South Seattle Community College culinary instructors judge the finalists in Seattle City Light’s Cookin’ with Kilowatts contest.
Lauren Rhoades of Seattle won the top prize in Seattle City Light’s Cookin’ with Kilowatts contest Wednesday with her recipe for 0.6 Kilowatt Coq Au Vin.
In a cook-off at South Seattle Community College, culinary students prepared dishes following the recipes of three finalists. A panel of judges then determined first, second and third place.
“It was hard to pick a winner, since the top three dishes were all delicious,” said SSCC Chef Instructor Robert Scribner, who served as one of the judges. “I was so impressed with the winning 0.6 kilowatt Crockpot Coq Au Vin that I’m going to buy a Crock Pot.”
The winning dish.
With her victory, Rhoades took home a $250 gift card from PCC Natural Markets. Second place and a $150 gift certificate went to Patrice Bloch of Tukwila with her recipe for Salmon Steamed in Banana Leaf with Quinoa and Dahl. Elizabeth McKee of Seattle took third and a $100 PCC gift card for her Crock Pot Indian Cornish Game Hens recipe.
Bloch said she was inspired by the contest to take one of her favorite recipes and cook it in a more energy efficient method: the microwave.
“I have a banana tree in my backyard and bought some salmon and experimented with a way to make an awesome new dish using energy efficient method,” she said. “The contest has inspired me to continue with my creativity and use energy-efficient methods of cooking. Learning to cook with a microwave versus just reheating things.”
More than 100 City Light customers submitted recipes with an energy saving twist. Each recipe used a method of cooking that requires less electricity than an electric stovetop or oven where the dishes would typically be cooked.
Even City Councilmember Mike O’Brien and City Light General Manager and CEO Jorge Carrasco joined in with a personal challenge pitting Carrasco’s microwave rice casserole against O’Brien’s electric skillet pineapple upside down cake.
“The creativity and cooking skills Lauren Rhoades and the other contest participants displayed were impressive,” Carrasco said. “I congratulate them all for demonstrating how each of us can prepare delicious food while reducing our electricity consumption and saving money.”
City Light plans to release an online cookbook later this year with Cookin’ with Kilowatts recipes so customers can enjoy delicious meals while reducing their electricity bills.
Seattle City Light is the 10th largest public electric utility in the United States. It has some of the lowest cost customer rates of any urban utility, providing reliable, renewable and environmentally responsible power to nearly 1 million Seattle area residents. City Light has been greenhouse gas neutral since 2005, the first electric utility in the nation to achieve that distinction.