IGA HOMETOWN HOLIDAYS RECIPE CHALLENGE PRIZES AWARDED

CHICAGO, IL - A panel of culinary chefs from the Illinois Institute of Art selected the winning recipes from among eight finalists.

Each contestant traveled with a guest on May 4th for a three-day/ two-night prize package stay at the Chicago Hilton Downtown. On May 5th, the finalists prepared their original recipes in the Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago’s Culinary Arts program professional kitchen. A panel of the program’s chefs then evaluated the recipes based on four criteria: taste, ease of preparation, creativity and number of sponsor products used.

More than 500 original recipes were submitted to IGA supermarkets across the country during IGA’s fifth annual Hometown Holidays marketing event, held in participating stores last November. Valid recipe entries were required to be original creations and include at least two products from Hometown Holidays promotional sponsors. Sponsors included Anheuser-Busch, Inc., Campbell Soup Company, The Coca-Cola Company, ConAgra Foods, Inc., Minute Maid Juices, Kraft Foods, Nestlé USA and The J. M. Smucker Company.

Grand Prize Winner of $3,000
QUINBY IGA; Quinby, S.C.
Athena Russell
Mediterranean Lamb Burgers with Feta Cheese Sauce

1st Place Winner of $500
NASHVILLE IGA; Nashville, Tenn.
Nikki Norman`
Coffee-Crusted Caribbean Pork Tenderloin with Citrus-Scented Shallot Garden Sauce

2nd Place Winner of $300
TOWN PLOT IGA; Waterbury, Conn.
Lisa Keys
Chocolate Raspberry Frangipane Torte

Finalists Included:
GRIFFIN’S IGA; Longs, S.C.
Roland S. Ormrod
Carolina Crabmeat Cheesecakes

McCOWAN’S MARKET IGA; San Pedro, Calif.
Allison Luxenburg
Peanut Butter & Chocolate Cheesecake

McCOWAN’S MARKET IGA; San Pedro, Calif.
Michaela Rosenthal
Mustard-Herb Crusted Beef Tri-Tip with Crispy Orange Potato Pancakes and Parsley Crème Fraiche

SPD IGA; Nevada City, Calif.
Hank Schriefer
Lemon and Garlic Chicken Thighs

SAVE MORE FOOD MARKET IGA; Minocqua, Wisc.
Barbara Estabrook
Baked Squash Bowl with Cornbread ‘n Sweet Potato Stuffing

“We were incredibly pleased to bring the fifth annual Hometown Holidays event to our IGA Supermarkets again last fall,” said IGA Marketing Events Coordinator Zorona Chapman. “As awareness of the event has grown, so has the prestige. Over the years we’ve had a number of recipe challenge veterans, this year being no exception. I would like to thank The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago for offering their prestigious Culinary Arts facility as the venue for our cook-off, as well as the generous Red Oval Family partners who made the entire event possible.”

IGA, the only global supermarketer based in the United States , is the world’s largest voluntary supermarket network with aggregate worldwide retail sales of more than $19.1 billion per year. The Alliance includes more than 4,000 Hometown Proud Supermarkets worldwide, supported by 52 distribution companies and more than 55 major manufacturers, vendors and suppliers encompassing everything from grocery to equipment items. IGA ranks in the top 10 in world food supermarketing. IGA has operations in 48 of the United States and more than 40 countries, commonwealths and territories on all six inhabited continents. IGA's theme and philosophy, Hometown Proud, dates from its 1930s national radio show, IGA Hometown Hour, reflecting the local roots of IGA independent grocers.