MONROE, Wis. — Chef Amanda Gargano, dining services director and executive chef of Traditions Restaurant at The Plains at Parish Homestead in Oneonta, N.Y., has been selected as the winner of the Emmi Roth USA Grand Cru® Getaway Contest. Gargano’s recipe for Grand Cru® Gruyere Cheesecake with Concord Grapes and Grand Cru®-Pistachio Tuile earned her a culinary vacation package valued at $10,000, as well as a 2-page recipe spread in Santé magazine.
Gargano grew up in an Italian restaurant family, which instilled her love of all things culinary from a young age. After an internship at The Breakers Resort in Palm Beach, she landed in the mountains of upstate New York, where she currently oversees the Dining Services Department at a high-end retirement community. Gargano’s inspiration for her winning recipe started with her passion for pastry.
“Although in America, savory cheese is not often used in desserts, it should be – it's delicious,” said Gargano. “And with an exceptional product like Grand Cru® Gruyere, it's easy to make even the most ordinary desserts extraordinary.”
Gargano’s Grand Cru® Gruyere Cheesecake recipe was selected for its creativity, uniqueness and flavor by a panel of Emmi Roth USA chefs and staff from submissions around the country.
“The flavors of sweet and savory in the crust were delicious and perfectly balanced, and the recipe stood out from the others in one distinct way: it was the one I wanted to keep eating and eating and eating! For me, it was the hands down winner,” said Regi Hise, Corporate Executive Chef and Director of Culinary Development at Emmi Roth USA.
Chef Russell Kool from Oregon received an honorable mention for his Barnyard Envoltinis with Dinosaur Kale and Grand Cru® Gruyere Soubise Fromage Blanc.
To view Gargano’s winning recipe for Grand Cru® Gruyere Cheesecake with Concord Grapes and Grand Cru®-Pistachio Tuile, visit http://www.rothcheese.com/grand-cru-gruyere-cheesecake-with-concord-grapes-and-grand-cru-pistachio-tuile/. A high-resolution photo of the recipe is attached.
Roth Cheese is a brand of Emmi Roth USA, a subsidiary of Emmi Group. Emmi Group is a leading provider of specialty and artisan cheeses and premium fresh dairy products. Our expansive portfolio includes award-winning cheeses from Switzerland, Europe, and the United States, each crafted with pride from the freshest local milk. Key cheese brands include imported Kaltbach cave-aged from Switzerland, and Grand Cru® and Buttermilk Blue® from Wisconsin. The company also makes and markets Emmi Swiss Premium Yogurt. Tradition and innovation balance perfectly to deliver distinctive offerings of the highest quality to the retail and food service trades.
Source: Emmi Roth USA