings about my experience participating in this year’s Sutter Home’s Build a Better Burger Contest.

About the Contest

Now in its 23rd year, Sutter Home’s Build a Better Burger Contest celebrates the home cook, the grill and the burger in an incredibly unique way – by encouraging the creativity and passion of home cooks to conceive, construct and execute their favorite burger while demystifying wine pairing. 

The Recipe Creation Stage

This stage of Sutter Home’s Build a Better Burger Contest (“BBB”) is limited only by the scope of your burger imagination, and the inspiration can come from anywhere. This year alone, finalist burgers ranged from breakfastfor-dinner to a Hawaiian taco truck to the Bloody Mary to a Tex-Mex-Italian fusion burger featuring red ripe raspberries and anything and everything in between. Absolutely nothing is off-limits at this stage, with the only limitation being that everything must be prepared on the grill. If you’re having trouble getting started, a great resource is Sutter Home’s The World’s Biggest Burgerbase, which is where finalist recipes from the last two decades of the contest are housed. The Burgerbase serves as a great place to find inspiration, as well as many delicious recipes to try on your own. The Burgerbase can be found at http://www.sutterhome.com/build-a-betterburger/burgerbase.

For my burger, my inspiration was watercress, a favorite ingredient that my family used to forage for in Illinois. When I moved to New York and first tried the fried watercress salad at SriPraPhai, a Thai restaurant in Woodside, Queens, I immediately knew that I wanted to build a burger around my interpretation of the dish. After five years of trying to figure out how to make something that approximated that magical salad but would work as a burger topping, four months of notes and shaky sketches drawn on the subway while commuting to work, I settled on glazing the beef with a raw green curry glaze that, although it had a lot of ingredients, could come together quickly in a blender. I used a minted basil aioli on the buns, which were French-style rolls, in order to help adhere crushed salted cashews to the bun. Finally, I added a little pancetta below the burger patty in order to lend a smoky element and then dressed the watercress salad with a tangy, pungent dressing that could give some balance to the richness of the aioli, the cashews and the beef. In the end, the proportions all came down to my tasting panel: my boyfriend of 13 years, Chris. I think behind every successful recipe is an honest taster. He is a very kind, willing and supportive panel, but also knows that absolute, sometimes brutal, honesty is key to getting the right balance. I was very conservative with the heat level of the curry and the tanginess of the dressing initially and, through small batch tests, Chris and I finally came to agree upon the right balance for what I was trying to achieve, and I credit him for the recipe’s ultimate success.

In conversations with fellow finalists, the Sutter Home Culinary Staff and the judges, I learned a lot about how the recipe stage works. Every single recipe is reviewed by members of the Sutter Home Culinary Staff. If you have ever had the chance to eat at the Sutter Home Victorian Inn or at Trinchero Family Estates, you will know that these are some of the best of the best. The Culinary Staff is divided into regional teams, with each team reviewing the recipes submitted by that geographical region. Recipe are pulled based upon perceived taste and then reviewed for errors. This is an ongoing process that occurs throughout the entry period. When the contest closes and all the recipes have been reviewed, 100 are selected from each of the five regions for each of the categories, alternative and beef. The Culinary Staff then narrows it to 30 and, ultimately, 10 for each category and region. The final 10 are prepared by Chef Jeffrey Starr for one of the most anticipated Sutter Home events of the year: The Burger Tasting. The tasting party guests include employees from all different branches of Sutter Home, Culinary Staff members and other invited culinary and winery guests. From this tasting, the five finalists for each category and region are selected, as well as alternates in case a finalist cannot attend.

Some finalists entered several recipes and some entered one. One finalist, who had entered many recipes, was shocked at the one that ultimately landed him as a finalist, thinking that for certain another one of his entries was the one. Some finalists creatively utilized many of the sponsor’s products, and some did not. I fall into the latter category, with my only sponsor ingredient being the beef for the patties. I thought it was important to mention in case you are trying to force a product into what you already consider to be a well-balanced burger. Alternately, the bread product used for buns is of particular interest to the Culinary Panel and the judges, so maybe one of the sponsor’s products is a perfect fit for your creation.

The most common pitfalls that resulted in disqualification were as follows:

• Not indicating specific measurements for each and every ingredient. Though it might not seem that the rules change from year to year, some subtle changes can occur that can disqualify a recipe. A recipe that was submitted in 1997 and re-entered will be disqualified if it doesn’t specify precise amounts of salt and pepper.
• Not specifying a bread type for your buns or forgetting to include a bread product altogether. When focusing on writing a technical recipe and getting all the burger and topping components down, it is shockingly easy to forget to add the buns to the recipe.
• Not indicating a grill temperature.
• Not writing the recipe for 6 burgers or 12 to 18 sliders.
• Including a component that was not prepared on the grill. One haunting story involved a very promising recipe that excited a lot of the recipe reviewers that involved deep-fried carrots, but the contestant wrote the carrot component to be made on a standard stovetop.

Finally, this is one of the reasons I personally believe a lot of incredible recipes do not make it through this stage:

• The finalists’ burger recipes, as they appear on Sutter Home’s website, have been edited by Chef James McNair. They are not corrected and the ingredients are not changed. The recipes had to have met all the criteria set forth by the rules in order to make it to this stage. That said, some of the finalists said that they noticed the changes made to their recipe wording, while others (mine included) had to read them side by side to notice any style changes. Here is where it gets tricky. The rules state that precise measurements for every ingredient must be stated. In my original recipe, I indicated “1/4 cup vegetable oil” for the grill grate and, since I grilled my burgers before using the buns or the cashews, it is listed directly after the ingredients for the burger patties as that would be the order in which it would be used. In the recipe on Sutter Home’s website, it is listed as “vegetable oil,” with no amount and listed as the final ingredient on the list. If using these recipes as a model, it could do one of two things: (1) Could trick you into thinking that not every ingredient needs to be written with a specific amount; and (2) Could result in your ingredient list not appearing in order of usage.

The burger recipes submitted for the 2013 Build a Better Burger contest showed a strong tie to ethnic cuisine. Peruvian proved to be the hottest, followed by Nordic, Greek and Indian. Additionally, Asian is still strong, especially Korean and Thai. Of the ten finalists’ recipes, only five reflected the submission trends. This year’s finalist recipes can be viewed at http://www.sutterhome.com/build-a-better-burger-recipe-contest/finalists/2012#.Ua6EEh9qrew.

The Practice Stage

Huddled in our Brooklyn living room with a Go Bag, two ready-to-pack cat carriers and a battery-operated radio, I received an e-mail that I had been selected as a potential finalist on October 29, 2012 while waiting for Hurricane Sandy to roll into town. I read the e-mail during our final hour of power and let out a little screech, sending my boyfriend sprinting into our living room with his mom in Illinois on the phone, terrified that a window had just blown out or that water was coming through our cracked ceiling.

Three months later, on January 23, 2013, the finalists were formally announced and we were able to share the news with family and friends. From this point on, Sutter Home provides you with everything you need, including a comprehensive handbook, a conference call with the wonderful Michele Moline-Ashby, the longtime coordinator of BBB, and Chefs James McNair and Jeffrey Starr, and a private online forum for the finalists to ask any questions or share concerns. At no point between the notification and the cook-off are you alone, as the finalists start to get to know one another online and every question is answered promptly by the organizers. When a finalist asked Chef McNair on the conference call what his biggest piece of advice was, he responded, “Practice, practice, practice, execution, execution, execution.” And, with that, the practice stage commenced.

New York’s grilling laws are very prohibitive. No open flames are allowed on a terrace or porch. Gas grills are only allowed if you have a substantial amount of land a substantial distance from your or any other residence. Even then, it is illegal to carry a propane tank through a residential building so, unless you’re a billionaire with a private helicopter to drop a tank into your spacious backyard, you’re breaking the law. Our inconspicuous “grill” consists of a stack of disposable roasting trays filled with natural charcoal and topped with a cookie cooling rack. My practice period was largely stovetop until weather was dry enough to cook outside, with my two final two practice rounds on the “grill.”

The Cook-Off

One thing to be prepared for when invited as a finalist to BBB is to be treated like royalty from the moment you land. You will never be hungry, you will never be thirsty, every need you have will be anticipated before you can even imagine it. Gifts magically appear in your room and you will always be deeply and warmly cared for, supported and encouraged by the organizers, the Sutter Home staff and your fellow finalists. Of course, the custom-ordered perfect weather wasn’t too shabby, either.

The itinerary allowed for a lot of free time to explore Napa, with only a few scheduled meetings or events. I mostly spent my time hiking or eating my way through the Valley. Upon arrival on Wednesday, the finalists were treated to a wonderful sunset welcome reception on the back terrace of the Sutter Home Victorian Inn.

Thursday began (as each day would) with a glorious wine country breakfast created by the Inn’s Manager, Jeannie Cox. Breakfast was followed by a grill orientation led by Weber’s grilling expert, Kevin Kolman. This grill was a beast. I don’t think there is anything that it can’t do. And, since I had *so* much experience with powerhouse grills, I was completely terrified.

The rest of Thursday was free time before meeting for a general orientation and ingredient review at the spectacular Trinchero Estate Inn. The orientation was hosted by Michele Moline-Ashby, Chef James McNair and Chef Jeffrey Starr. Let me just say this about these three incredible souls: If you don’t immediately fall in love with each of them, then you do not have a heart. Seated around a massive round table with one of the best vineyard views in all of wine country, the cook-off was discussed, walking us through how it works and answering any questions we might have still had. Then, it was ingredient review time for the Beef Division, as the Alternative Division had reviewed their ingredients earlier in the day. We each had boxes perfectly labeled with our name and dish and all our ingredients inside. If anything wasn’t up to par, then Chef Starr would make it right. But, given that this is the Napa Valley, everything was absolutely perfect and the produce could not have been more spectacular. The hydrophonic watercress provided was so plump, vibrant and pristine, that it would provoke my Hong Kong Supermarket watercress to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge. And, oh yes, the buns weren’t yet in our box because they were being freshly prepared by Bouchon Bakery. Yeah. Bouchon. Freaking. Bakery.

Friday brought a late-afternoon media reception and event at the Victorian Inn, during which various reporters would interview the finalists between incredible bites supplied by the Culinary Staff and, as always, unlimited Sutter Home and Trinchero wines.

Following the media reception at the Sutter Home Victorian Inn, we loaded into our rental cars and trekked back out to the Trinchero Winery for a massive, celebratory reception and dinner. Our first order of business was to mingle with the judges, sponsors and other guests (and being fed the best brick oven flatbreads I have ever eaten) while being serenaded on the spectacular terrace. Then, we were guided down into the vineyard valley and into the winery’s cave, where we would have a spectacular vineyard dinner. It was surreal and magical and something that none of us will ever forget.

Then, it was suddenly Saturday. I have no idea where the previous days went, but there was something very comforting to me that I would soon be attempting to tackle that powerhouse grill.   We had another wonderful breakfast and were frequently encouraged by the organizers to eat and remain hydrated, as it was going to be a long, hot day. Breakfast was followed by a photo session, with each of us donning our custom embroidered chef’s jackets.

Then the incredible Alternate Category finalists were called to their stations first in the following order:

 Kim Jones, Bloomingdale, Illinois – Better than Breakfast in Bed Burgers

 Kathy Keithline, Parker, Colorado – Smoky Sweet Salmon Sliders

 Cheryl Lundquist, Wake Forest, North Carolina – Lamb Burgers

 Helen Mariscal, Artesia, New Mexico – Lemon-Scented “Salmon-icious” Burgers

 Mark Richardson, Snohomish, Washington – Indian Lamb Burgers

Finally, at 12:10 p.m., I was called to my station first for the Beef Category. My 12:10 p.m. slot was followed in 10-minute increments by the inspiring Beef finalists:

Janette Nowak, Spring, Texas – Razzle Dazzle Burgers

Sharron Pinheiro, Macomb, Michigan – Kickin’ Brunch Burgers

Mark Pyne, Troy, Alabama – Grilled Green Tomato Burgers

Katie Sherrill, Edmonds, Washingon – Korean-Hawaiian Taco Truck Burgers

I am going to totally steal a line from Brigitte Nguyen, “It’s good to do something that scares you every once in a while.” Everyone reacts differently in competitive cook-offs, but it is difficult to ascertain how you will truly react until you are actually in the moment. I never thought this would happen but, for me, the moment I start preparing a dish in a cook-off environment, I am completely centered and calm. The recipes are completely in stone and it all comes down to cooking with heart and executing a dish as best as you possibly can. With this beautiful monster of a Weber Genesis grill in front of me, I had a serious learning curve to topple and was constantly adjusting temperatures during my 120 minutes of cooking time because I just wasn’t used to such an effective and sophisticated piece of equipment. The sun was burning brightly, so it was often difficult to see the height of the flame on the amazing side burner, which came in handy for frying my pancetta and watercress salad while the primary grill could remain at a high temperature while awaiting the burger patties and buns.

I had purchased a digital timer and it became my guide for my entire cooking slot. The night before, I wrote down my entire recipe with time increments, beginning at 12:10 p.m., as to when each element had to be completed in order to finish in time and still be able to plate for the judges. That timer, paired with the clock that was placed at each of our preparation tables, were critical in keeping me on pace. As luck would have it, within 50 minutes, I was off-pace, and suddenly had to kick it into seriously high gear. By the time plating came around, Michele was draping iced bandanas around my neck and caringly imploring me to take sips of Gatorade before making the final walk to present to the judges. If there is ever a time that my Norwegian-Swedish-Irish lineage betrays me, it is in heated moments in full sun. I wanted to powder my nose before making the march to the judging table, but Michele (thankfully) implored me to not worry about it and just start walking. Though I felt fine physically and mentally, I looked like a bright pinkish wreck by the time I reached the BBB presentation stage in front of a packed audience of sponsor V.I.P.’s, guests and friends and family of my fellow finalists.

Then, the burger presentation began. Each of the finalists were required to take three completed burgers, each cut in half and skewered, if desired, and plated onto a hand-thrown ceramic Sutter Home presentation platter to present to the judging panel. And, boy, was this a judging panel. This year’s exemplary group consisted of:

James McNair has been Head Judge for Build a Better Burger since the recipe contest began in 1990, and now also serves as Honorary Chairman of BBB. To celebrate the 15th anniversary of BBB in 2005, James wrote and produced Build a Better Burger, a book about the recipe contest and cook-off which includes all winning recipes up to that point. For the 20th anniversary, James co-authored, along with Chef Jeffrey Starr, Burger Parties, a collection of 16 themed parties with each starring a finalist recipe from BBB.

With over 40 other cookbook titles published and millions of copies sold, James has been hailed by food writers from coast to coast as the “king” and “master” of the single-subject cookbook. In the late 1980s, book reviewers credited him with single-handedly launching a new look in cookbook formats. His highly acclaimed kitchen library series published by Chronicle Books has been translated into several languages. Three of his books have received International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) Book Award nominations.

Jennifer Beckman won the $100,000 Grand Prize at the 2011 Build a Better Burger Cook-Off in Chicago with her farm-inspired Screen Porch Burger. She is a passionate, competitive cook, winning the National Cornbread Championship (2011), the Crisco Mediterranean Inspirations Recipe Contest (2011), and the Mama Mary’s Pizza Creations Contest (2012), and competing in the finals of the Gilroy Garlic Festival Cook-Off, the Good Housekeeping Cook Your Heart Out Cook-Off, and the National Beef Cook-Off.

Katie Chin, Culinary Ambassador to City of Hope, cookbook author, television host, and food blogger, has a passion for Asian cuisine, style, and culture, and is committed to teaching the American public that the very best Asian cooking can be achieved in a real home kitchen by real people on real schedules.

After growing up working in the kitchens of her mother Leeann Chin’s award-winning Minneapolis-area restaurants, Katie pursued a career in film and television marketing, but eventually left her executive position to return to her culinary roots. She opened a catering company, Double Happiness Catering, specializing in Pan- Asian cuisine, where she catered many celebrity-studded events for the high fashion and entertainment industries.

Katie co-hosted the 2003 PBS cooking series, Double Happiness, in conjunction with her mother and together they wrote Everyday Chinese Cooking. On her own, Katie wrote 300 Best Rice Cooker Recipes and the soon-to-be-released Everyday Thai Cooking. She has been featured in many food and lifestyle magazines, and her numerous appearances on national television include Today, The Daily Buzz, and Cooking Channel’s Food(ography). She recently served as a guest judge on Food Network’s Iron Chef America.

Kevin Kolman is Weber’s Grill Master, the company’s go-to guy for all grilling techniques, products, and questions. Although he has grilled over 10,000 burgers, his goal is to inspire and teach people that their grill is an extension of the kitchen–not just a place to cook burgers and hot dogs. He most enjoys learning how to grill traditional and ethnic authentic cuisines from around the world.

As the face of Weber, Kevin has been seen and heard on television, radio, and the internet. His how-to videos and blogs inspire average grillers to become backyard heroes. He has performed extensive hands-on testing and scrutiny of company products and accessories. One of his greatest accomplishments has been his long-term collaboration with the company’s research and development team in gaining a deeper understanding and appreciation for the tradition and innovation that has made Weber the preeminent leader in the grilling world.

Based on his commitment to education and passion for grilling, Kevin was invited to be a lead instructor for a barbecue science class at Ohio State University. He has taught classes and judged grilling competitions around the world.

Steven Raichlen is a multi-award winning author, journalist, lecturer, and television host. His bestselling books and his popular PBS shows—Primal Grill and Barbecue University—have redefined American (and world) barbecue.

Among the author’s 29 books are the international blockbusters The Barbecue Bible and How to Grill (each with more than one million copies in print) and The New York Times bestselling Planet Barbecue (Workman Publishing). His books—more than five million in print—have won five James Beard Awards and three International Association of Culinary Professional Awards and been translated into 17 languages. As a journalist, Steven has written for The New York Times, Esquire, GQ, and all the major food magazines.

Steven has lectured on the history and culture of barbecue at the Smithsonian Institution, the Library of Congress, and Harvard University, and founded Barbecue University at the Broadmoor resort in Colorado Springs. He also created the Best of Barbecue and Planet Barbecue grilling accessory lines. Steven studied medieval cooking in Europe on a Thomas J. Watson Foundation Fellowship, and holds a degree in French literature from Reed College. He also hosts a popular French language grilling show: Le Maitre du Grill. In 2012, Forge Books (MacMillan) published his first novel, a foodie love story set on Martha’s Vineyard called Island Apart.

After presenting to the judging panel, a few moments of complete silence falls upon the tent as the judges taste your burger. In the interim, you are handed a microphone in order to answer questions or address concerns from the judging panel after trying your burger. Chef McNair first mentioned that he remembered my bun nut crusting technique from 2007. Busted! But, I was able to hold myself together to mumble something about the nuts being cashews this time. Chef Chin was interested in knowing why I didn’t incorporate shrimp paste, a very traditional and flavorful ingredient in green curries, into the glaze. Somehow, my fried brain pulled out of its deepest recesses that I had tried the raw curry glaze with shrimp paste, but that it somehow muddled the balance of the other ingredients in a non-cooked curry. During the judging panel I was on the verge of tears as the panel mentioned that they enjoyed the combination of textures and the balance of flavors in the burger.

After presenting to the judges, each finalist is asked to prepare what is called “The Hero Burger,” which is a completed burger to be photographed. It was difficult to hear any of the judging comments from my station, so I missed everything that was said about the Alternative and the other Beef burgers. After finishing “The Hero Burger,” I was whisked away by the event’s wonderful photographer for a series of pictures. After that, I did my best to clean-up my station and, as only an event as incredible as BBB would do, simply dumped all my personal cooking equipment into a labeled bin, which was cleaned and shipped back to me after the competition. This is definitely something a home cook could get used to.

The last burger of both categories was presented at 2:50 p.m., and the tallying of the judges’ and the peoples’ choice ballots were completed by 3:30 p.m. Before we knew it, the finalists were invited back to the stage for the awards presentation. The Alternative category was first, with all the finalists being presented with a handcrafted trophy. First up was the Audience Choice for Alternative burger, which went to the delicious creation of Kim Jones from Bloomingdale, Illinois. Her “Better than Breakfast in Bed Burgers” had completely won over the crowd, looked absolutely delicious and apparently looked as great as they tasted. The Second Runner-Up was Cheryl Lundquist of Wake Forest, North Carolina, with her beautiful “Lamb Burgers with Mango Chutney Mayo and Minted Romaine.” Coming in as First Runner-Up was Artesia, New Mexico’s very own Helen Mariscal with her “Lemon-Scented ‘Salmon-icious’ Burgers,” made with her carefully transported favorite fresh red chile powder. Then, the winner of the Alternative Burger for this year was announced, and it was the incredible “Indian Lamb Burgers” of Mark Richardson of Snohomish, Washington.

Then, it was time for the Beefs. The Audience Choice easily went to the delicious creation of last year’s Alternative winner, Mark Pyne (now of Sheboygan, Wisconsin), for his “Grilled Green Tomato Burgers with Garlic Lemon Mayonnaise, Shoestring Fries, Smoked Bacon and Bad Boy’s BBQ Sauce on Pretzel Buns.” The Second Runner-Up was then announced, the insanely creative and delicious creation of Janette Nowak of Spring, Texas, her “Razzle Dazzle Burgers with Raspberry-Chipotle Spread, Cilantro-Pecan Pesto, Raspberry-Avocado Salsa and Salted Caramel Bacon.” Next up was First Runner-Up, which also went to Mark Pyne! As my brain was still not quite working after the excitement and fun of the day, I looked down the line of my fellow finalists, trying to quickly determine which finalists and burgers remained and tried to deduce which of their two recipes had won the category. I was still looking down the line when a huge check appeared in front of me and what sounded like my burger’s name was read. It was the faces of the four Beef finalists looking towards me that finally made me realize that the burger named was mine. My brain was swirling and I was suddenly holding onto (and then dropping) a novelty check, a huge handcrafted BBB trophy and had a medal around my neck. The only recollection I have of the 20 minutes thereafter were blubbering on my cell phone to my boyfriend and my mom, being interviewed and receiving my new flight information, an early flight back to NYC for a press tour.

Phone calls with my sister, boyfriend and mom, a good long shower, a glass of wine and a few shrieks of disbelief later, I looked down at the 1st place medal that was sitting on my Inn’s bed and everything that had had just happened started to replay in slow motion. Mid-reverie, I received a call from some of the Trinchero organizers asking if I wanted to join them and some of the sponsors for a raucous night of good food and drink in Yountville. Um, that’s a hard question!

Sunday morning arrived and it was time to pack-up and head to San Francisco to fly to New York. It looked like the other finalists had already left for the day, as I had the sunroom of the Victorian Inn (and a huge platter of vegetable frittata and thick-cut bacon) all to myself. After making the rounds and saying good-bye to all the staff I could find, I started the beautiful drive back to the airport. Once in New York, I would be traveling with Trinchero’s PR genius, Nora Feeley. After a long taxi queue at JFK, I checked into The Hudson Hotel around 2:30 a.m. and finally drifted asleep around 4:00 a.m. The only interview scheduled for Monday was with a paper in California, which made for a nice, relaxing day.

Tuesday was a long and carefully-scheduled day of interviews. The plan was to deliver freshly-made, hot burgers to each interview session (which I thought was an awesome touch!), so Nora secured the kitchen space and assistance of private chef Kate Holmes in the Village. When we arrived, Chef Kate had everything prepped and perfect organized so that I would only need to flash-fry some watercress and shallots, grill-off some burgers, toast some buns, assemble the burgers and be out the door.

Our first interview was with Yum Sugar, followed by Kitchen Daily, AOL and Huffington Post, Essence and ending with Fox News, with trips back to Chef Kate’s between each media meeting. At one point, we had an extra burger and Nora, who had been a part of the recipe tasting panel for BBB but didn’t get to try my burger, didn’t want it to go to waste.

Finally, Wednesday had arrived. Redbook came to The Hudson, so we had an al fresco interview and burger breakfast in the large, open terrace off the lobby. Then, it was time to pack-up and make the subway ride back home to Brooklyn, where a giant check and my financial advisors awaited.

About Erin

Erin Evenson is a fun-loving home cook and lauded recipe writer. The first cooking contest Erin entered was Sutter Home’s Build a Better Burger contest in 2007 and she was invited to compete in the Beef Division, placing 1st Runner-Up. Since then, she has placed in several local and national competitions, including the Scharffen Berger Chocolate Adventure, Manischewitz, Sutter Home’s Build a Better Burger, Mezzetta Make that Sandwich, Rias Baixas, Dream Non-Dairy, Chilean Avocado Commission, Earth Balance, Redwood Creek, Gilroy Garlic Festival and The Daily News BBQ in the Boros contests, as well as The Food Experiments.

She was profiled by multiple James Beard Award-nominated Liza de Guia on “Food Curated” in an episode titled “The Perfect Bite: A Competitive Home Cook, 150 Cod Tongues & A Passion for New Nordic Cuisine” and is also a KCBS Certified Barbeque Judge.

On May 18, 2013, Erin was selected as the $100,000 Grand Prize Winner of Sutter Home’s Build a Better Burger Contest for her “7 Train Caramelized Green Curry Burgers with Crispy Watercress Salad, Roasted Cashews and Minted Basil Aioli.”

Erin’s favorite cooking show is “New Scandinavian Cooking with Andreas Viestad,” her refrigerator is always occupied by curing or pickling fish, and she enjoys pairing food with music.