CIA student takes home first prize with inspired recipe creation

Peanut Butter & Co., the source for all things peanut butter, is happy to announce that Jiyoun Oh was chosen as the winner of its first-ever recipe competition. The judging took place last night at a private event and award ceremony held at The Institute of Culinary Education.

Ms. Oh, who is originally from Seoul, South Korea, and is a student at The Culinary Institute of America, wowed the judges with her original recipe creation of Peanut Butter Panna Cotta with Caramel Mousse. Oh took home the gold medal award, as well as a check for $1,000 for her winning dessert.

The Peanut Buttery Dessert Contest was open to all culinary students in the tri-state area who wanted to create an original recipe for an innovative dessert using Peanut Butter & Co.’s all-natural, gourmet peanut butter. The panel of judges included: Chuck Hunt, Executive Director of the NY Restaurant Association; Marie Fenn, President, National Peanut Board; Gabriella Gershenson, Restaurant Editor, Time Out New York; Elisa Strauss, Pastry Chef and Owner, Confetti Cakes; and Diana DeCicco, Associate Editor, Food Arts Magazine.

Marissa Goldberg, from Plainview, NY and The Institute of Culinary Education, came in second place and was awarded a silver medal and $500 for her Toasted Peanut Butter & Jelly Ravioli with Cinnamon Ice Cream dish. Sean Pera, from Lakeland, FL, also a Culinary Institute of America student, came in third place and was awarded a bronze medal and $250 for his Peanut Butter Milk Confit Cake, Molasses, Malted Peanut Ice Cream, Maple Candied Bacon, and Beer dessert.
The Peanut Buttery Dessert Contest began in November 2007 and challenged culinary students from schools in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut to create restaurant quality, from-scratch desserts using any variety of Peanut Butter & Co.’s all-natural, gourmet peanut butter. The five finalists, which also included Karen Ng from The French Culinary Institute and Mian Catalano from The Institute of Culinary Education, were selected from hundreds of entries received.

Peanut Butter & Co., which celebrates its 10th Anniversary in December, produces six varieties of all-natural peanut butter – Smooth Operator, Crunch Time, Cinnamon Raisin Swirl, The Heat Is On, White Chocolate Wonderful, and Dark Chocolate Dreams. As part of National Peanut Month, Peanut Butter & Co. is also announcing the launch of its two new flavors: The Bee’s Knees and Mighty Maple.

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