Burlington Winner: Jeanette Souther of Berwick, Maine
. From left to right: Hannaford Supermarkets Senior Marketing Specialist Hannah Taylor; Burlington regional winner Jeanette Souther; semi-finalist Anne Williams; semi-finalist Lyn Paolino; and Hannaford Supermarkets Director of Operations Samara Bushey.
Jeanette Souther (left) presents her winning dish to the judging panel. Front right: Seven Days Food Writer Suzanne Podhaizer. Center right: WOKO On-Air Personality Rod Hill. Back right: ABC 22/FOX44 Anchor Bernie Lange.
Hannaford Supermarkets Director of Operations Samara Bushey (right) presents Seven Days Food Writer Suzanne Podhaizer (left) with a donation for the Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf.
Jeanette Souther of Berwick, ME will advance to finals for the chance to visit Chef Mario Batali in New York City
ESSEX, Vermont – Hannaford Supermarkets today announced that Jeanette Souther of Berwick, Maine has been named the Burlington regional winner of the Mario Batali™ Home Chef Challenge, a unique recipe contest designed to celebrate home chefs and their cooking inspirations.
Souther’s preparation of Italian Grits with Parmesan Tomato Chicken Tenders was selected by a panel of local media judges and will now advance to the final round of the contest against regional winners from Albany, NY and Portland, ME, for the chance to win 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 his acclaimed restaurants.
A native of Louisiana, Souther’s recipe reflects the influence of her southern roots mixed with northern cuisine. She designed the recipe to be prepared in under an hour and often serves the dish to her family, which includes six children.
“I’m always cooking in my house. The question “What’s for dinner?” isn’t met with a sigh by me. All of my kids help me cook, all the way down to the 1-year-old who knows how to collect basil from the garden,” said Souther. “I’m very excited. This has been so fun.”
The Burlington regional championship was held at the Essex Resort and Spa in Essex. The three Burlington regional 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.
The other two Burlington regional semi-finalists were Lyn Paolino of Windham, NH preparing Maple Walnut Crusted Chicken with Fall Stuffing; and Anne Williams of Burlington, VT preparing Roasted Eggplant Spinach Lasagna. Each received a $100 Hannaford gift card and a gift basket.
“Hannaford is ecstatic to team up with Chef Mario Batali, a culinary visionary who shares our passion for food, home cooking, and hunger relief. We congratulate Jeanette on her victory, and 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. “We look forward to seeing who Mario selects as the winner.”
The judges, who were selected as representatives of the Burlington media corps, were also asked to prepare their own inspirational recipes, which, in turn, were evaluated by the regional semi-finalists. Seven Days Food Writer Suzanne Podhaizer was selected as the winner of the media division for her Cider Braised Pork with Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Squash dish, and received a $1,000 Hannaford gift card for the Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf. The other participating judges included WOKO On-Air Personality Rod Hill and ABC 22/FOX 44 Anchor Bernie Lange.
The grand prize winner of the Mario Batali Home Chef Challenge, who will be personally selected by Mario, will be announced the week of December 18. The first prize winner will receive a $1,000 Hannaford gift card. The second prize winner will receive a $500 gift card.
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.
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.