Vegan Cook-Off Provides Delicious Dishes, Prizes to Attendees

Berkeley Heights, NJ - On Sunday, Sept. 22, 2019, over 160 people of all ages gathered in Lower Columbia Park for the Vegan Cook-Off during the final day of Berkeley Heights Vegan Fest 2019 to taste just how delicious vegan food can be.

Upon entry into the event, each of the first 100 attendees was presented with a free, one-of-a-kind, commemorative t-shirt. This helped to put event-goers in a festive mood, with many of them – most of whom did not identify themselves as being vegans when surveyed at sign-in – opting to wear their t-shirt over the attire in which they had arrived.

The picnic tables under the permanent canopy in the park were converted into a wonderland of vegan delights. Separate tables were designated to host dishes in the three cuisine categories: Appetizers, Main Courses, and Desserts. A separate table was set up for the judges, while another table showcased the trophies and other prizes to be awarded to the top three winners in each cuisine category.

Contestants brought enough of their respective dishes for the judges to sample, as well as for the crowd to taste. This was a key feature of the Vegan Cook-Off, as it enabled attendees to experience how fresh and yummy plant-based food can be, and to be inspired to incorporate more foods free of animals and animal products (such as beef, pork, chicken, eggs, cheese, and butter) into their regular diets. All contestant dishes were vetted in advance of the competition, to ensure that they contained only vegan ingredients.

In addition to the dishes from contestants, Smoothie King of Summit provided free vegan smoothie samples, while Delicious Heights provided free chickpea sliders. The generosity of these local vendors provided everyone who attended the Cook-Off with an opportunity to sample amazing vegan food.

As Master of Ceremonies Kinan Tadmori announced the name of each dish, members of Cub Scout Pack 368 helped to shuttle samples of that dish to the panel of judges. This five-star panel consisted of members of the Berkeley Heights local government as well as local restaurant owners, including the following six people:

• Angie Devanney (who is a vegan), Mayor of Berkeley Heights;
• Manny Couto, Member, Berkeley Heights Township Council;
• John Leo, Jr., Member, Berkeley Heights Environmental Commission;
• Angus Chen, Member, Berkeley Heights Environmental Commission;
• Michael Ramella, Owner, Devour Creative Catering; and
• Mike Matthews, Owner, Smoothie King of Summit.

After tasting the delectable entries and completing their specially-designed secret ballots, the following chefs and dishes emerged as the winners:

Appetizer Category
First Place – Meera Rao; Dish: Coco-Loco
Second Place – David Steiner; Dish: Knot Your Ordinary Garlic Knots
Third Place – David Sonshine; Dish: Sonshine Pesto Sauce

Main Course Category
First Place – Marcus Efford-Singleton; Dish: “Italian” Style Spaghetti & Chick Pea Meatballs
Second Place – David Steiner; Dish: Fiests Pea-ita
Third Place – Tori Fetner; Dish: Vegan Philly Cheesesteak

Dessert Category
First Place – Victoria Murray; Dish: Ginger Lemon Berry Crumble
Second Place – Christine Cantner; Dish: Aiden and Cameron’s Zesty Lemon Cake
Third Pace – Amanda St. Clair; Dish: Vegan Pumpkin Bars!

In addition to the winners above each taking home a trophy and a fabulous prize generously donated from local sponsors, everyone who signed in to the Cook-Off was eligible to win prizes just for showing up at the event. Mayor Angie Devanney selected names out of a sustainable, mesh bag that Vegan Fest Chair Kim Diamond held. Jeanne Kingsley, a Sustainable Berkeley Heights officer and Township Councilwoman, helped distribute the prizes. Prize winners included people of all ages, from young children to adults. This enabled attendees to leave the event enriched with prizes, more knowledge about plant-based, vegan food, and the understanding that they, too, can create healthier dishes in their own home.

All were invited to take the Vegan Quest Pledge, a week-long challenge in which people pledged to (1) eat one entirely vegan meal for a lunch or dinner during one of the 7 days following Vegan Fest, while reducing overall consumption of animal-based products; (2) eat one entirely vegan meal per day for each of the 7 days following Vegan Fest, in substitution of their regular meals for each day; or (3) go full vegan for the week (recommended for those who already follow a vegetarian or nearly vegan diet).

For additional information about Sustainable Berkeley Heights, please visit their website at https://www.sustainablebh.org/ and their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SustainableBH/ .

For additional information about the Berkeley Heights Environmental Commission, please visit their website at https://www.berkeleyheights.gov/195/Environmental-Commission and their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/BerkeleyHeightsEnvironmentalCommission/ .