Jorge Noriega, associate director for culinary development and certified executive chef for Dining Services, has been named the 2021 Premier Culinary Creations Award winner.
Participants were judged by a panel of five judges in six areas, including appearance, originality/creativity, flavors and modern sauces, use of fresh and healthy ingredients, recipe adaptability and nutritional value.
Noriega prepared a guacho, a traditional Panamanian dish, with some nuances and some modern touches. This dish contained a ruby red rice blend with black eyed peas, a sous vide pork chop, a roasted tomato and roasted red bell pepper sofrito, curly leaf parsley and a golden beet salad with a culantro oil.
“Culantro is one of those things that makes Panamanian cooking, Panamanian cooking. It has a little bit more assertive taste than cilantro … [and] is a little bit more floral,” Noriega said.
Premier operates a group purchasing organization for not-for-profit companies, including food service operations. The annual Culinary Creations Contest invites food service members from across the country to compete, awarding a Culinary Creations Award Winner and a People’s Choice Winner.
