IRVING, Texas — Mission Foods®, one of the nation's largest tortilla manufacturers, is kicking off the summer with the Mission Menus Challenge on June 28, 2010. Celebrity Chef Sara Moulton, host of "Sara's Secrets" on the new Cooking Channel and author of Sara Moulton's Everyday Family Dinners, will encourage consumers to submit their budget-friendly recipes to Mission at www.MissionMenusChallenge.com for a chance to compete in a cook-off in Los Angeles and win a $10,000 kitchen appliance makeover as well as a host of weekly prizes.
"We all are looking for ways to stretch our food dollars and put healthy, delicious food on the table at the same time," said Chef Sara Moulton. "The Mission Menus Challenge provides consumers with an opportunity to share their creative, budget-friendly recipes as well as offer the possibility of winning a fantastic kitchen appliance makeover. Plus there's a great opportunity to support a tremendous organization fighting hunger in America – Share Our Strength®."
Recipe entries will be accepted on the Challenge microsite − www.MissionMenusChallenge.com − and are required to feature Mission Flour Tortillas. In Round One Judges will evaluate recipes based on the following criteria – 1) Degree to which recipe is 'budget friendly', 2) Creative use of Mission Flour Tortillas, and 3) Overall appetizing appeal of the dish.
"We want to engage people around the country to create and share their own recipes using Mission Flour Tortillas for the Mission Menus Challenge," said Norma Rojas, Senior Director of Marketing for Mission Foods. "Mission Tortillas are soft, delicious, and are also an extremely versatile food that can be used at any time of the day – breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack and even dessert."
A key component of the Mission Menus Challenge is the partnership with Share Our Strength, which is tied to the company's Sustainability Initiative – "Today's Mission for a Better Tomorrow." The challenge will educate consumers about Share Our Strength, the nation's leading nonprofit dedicated to ending childhood hunger and Mission Foods' support of the organization's No Kid Hungry™ program. It will also provide opportunities for Mission employee volunteerism throughout the nation and direct consumer support.
Throughout the summer, Mission Foods and Chef Sara Moulton will visit special events in select cities throughout the nation with a full Mission-branded mobile kitchen. Consumers will have the chance to sign up for the Mission Menus Challenge on site, sample Chef Sara's creations, and learn more about Mission Foods, its products, and its partnerships. Mission will be in Atlanta July 4 at the Centennial Olympic Park's 4th of July Celebration, in Dallas July 10-12 for the Taste of Dallas, in the Los Angeles area July 24 for the Orange County Fair, in the San Francisco area July 31 for the Fremont Festival, in San Jose August 14-15 for the San Jose Jazz Festival, and in Denver September 6 for the Taste of Colorado. A full schedule, including locations, is available at www.MissionMenusChallenge.com.
On August 16th, 10 semi-finalists selected by the judges and their recipes will be posted on www.MissionMenusChallenge.com in a random order for public viewing and voting. The five semi-finalists who receive the most votes during the voting period will advance to compete in The Mission Menus Challenge Cook Off at Hard Rock Cafe Hollywood on Hollywood Blvd on September 10th. Each finalist will be provided with round trip air transportation and hotel accommodations for themselves and one guest. In addition, weekly sweepstakes prizes will be awarded by random drawings to lucky consumers who participate in the online voting.
Judging the cook off will be Chef Sara Moulton, and representatives from Mission Foods and Hard Rock International. The grand prize winner of the Mission Menus Challenge Cook Off will be awarded the $10,000 Kitchen Makeover.
The Mission Menus Challenge campaign will be supported with all forms of communications including television and online advertising, a television special with NBC's Al Roker, events, media outreach and the microsite www.MissionMenusChallenge.com. Visitors to the microsite will be able to create their own Mission Menus cookbook filled with recipes using all types of Mission Foods' products. Official rules and eligibility are available on www.MissionMenusChallenge.com.
About Mission Foods
Mission Foods, headquartered in Irving (Dallas area), Texas and Gruma S.A.B. de C.V., a Mexican corporation, was founded in 1949, and is one of the largest tortilla manufacturers in the United States. Gruma S.A. de C.V. is the parent company of Mission Foods (Gruma Corporation) and is a leading Mexican producer of corn masa flour and tortilla products. It has operations in Mexico, the United States, Central and South America, Europe and Asia. For more information, please visit www.missionmenus.com.
About Share Our Strength
Share Our Strength®, a national nonprofit, is ending childhood hunger in America by connecting children with the nutritious food they need to lead healthy, active lives. Through its No Kid Hungry™ campaign—a national effort to end childhood hunger in America by 2015—Share Our Strength ensures children in need are enrolled in effective federal nutrition programs, invests in community organizations fighting hunger, teaches families how to cook healthy meals on a budget, and builds public-private partnerships to end hunger, both nationally and at the state level. Working closely with the culinary industry and relying on the strength of its volunteers, Share Our Strength hosts innovative culinary fundraising events and develops pioneering cause marketing campaigns that support No Kid Hungry. Visit Strength.org to get involved in the No Kid Hungry campaign.
About Hard Rock International
With a total of 165 venues in 52 countries, including 132 cafes and 14 Hotels/Casinos, Hard Rock International is one of the world's most globally recognized brands. Beginning with an Eric Clapton guitar, Hard Rock owns the world's greatest collection of music memorabilia, which is displayed at its locations around the globe. Hard Rock is also known for its collectible fashion and music-related merchandise, Hard Rock Live performance venues and an award-winning website. In addition to the two flagship Seminole Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos in Tampa and Hollywood, Fla., Hard Rock Hotels/Casinos are located in Las Vegas, Biloxi, Orlando, Chicago, San Diego, Pattaya, Bali, Macau, Penang and Singapore. Additional hotel and casino projects have been announced in Punta Cana, scheduled to open in 2010; Panama, scheduled to open in 2012; and Hungary, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, scheduled to open in 2013. Hard Rock International is owned by Seminole Hard Rock Entertainment, Inc. For further details on Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos, visit www.hardrockhotels.com. For more information on Hard Rock International, visit www.hardrock.com.
Source: Mission Foods