SFA to host 'East Texas Chopped' cooking competition

SFA seniors Jillian Bertsch (right) of Lufkin, logistics coordinator, and Justin Lopez of Dallas, sponsorship coordinator, prepare for the upcoming "East Texas Chopped" event at Hotel Fredonia. Tickets are on sale now.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The Hospitality Administration program at Stephen F. Austin State University will host the second annual "East Texas Chopped" event at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 23, at the Hotel Fredonia in downtown Nacogdoches.

Similar to the television show "Chopped," the event will feature local "celebrity" couples, as well as renowned judges with various culinary experiences. Couples will receive a mystery basket and are required to create several dishes that incorporate the mystery ingredients located within.

Judges for this year's event are chefs Simon Webster, Jackson York, Todd Barrios and Christian Mailloux and Tyler Morning Telegraph food editor Christine Gardner.

Brookshire Brothers will sponsor a wine tasting featuring award-winning Washington and California wines from 5:30 to 6 p.m. A silent and live auction will offer more than 50 items, including a four-course gourmet dinner prepared by York for five couples, as well as a stay in a private beach house on Galveston Island.

"This event is such a great way to promote culinary tourism right here in East Texas," said course instructor Breezy Lake-Wolfe. "This is also a great opportunity for our students to network and gain real-world experience executing a large-scale event."

The fundraising event is produced and executed by meeting planning students in the hospitality program. Tickets are $25 and available for purchase through the SFA hospitality program's website, www.sfasu.edu/hms.

For more information, visit www.SFAHMS.wix.com/Chopped2013.