Seabrook Super Chef Competition Brings Out the Cooking Spirit in Residents

The auditorium at Seabrook Village Retirement Community in Tinton Falls was transformed into a cooking arena on Thursday morning as residents donned their chef hats.

Seabrook hosted the third annual Seabrook Super Chef competition, which pitted three residents, each teamed with a chef from Seabrook, against each other as they cooked the best dish possible.

Resident Emily Pernice and Seabrook chef Alex Rocha emerged as the winners after the five-member judges panel, which included Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno and New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas Fisher, chose their entree as their favorite.

The Delectable Duo used the day's secret ingredient, New Jersey produce, well and cooked up a dish that included vegetables such as asparagus and squash wrapped in a crepe with a creamy white sauce. They also had shrimp wrapped in prosciutto on the side.

The three teams were judged based on taste, presentation and originality and the Delectable Duo excelled in each category.

The Gracious Gourmets, comprised of resident Joyce Murphy and chef Shawn Dermody, came in second with their dessert crepe filled with oranges, apples and other delicious fruits. The Hash Hackers, made up of resident Ruth Eckle and Seabrook Chef Adrianne Grazette, came in third with their Asian blend of shrimp and chicken with fresh vegetables.

Each team received a gift basket for participating, with the winners receiving the largest basket.

The team were under a lot of pressure as they only learned the secret ingredient minutes before they began cooking and only had 35 minutes to prepare their dishes.

A crowd of 250 residents watched the competition and were entertained throughout as they were told food facts and jokes by members of the Seabrook staff.

All attendees were asked to bring a canned food, or non-perishable food item to the auditorium so that it could be donated to the FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties to help feed the region’s needy.