Community Corner

Festival Competition Heats Up–Champions from Day 1

Friday's competitions included the "Master Chef Challenge" and "So You Think You Can Cook with Garlic?"

The first-ever champion of the Gilroy Garlic Festival’s competition has been crowned, wrapping up a Friday of food battles that also included the “Master Chef Challenge.”

Laurie Figone took honors in the “So You Think You Can Cook” competition, defeating fellow finalist Michael Labrador and taking home $810 in the inaugural event.

Both competitors submitted videos of themselves assembling their creations weeks earlier: Figone’s “Triple G Almost-Famous Focaccio Bread” versus Labrador’s “Alchofa Artichokes.” Fans voted on the videos on www.kgoradio.com, and a team of judges made the final call on the dishes from the festival Cook-Off Stage. 

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In the Master Chef Challenge, Jonathan Toste, executive chef at Lizarran Tapas Restaurant, defeated “Team Fortino Winery,” Gino Fortino and Kraig Youmans.

Many of the recipes used in the competitions and in Gourmet Alley are available in the Garlic Festival’s annual cookbook, which costs $7 at the festival.

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