Sportsman’s Hosts New Years’ Cook-off

by Barbara Mastriania

RENOVO – What better way to start 2015 than with a new adventure in taste. The chefs at the Sportsman’s Hotel and Restaurant provided the opportunity New Year’s Eve.

The Sportsman’s owner challenged her chefs to a cook-off as a pre-party New Year’s Eve contest. The chefs accepted the challenge and came up with four entrees for customers. The customers were the judges.

The first place winning entrée was a joint creation of pork with fruit and chutney by Warren Winkleman and Connie Linberg. Voting was close with some customers commenting they wanted to cast tie votes.

The three runners up entrees – Steak Rolls with Herb Potatoes, Fettuccine with Sausage Cacciatore and Lasagna – were also delicious, restaurant patrons agreed.

Linberg and Winkleman came up with the ingredients for the prize winning pork dish as they cooked it. Winkleman had the pork in the over and was debating how he wanted to season it. Linberg had brought grapes and apples, thinking she would make a Waldorf salad. She was adding cherry filling to miniature cheese cakes. She suggested adding the cherries to the pork. She changed her mind about the salad and they added the grapes and apples to the pork. Winkleman made a sauce to go with it, and Voila, the winning pork entrée.

Linberg also came up with the rolled steak and herb potatoes dish. Winkleman made the Sausage Cacciatore. The fourth entrée, the lasagna, was prepared by Chef Lori Rooney. Sportsman’s cooks Chris Bradney and Kathy Duvaul also helped with preparing the entrees and delicious desserts.

“It was a fun thing for the cooks to come up with new ideas,” Linberg said.