2011 Taste of Asia
Culinary Contest Judges

For Asians, food isn’t just fuel and sustenance. It’s a powerful expression of culture, and one of the ways Asian Americans stay connected with their ethnic traditions. Each year, the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival celebrates the quality and diversity of the food served in the Taste of Asia Food Pavilion by honoring the best dishes in our Culinary Contest.

We ask celebrity judges to eat their way through Taste of Asia and make the difficult decision on who deserves recognition. It’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it! Last year, the Culinary Contest judges were veteran Denver restaurateur Leo Goto (a past CDBF Honorary Patron), News 7 TV chef Mick Rosacci of Tony’s Market, and Denver Post Saturday Features Editor Elana Ashanti Jefferson.
The judges rate dishes from the Taste of Asia for 1) Relevance to Asian Culture; 2) Creativity; 3) Presentation; 4) Overall Taste; 5) Great Value and 6) Challenge of Preparation.

After much deliberation and tantalizing taste tests, our judges chose the 2010 Culinary Contest winners:
Third Place Meal: Bam-Bu (Fire chicken & Noodle Bowl)
Second Place Meal: Savory Saigon (Saigon Slaw)
FIRST PLACE MEAL : Queen of Vietnamese Martyrs Church (Sampler Combo)
Third Place Dessert: Berrie Kabob (Berrie Kabob)
Second Place Dessert: Tropical Paradise (Laotian Sweet Rice in Bamboo Stick)
FIRST PLACE DESSERT : Bam-Bu (Lym Lyt Frozen Yogurt)

This year, Chef Mick Rosacci returns, with two new judges joining him in the savory journey across the Pacific. Their decisions will be announced Saturday afternoon on the Main Performing Arts Stage. Here are the 2011 Culinary Contest Judges:

Joanne Davidson

Denver Post Society Columnist
Joanne Davidson has been society editor of The Denver Post since November, 1985, and in that capacity she writes and blogs about fundraising events in the nonprofit community. Prior to that she was San Francisco bureau chief for U.S. News & World Report magazine and society editor of the Contra Costa Times in Walnut Creek, Calif. In the latter position, she shared an office with the food editor, a happy circumstance that enabled her to learn more about cooking and nutrition by eavesdropping on interviews with such food world superstars as James Beard protege Marion Cunningham, Jeremiah Tower, Alice Waters and Ruth Reichl. Joanne lives in Denver with her husband, John, who also works for The Denver Post, and their three dogs. Column: Inside Line, blog: Seen First

Jeff Osaka

Chef and owner, Twelve Restaurant
Born in Los Angeles, where the food is as diverse as the populace, Jeff Osaka has always been fascinated by the restaurant industry. Although he didn’t step behind his first professional stove until the age of 28, Jeff has worked with some of the best chefs in the nation in the past two decades, garnering praise by critics and peers alike. In the spring of 1992, Jeff took on his first full-time chef position at Tarpy’s Roadhouse in Monterey, California. Two years later, Jeff’s professional adventure continued in San Francisco, where he worked with Chef Bradley Ogden at One Market. In this ambitious kitchen, Jeff was ingrained with Ogden’s “market to table” training — the concept of combining simple techniques with the freshest ingredients. After only a year at One Market, Jeff was promoted to the position of Sous Chef, a noteworthy achievement for someone so new to the trade. With a desire to expand his culinary palate, Jeff next ventured into the world of French cuisine. In 1997, he worked as Sous Chef for Chef Gerald Hirigoyen at Pastis, and then returned to Los Angeles to work with Chefs Joachim Splichal and Octavio Beccera as Sous Chef at Pinot Bistro in Studio City. Jeff’s confidence and commitment were soon noticed by restaurant genius Wolfgang Puck. In early 1998, Jeff became Sous Chef at Puck’s Chinois Las Vegas, broadening his cooking repertoire to deftly implement Puck’s concept of marrying Asian food with French influences. While at Chinois, Jeff cultivated a friendship with Wine Director Ken Fredrickson M.S., and within a year, the two focused their talents and energy on Jackson Hole, first opening Restaurant Terroir in late 1998 and then the Asian-influenced Koshu in 2000. He moved to Denver and opened Twelve in 2010. wwwtwelverestaurant.com

Michaelangelo Rosacci

KMGH Chef and co-owner, Tony’s Market
Mick Rosacci has studied culinary arts for over 30 years in the US, Europe and Asia. He has been working in the food industry since 1976 as a Master Butcher, Food and Wine Consultant, Chef, newspaper food columnist and a television culinary instructor. Mick currently is the Corporate Chef and co-owner of Tony’s Markets, Tony Rosacci’s Fine Catering and TR’s BBQ Catering in the Denver Metro area. “As a chef, it is my duty to share my link with past generations of cooks, as well as to teach healthy, balanced and seasonal cooking. Eating out is great, but to establish the family ritual of a meal prepared and shared at home is one of life’s greatest pleasures and I am proud to be a part of the family meal in Colorado homes every day! It is my hope that by sharing what I have learned about food can have an impact on the Colorado food scene – a savvy consumer will improve local product appreciation, and therefore product availability, as well as the quality of local restaurants. Today, I work closely with my brother, Daniel Rosacci in product direction, as well as in Public Relations and provide Marketing with copy for ‘Buon Appetito’ – the weekly newsletter for Tony’s Market, as well as my own newsletter ‘Chef Mick’s Weekend Recipes.’ I can also be seen as The Weekend Chef on Channel 7’s Morning News at 7 am and 9 am every Sunday. www.tonysmarket.com, www.TonyRosacciCatering.com, www.supper-is-ready.blogspot.com, www.youtube.com/user/TonysMarketDenver