Culinary Students Compete in Hazelnut Competition

Hazelnut competitors, left-right: Christina Devey,
Chuck Tanaka, Ben Banderscheure, Alexis Prosper

LBCC Culinary Arts student Christina Devey won first place for her hazelnut-crusted chicken roulade stuffed with chimichurri and feta in the 15th annual LBCC Hazelnut Competition held April 28.

Five LBCC culinary students competed this year, vying for prizes for the best use of hazelnuts in an original recipe, which included appetizers, main dishes and desserts.

The competition began in 2001, with the Oregon Hazelnut Marketing Board donating the cash prizes. Wayne and Joanne Chambers, local hazelnut growers and long-time supporters of the college culinary program,

Third-place competition
winner Freddy Cisneros.

supply the hazelnuts.

Devey, of Albany, will graduate in June with an associate’s degree in Culinary Arts. She plans to pursue her culinary interests wherever they may lead.

Alexis Prosper took second place for her orange chocolate hazelnut cake with hazelnut buttercream, chocolate ganache and hazelnut tuile. Prosper, of Corvallis, will graduate from the program next year, and plans pursue a second LBCC degree in horticulture.

Freddy Cisneros took third place with his hazelnut-crusted petite lamb chops. Freddy, of Corvallis, will graduate in June with an associate’s degree in Culinary Arts, and plans to move to Chicago to pursue his culinary interests.

Culinary students Ben Banderscheure and Chuck Tanaka also competed. 




The winners received checks from the Oregon Hazelnut Industry, and the cookbook "Oregon Hazelnut Country: The Food, the Drink, the Spirit" written by Jan Roberts-Dominguez.

Judging the competition was Jan Roberts Dominguez, food writer for the Gazette Times and cook book author; Mary Bentley, owner of Valley Catering, Dave Becker, dean of LBCC Business, Applied Technology and Industry division, and Kathy Body, former LBCC culinary instructor and originator of the Hazelnut Competition.