Chef Showdown 2023: Chef Nicole McLaughlin Takes Home the Golden Whisk Award!
Last week, so many of you flocked to our Instagram and Facebook pages to see four renowned chefs commemorate World Food Day by preparing dishes inspired by the countries and regions where Rise Against Hunger works to address food insecurity. The third annual It Starts With a Meal™ Chef Showdown, Rise Against Hunger’s virtual cooking competition, ended today on World Food Day. The votes have been tallied and we’re excited to announce that Nicole McLaughlin is the 2023 Chef Showdown winner! Receiving 322 votes through likes, comments and shares on social media for her mouthwatering South African-inspired sandwich, Nicole takes home the Golden Whisk Award — for the second year in a row. Congratulations, Nicole!
Nicole competed against three other remarkable chefs, all of whom did an amazing job! Nacho Aguirre and Susana Mijares, the husband and wife duo from San Antonio, Texas, made Discada Tacos inspired by their Latin roots and Rise Against Hunger’s work in Latin America. Cristina Bowerman, the Michelin Star-rated chef from Rome, showcased her culinary skills by preparing Palak Paneer, an Indian-inspired dish. And Michelle Adrillana, competing for her second year and hailing from the Philippines, shared her passion for Filipino cuisine by making an Egg Roll Tinola. We’re so appreciative of all of this year’s chefs!
The competition didn’t just bring together chefs from Texas, Alabama, the Philippines and Italy to compete for the Golden Whisk Award. It also had a big impact by raising awareness of global hunger in honor of World Food Day! As people voted by liking, commenting and sharing their favorite chef(s) video, that engagement helped spread the word about hunger and encourage others to learn about this critical issue and take action. Thank you for voting and helping raise awareness of hunger for World Food Day!
This year’s Chef Showdown may be coming to a close, but as we continue to commemorate this year’s World Food Day and beyond, we encourage you to join us in the fight to end world hunger! Check out our How You Can Help page to learn more!