Pyramid Breweries’ Berkeley Alehouse Chef Wins "Iron Chef" Title
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SEATTLE, WA – At the Sysco San Francisco Annual Product Show held at the San Mateo County Event Center, Pyramid Breweries’ Berkeley Alehouse Master of Spicing and Slicing, Kristela Nazario Mendoza, proved that life is what you pour into it as she defeated her competitors with her culinary chops to triumphantly capture the title of Iron Chef.
The call for the Sysco San Francisco Iron Chef Showdown went out to the chefs of the Bay area, among who only 8 were chosen to compete. In true Iron Chef fashion, contestants were provided tools and a pantry of limited ingredients by Sysco San Francisco. Competitors were judged on a 100 point scale through three rounds of competition featuring a distinctive secret ingredient in each. Nazario Mendoza emerged victorious with each twist, turn, and surprise.
Nazario Mendoza harnessed her creativity and expert execution – delivering winning dishes throughout the competition. The first round dished up U-10 Prawns as the secret ingredient. She created lemon-brined prawns with red onion, roasted corn, and cilantro in roasted tomato and red pepper aioli with a cream reduction on heirloom mixed greens, in addition to cilantro tempura battered prawns with curled angel hair scallions.
Utilizing Swai – fish similar in texture and flavor to catfish – as the second secret ingredient, Nazario Mendoza called upon her years of experience as a sushi chef and made a raw preparation. Final plating included a pinwheel platter with alternating pieces of grapefruit resting atop a braised leek and watermelon radish salad, all topped with a soy and habenero reduction. As a finishing touch and ultimate wow-factor, Nazario Mendoza infused herb flavors into hot oil and, at the very last moment, poured the smoking hot oil over the fish to par-cook the Swai on the plate.
The final winning dish was a toasted pecan and rosemary encrusted kobe beef tenderloin with a grilled pineapple bouquet of enoki mushrooms, julienne carrots, tomato, heirloom greens and rosemary chili focaccia bread. The tenderloin was served with toasted pecans, pineapple-rosemary dressing and finished with a roasted tomato oil.
“There were a lot of talented chefs and it was very competitive,” said Nazario Mendoza. “So many chef-students attended and were curious about Pyramid and how I got my inspiration. It was really exciting to talk to them about our unique offerings at the Alehouse, as well as showcase some examples of our creativity.”
Pyramid Breweries has Alehouse locations in Seattle, WA, Portland OR, Berkeley, Sacramento, and Walnut Creek, CA. At the Berkeley Alehouse, in which Nazario Mendoza presides, chefs are given the reigns to craft unique offerings for rotating fresh sheets that feature Pyramid beers. Nazario Mendoza quips that, “the hardest part of the competition was that I didn’t have any beer with me!” Competitors were not allowed to bring any of their own ingredients.
Alongside of its Alehouse offerings, Pyramid is gearing up to launch “Dish it Up” – a new cooking with Pyramid beer program that provides the urban and contemporary cook with unique recipes for select gatherings. Dish it Up launches in April featuring a recipe, created in part by Nazario Mendoza, for Haywire Hefeweizen Shrimp Ceviche, and will offer many more recipes throughout the year. Recipes can be found on select Pyramid packaging in California in April, or online at PyramidBrew.com.
About Pyramid Brewing Co.
Pyramid Brewing Co. is a leading brewer of specialty, full-flavored craft beers produced under the Pyramid family of ales and lagers. Pyramid beers continue to be honored by beer drinkers and judges having received 22 medals at the Great American Beer Festival (GABF), including a gold medal awarded to Haywire Hefeweizen in 2009 as well as the honor of Mid-size Brewery of the Year in 2008. The brewery has also been awarded seven medals in international competition at the World Beer Cup.
With breweries in Seattle, WA, Portland, OR, and Berkeley, CA, the Company owns Alehouses at all three locations as well as two additional Pyramid Alehouses in Walnut Creek and Sacramento, CA.
Additional information about Pyramid Brewing Co. is available at PyramidBrew.com or by contacting Maggie Van Ness, Pyramid Brewing Co. Media Relations, press@pyramidbrew.com, 206.682.8322 ext. 254.
