After a three-year hiatus, the International Food Competition sponsored by the Black Hawk College Multicultural Entrepreneurial Center returned to the college’s Quad-Cities campus recently.
The 5th International Food Competition: Flavors Without Borders — held Nov. 17, 2023 — included dishes made by QC professional chefs and BHC students.
Judges K.C. Ross (aka Chef Keys), LaTisha Howlett of Bayside Bistro, and Leo Kaalberg of Out to Eat with Leo selected the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners based on taste, creativity and presentation.
The student winners were:
- 1st – Kali Patel – dish from India ($600 scholarship)
- 2nd – Joesph Pustejovsky – dish from Czechia ($400 scholarship)
- 3rd – Ramesh Basnet – dish from Nepal ($300 scholarship)
The winning professional chefs were:
- 1st – Jasmine Rizo, owner of Dulzura Cakery & Studio in Bettendorf
- 2nd – Jorge Hurtado Briseño, owner of Creative Pastry & Coffee in Silvis
- 3rd – Mary Lili Kwasek, aspiring chef
Also participating were BHC students:
- Eastwood Adusei – dish from Ghana
- Ma Aye – dish from Thailand
- Ramesh Basnet – dish from Nepal
- Daniel Bonzoe – dish from Ghana
- Susmita Chaudhari – dish from Nepal
- JoLicia Cooper – dish from USA/soul food
- Guadalupe Gutknecht – dish from Mexico
- Suzanne Koivogui – dish from Guinea
- Carolina Hernandez Tamayo – dish from Mexico
- Anna Pustejovsky – dish from France
- Daniel Pustejovsky – dish from Czechia
- Norman Robinson – dish from England
- Jaleh Zarifian – dish from Iran (Persian)
“This night could not have been possible without all the help of our beautiful-hearted volunteers,” Loredana Cooper, Multicultural Entrepreneurial Center advisor, said in a BHC release Monday.
“It has been truly amazing to see the students and volunteers come together as a team and to use their talents to serve their community,” she said.
