The Results Are In: The Top Three Winners of the Chef Showdown Golden Whisk Awards Are…
Last week, from October 7 to 11, we celebrated the sizzling return of Rise Against Hunger’s fourth annual It Starts With a Meal™ Chef Showdown. During this virtual cooking competition, celebrity chefs from across the globe created mouth-watering dishes inspired by the countries or regions we serve. So many of you voted by liking, sharing or commenting on your favorite chef’s video on our Instagram and Facebook pages — thank you for joining in! Today, as we recognize World Food Day as an impactful opportunity to generate action toward addressing global hunger, we’re excited to share that the votes have been tallied and the results are in!
The top three chefs taking home the 2024 Chef Showdown Golden Whisk Award are below. Keep reading to learn more about the delicious recipes that helped them secure the top three spots!
First Place: Chef JR Royol
Chef JR Royol claimed first place in his first year competing! JR is a chef at the Anihan restaurant at Rise Against Hunger Philippines’ Good Food Farm, a champion of Master Chef Philippines and the host of the culinary show Farm to Table. JR received an impressive 2,043 votes through likes, comments and shares on social media for his carabeef (water buffalo) with foraged greens recipe.
Second Place: Chefs Nacho Aguirre and Susana Mijares
Owners of Délice Chocolatier & Patisserie in San Antonio, Texas, Chefs Nacho Aguirre and Susana Mijares competed for their consecutive year. Nacho and Susana received 379 votes through likes, comments and shares on social media for their recipe for Arroz Con Leche, a delicious dessert inspired by their Latin roots and Rise Against Hunger’s work in Latin America.
Third Place: Chef Nicole McLaughlin
From Birmingham, Alabama, Chef Nicole Nelson McLaughlin, the culinary producer for Allrecipes with over 20 years of experience in the culinary industry, competed for the third year as the Golden Whisk Award winner from 2023 and 2022. Nicole received 244 votes through likes, comments and shares on social media for her spin on the Samosa Chaat, an Indian-inspired dish.
We’d also like to thank the two other remarkable chefs, including Michelle Adrillana and Cristina Bowerman, who competed this year. Chef Michelle Adrillana, competing for her third time from the Philippines, shared her passion for Filipino cuisine with a recipe for Ube Igado Shepherd’s Pie. Michelin Star-rated chef from Rome Cristina Bowerman, competing for her second year, created a mouthwatering recipe for Tagolini with Almond Milk, Edamame, Trombolotto Oil and Bottarga, a dish inspired by Caribbean flavors with an Italian twist.
This annual competition not only brought together chefs from across the globe and YOU — our incredible community of Hunger Champions who engaged with the chef’s video by casting your vote — but it also helped raise awareness for the millions of people facing food insecurity worldwide. Today, in honor of World Food Day, you can take your commitment one step further in the fight against ending global hunger with a gift that helps to ensure everyone has the nourishment they need to thrive and learn other ways to get involved with Rise Against Hunger.