Press Release – Zazio’s Wins 2nd Annual Golden Ladle

From a Fair Food Matters press release…

There were sweet potato cupcakes and pumpkin mousse; there were caramel apple macarons, West African stew, and “Thanksgiving dinner in one bite” (cranberries wrapped in turkey meatballs with a shot of squash soup).

But just one chef could win the Golden Ladle Award, presented annually as part of the Fair Food Food Fair, and this year’s winner (chosen by the people who attended the event) was Zazios.

Chef John Korycki and his staff prepared a goat’s-cheese-and-pear-stuffed tortelli with butternut squash sauce and sage. The local ingredients included cheese from Mattawan Creamery, pears from Dick’s Orchards (Lawrence), and squash from Visser Farms (Zeeland). Marshall Nabors, Zazios’ master pasta maker, reported began making the pasta at 6 a.m. that day, a full 12 hours before the event began.

The Golden Ladle Award will be on display at Zazios until next year’s event.

Other chefs who took part in the competition represented Bravo!, Bronson Food Service, the Crow’s Nest, Events by Design, Food Dance, Gorilla Gourmet (Noel Corwin), Kalamazoo Cooks!, Kurry Guru, Henderson Castle, People’s Food Co-op, The Union Cabaret & Grill and Water Street Coffee Joint.

About 250 people attended the Fair Food Food Fair, which is the annual fundraiser for Fair Food Matters.