Competition rules required the students to complete four servings of a recipe for any menu segment—with each portion containing a minimum of 1 tablespoon of honey—in 90 minutes. Student recipes were evaluated equally on presentation, taste (honey identity), execution and technique.

Because of the skill, artistry and essence of honey demonstrated in two recipes, the judges awarded two top prizes of $1000 each.  In second/third place, the prize went to a recipe of striking simplicity and wonderfully subtle flavors.

The Honey Board announced the winners to a crowd of guests and observers:

1st Place ($1,000)—Juan Carlos Nerio

Beet Napoleon, Supreme Oranges

Roasted beet salad with honey, walnut and goat-cheese filling, zucchini/orange roll, balsamic vinegar and honey/orange/beet syrup.

1st Place ($1,000)—Phillip Frankland Lee

Honeyed “Surf and Turf”

Honey-buttered scallop and ribeye, warm mushroom/frisée salad, tempura honey comb

2nd Place ($500)—Thomas Demers

Orange Blossom Eggplant

Tempura Japanese eggplant, orange-blossom honey and fleur de sel

With the objective of developing awareness of and appreciation for honey’s culinary value and menu benefits in the next generation of chefs, the California School of Culinary Arts competition was the Honey Board’s second culinary scholarship event planned for 2009.  For more information about the Honey Board culinary competitions, contact Catherine Perez at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To learn more about the Honey Board’s culinary education programs, visit www.honey.com/foodindustry.