This past Sunday, the city wrapped up its Tricentennial celebration of cuisine and agriculture with “A Taste of Albuquerque” at the Albuquerque Convention Center. Booth after booth offered up exquisite foods from the area's best restaurants, but the real stars of the evening were hard at work, preparing gourmet meals on a tight schedule for the “TVI Culinary Challenge.” Students enrolled in the TVI Culinary Arts program got to compete in a two-hour battle that included a strict scoring system and a “mystery basket” of ingredients. Sysco Foods of New Mexico, Bueno Foods and Southwest Wine and Spirits provided the food, equipment, prizes and scholarship money that was awarded to the top three up-and-coming chefs. They were: Melissa Moore in first, Pat Klaurens in second, Ernest Andazola in third and Tim Wood as first runner-up. Congratulations!
