When we last spoke with Chef Meegan Roberts, she was winning the Paella Please! competition and sharing with us her recipe for Roasted Beets marinated in a Citrus Vinaigrette with Sautéed Beet Greens paired with Strawberry Marmalade and Queso Blanco Empanadas and topped with poached eggs.
Now she is back on the competition circuit. Next weekend, she will compete to win the title of American Culinary Federation (ACF) Northeast Region Pastry Chef of the Year. She’ll travel to Niagara County Community College, Sanborn, N.Y. to compete against Maria Iacovitti, a pastry chef-instructor at Erie Community College in Buffalo, New York and Cher Harris, the executive pastry chef at The Hotel Hershey in Hershey, Pennsylvania for the opportunity to advance to the national finals in Orlando, Fla., in July for a chance at $5,000.
At the competition, she’ll have to make four portions of a hot/warm dessert featuring pineapple. She’ll only have 15 minutes to set up, 60 minutes to cook, 10 minutes to plate the dessert and 15 minutes to clean up.
“Including pineapple in our dish was no problem for me because tropical pairs so well with chocolate,” says Roberts. “With those ingredients you can’t go wrong.”
We’re sure her dish will be delicious and we wish her the best of luck!
The winner will be announced Monday evening, April 30, 2012 at the Regional Awards Gala.
For more information about the American Culinary Federation, visit their website at www.acfchefs.org.