Haute Cuisine Cook-off Launches 3rd Edition

Tico chefs are polishing up their chops for the third Maestro Culinario gourmet cooking contest.

Coordinated by French chef Vincent Boutinaud, the contest will include an event in which contestants have to cook the best dish using compulsory ingredients such as steak, palmito (heart of palm) and pejibaye (peach palm).

Regional finals will be held May 21 to 22 in the northwestern Guanacaste province and June 15 to 17 in San José, with the grand finale cook-off set for Aug. 24 and 25 at the Ramada Plaza Herradura in Cariari, northwest of San José.

Organized by the Costa Rican Tourism Board, the event includes sponsorship by gourmet import company Delika, as well as Café Britt and Ramada.

Wannabe contestants must have three years of professional experience and be currently employed as chefs, sous-chefs or station chefs at a hotel, restaurant or other food service institution. The deadline for registration is March 31. For more information, visit www.maestroculinario.cr.

–Tico Times