HANNAFORD ANNOUNCES ALBANY SEMI-FINALISTS FOR HOME CHEF CHALLENGE WITH MARIO BATALI

Inspirational home chef winner will visit Chef Mario Batali in New York City

ALBANY, New York – Hannaford Supermarkets and Chef Mario Batali today announced the Albany regional semi-finalists in the Mario Batali™ Home Chef Challenge, a unique recipe contest designed to celebrate home chefs and their cooking inspirations.

The three Albany semi-finalists are:

  • Lance Gray of Schenectady, NY preparing Limoncello Cake with Seven Minute Frosting
  • Nancy Holzman of Glens Falls, NY preparing Zesty Tuscan Pasta Sauce
  • Todd Schillinger of Swanzey, NH preparing Chicken New Hampshire

The semi-finalists were chosen based on their submission of a favorite, original recipe, their inspirational story about the recipe, and how the recipe can excite others about cooking at home.

Each semi-finalist will be vying for the grand prize of an all-expenses paid trip for two to New York City to attend a taping of ABC’s The Chew, meet Mario and have dinner at one of Mario’s acclaimed restaurants. The first prize winner will receive a $1,000 Hannaford gift card. The second prize winner will receive a $500 gift card.

“Hannaford is ecstatic to partner with Chef Mario Batali, a culinary visionary who shares our passion for food, home cooking, and hunger relief. We congratulate each of the semi-finalists on their delicious recipes, which really exemplify the joy of home cooking, and the inspirations surrounding culinary creations,” said Hannaford President Mike Vail. “The submissions highlight how home chefs use the locally-sourced, fresh ingredients that are so popular in our stores. We look forward to hearing exciting stories and eating fantastic food during the semi-finalist tastings.”

Each Albany semi-finalist will compete in a tasting event at the Hannaford store at 900 Central Avenue in Albany, NY on Monday, December 4, during which they will prepare and present their recipe to a panel of local judges. The Albany judging panel includes FLY 92.3 on-air personality Ally; Times Union Senior Writer and Table Hopping columnist Steve Barnes; and News 10 ABC Anchor Christina Arangio.

Identical events will occur in Burlington, VT and Portland, ME, and one finalist will be determined at each location. Mario will select the grand prize winner from the three finalists.

For more information about the Mario Batali Home Chef Challenge, visit Hannaford.com/HomeChefChallenge.

About Hannaford Supermarkets

Hannaford Supermarkets, based in Scarborough, Maine, operates 181 stores in the Northeast. Stores are located in Maine, New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Hannaford employs more than 27,000 associates. Additional information can be found at www.hannaford.com.

Abour Mario Batali

Mario Batali counts 25 restaurants, eleven cookbooks, numerous television shows and six Eataly marketplaces among his ever-expanding empire of deliciousness.

In February of last year, Mario opened La Sirena Ristorante, a lively yet elegant space offering two distinct dining experiences on the plaza level of New York City’s Maritime Hotel in Chelsea. In the barroom is the Tapas Bar where guests enjoy a food menu of small plates that pair well with cocktails and wine. In the more formal main dining room, La Sirena offers a Michelin-starred menu representative of the entire Italian Peninsula.

Mario is the author of eleven cookbooks including the James Beard Award Winning, Molto Italiano: 327 Simple Italian Recipes (ecco 2005). In October of last year, Mario released Big American Cookbook (Grand Central Life & Style 2016), which features 250 simple and delicious recipes from San Diego fish tacos to Boston Cream Pie.

Mario appears daily on ABC’s “The Chew,” the Emmy Award winning daytime talk show on ABC that celebrates and explores life through food.

To learn more about Mario Batali, visit www.mariobatali.com.

To learn more about the Mario Batali Foundation or to donate to the matching program, visit www.mariobatalifoundation.org.

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