Chef Throwdown is a high-energy live cooking competition showcasing the hottest culinary talents in Southern California. Founded by David Fuerte, CEO of Made For Chefs and former chef of University of Southern California, Fuerte’s dream was to create an environment that celebrated his and his colleagues’ artistic visions without limitations. As a result, Chef Throwdown was born and has become the ultimate culinary playground for chefs – encouraging chefs to push the boundaries and experiment with out-of-box, unconventional cooking methods.
Last month in Whittier, a suburb of Los Angeles, Made For Chefs hosted their second Chef Throwdown at The Knotted Apron. Chefs Denise Portillo of Forkin Good Cafe and Chris Tzorin (who recently appeared on the Food Network), were the featured competitors. Chef Aaron Williams of US Foods Food Fanatics was the event emcee.
The chefs were tasked with cooking for a live audience and preparing two courses each from start to finish. The winner was determined by whoever had the most votes cast by the audience. Portillo and Tzorin had a pantry full of fresh ingredients and kitchen tools, generously provided by US Foods, Solo Foods Inc., PolyScience, and Restaurantware.com. Additional food and beverages were supplied by Whittier Coffee Roasters, Aunties Bakery, Robert Hall Winery, and Michebomb. After over 3 hours of cooking and tasting, Chef Denise Portillo was named champion of Made For Chefs’ Chef Throwdown. Her menu listed below:
First Course:
Parmesan Cream Risotto, grilled prime rib, spicy butter compound
& grilled tricolored carrots with a spiced balsamic reduction
Second Course:
Agua Chile, citrus marinade with shrimp and avocado
To reserve tickets for the next Chef Throwdown scheduled for Sunday, July 17, 2016, visit madeforchefsevents.com. Rahm Fama of the Food Network will be the event emcee and Chef Mikery Hatfield and Chef Ben Diaz are confirmed as contestants.
Special thanks to Tilit Chef Goods, Aura Knifeworks, and Chef Spoons for sponsoring the uniforms and prizes for Chef Throwdown. Photography by Rob Forsythe and Rick Caldera.
