Miami Beach Resident Wins Manischewitz Cook-Off

Chef Jacques Pepin & Winner Sarah Freedman-Izquierdo

Miami Beach, FL Resident Named Grand Champion Of

The 4^th Annual Live Manischewitz Cook-Off

Sarah Freedman-Izquierdo Won the $25,000 Grand Prize

Awarded by Legendary Chef Jacques Pepin

SECAUCUS, NJ (March 20, 2010)— Sarah F reedman-Izquierdo of Miami Beach, Florida took the National Championship in the live Man-O-Manischewitz Cook-Off – the only national kosher cooking competition in America.  Five finalists, selected from over 2,000 entries, competed live at the JCC in Manhattan in front of a prestigious panel of judges lead by legendary Chef Jacques Pepin. This year’s contestants were required to use Manischewitz’s newest product, its all-natural broth, made with real chicken and beef, as one of their ingredients. Sarah’s award winning recipe was her Mandarin Dumpling Soup.

Her prize package included – a fully expense paid trip to New York City, GE Profile kitchen appliances, cash, Manischewitz product, a silver engraved t rophy plate and large engraved crystal trophy. Mayor Bloomberg proclaimed the date as “Man-O-Manischewitz Cook-Off” day.

Sarah, a 53 year old mother of two, owns a marketing company but loves experimenting with food and creating unique recipes. This is the first cooking contest Sarah entered in 12 years and while searching online for a contest to enter, Sarah found the Manischewitz Cook-Off. She lives a very active lifestyle that includes cooking, pottery, spinning, boxing, reading, traveling and swimming. Sarah adores her family and, after the tragic loss of her mother and brother, she learned to appreciate and enjoy life to the fullest.

“We received some amazing recipe entries that reflect the diversity of our consumers who span all ethnic backgrounds,” says David Yale, President and CEO, of The Manischewitz Company. “We congratulate Sarah, and all the fine contestants, for their outstanding passion and sportsmanship.”

The recipes were judged on the following criteria: taste, ease of preparation, appearance and creativity and originality,

All finalists come from various backgrounds and include kosher and non- kosher. They range in age from 34-76. The four finalists are:

• Rachelle Lapidus from Lawrence, NY- Creamy Tarragon Chicken
• Julie DeMatteo from Clementon, NJ -Hungarian Chicken Spaetzl
• Jamie Brown-Miller from Napa, CA- Rosemary Duck Cassoulet
• Harold Cohen from Ft. Lauderdale, Fl -Ethiopian Chicken Stew

The Grand Prize Winner was selected on-site by a panel of prestigious foodies led by legendary chef Jacques Pepin. Jacques is one of America’s best-known chefs, widely recognized as the host of eleven acclaimed public television cooking series and the author and publisher of twenty-six cookbooks. He is also a founder of The American Institute of Wine and Food (WIWF) and has been the Dean of Special Programs at the French Culinary Institute (New York) since 1988. Other food experts include: Saveur magazine, Bon Appetit, SheKnows.com, Head Chef at the JCC of Manhattan and a well known cookbook author.

Here is Sarah’s winning recipe:

Mandarin Dumpling Soup

Ingredients:

1 ½ teaspoon fresh ginger finely grated

¼ cup diced water chestnuts

2 tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon dry sherry

14 ounce ground turkey

25 dumpling wrappers or wonton wrappers

6 cups Manischewitz All-Natural Chicken Broth

Instructions:
In a large mixing bowl mix the ginger, chestnuts, soy sauce, sesame oil, and sherry together.  Add the turkey to the ginger mixture and combine all ingredients well.

Scoop 1 level tablespoon of the mixture into the center of your dumpling wrapper. using water, moisten the rim of one half of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper in half and press the dough along the edge to seal. Lay the dumplings on a separate plate as you finish each one (do not flour!).

Bring the Manischewitz Chicken Broth to a boil in a 3 quart pot. Gently drop dumplings in one-at-a-time. Use a rubber spatula and skim along the bottom of the pot every so often to keep the dumplings from sticking. Reduce the broth to a simmer.  Cook for 5-6 minutes then serve!

Makes approximately 24-28 dumplings. These can be frozen for up to two months or used right away.

*For full recipes from all finalists and for all media inquiries, please contact Elena Magg at

(973)744-0707 or Elena.Magg@bhgpr.com *

*For full contest details, log onto www.manischewitz.com

About The  Manischewitz Company

In August 2004, the company changed its name from The B. Manischewitz Company, LLC to R.A.B. Food Group, LLC and today is now known as The Manischewitz Company.   The Manischewitz Company is a specialty food company that includes the Manischewitz^®, Season^®, Guiltless Gourmet^®, Asian Harvest^®, Rokeach^®, Mispacha^®, Horowitz Margareten^®, Jason^®, Mother’s^®, Carmel^®, Croyden House^®, Mrs. Adler’s^® and Goodman’s^® brands.  The company offers a diversified line of premium kosher food products that covers over 60 different categories.

The Manischewitz brand was founded in a small bakery built to make Passover matzo in 1888 by Rabbi Dov Behr Manischewitz in Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1932, Rabbi Manischewitz opened a plant in Jersey City, NJ, replacing the operation in Cincinnati.  This move paved the way for the introduction of new products like Tam Tam Crackers, Chicken Soup, Noodles and Gefilte Fish.  Today, all plant operations take place in Newark, NJ. Manischewitz continues to introduce unique, delicious, premium specialty food products such as coating crumbs, dairy-free frostings and more.

For more information, log onto www.manischewitz.com