Nickel City Chef’s second season is well underway. Earlier this month, the sixth installment of the program took place, pitting Nickel City Chef JJ Richert of Torches against Challenging Chef Carmelo Raimondi of Carmelo’s Restaurant in Lewiston, NY. The video series for Nickel City Chef is being produced by Nate Peracciny and Matt Quinn.
In each episode of Nickel City Chef, both chefs are required to complete three dishes, in just an hour, featuring a secret ingredient. The secret ingredient chosen for this challenge was dried organic shiitake mushrooms from Green Heron Growers, a beautiful farm located in Chautauqua County, owned and operated by Steve & Julie Rockcastle.
For this event, both the Nickel City Chef and his challenger chose to use the secret ingredient in similar ways–powdering it and using it as a rub on meat, developing a unique soup, and, overall, playing up the earthy qualities of the mushroom. The live studio audience brought signs displaying the names of their favorite chef and cheered as each dish was completed–it was a packed house! In the end, Nickel City Chef JJ Richert won, but only by a single point!
To learn more about Nickel City Chef, check out the organization’s mission statement.
Nickel City Chef VII takes place this Sunday and features Nickel City Chef Paul Jenkins of Tempo and Challenging Chef Keith Dulak of Trattoria Aroma’s city location. Tickets for this show are sold out.
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to witness one of Buffalo’s hottest food events yourself! Hosted by Bert Gambini and Chef Mike Andrzejeweksi, Nickel City Chef takes place in the stunning showroom kitchens of Buffalo’s own Artisan Kitchens & Baths. This event is a great way to spend a Sunday. Catch Nickel City Chef Krista Van Wagner of Curly’s battle Challenging Chef Andrew of The Roycroft on April 11th, or Nickel City Chef Adam Goetz take on Buffalo’s newest import, Chef Steven Gedra of Bistro Europa on April 25th. You can find ticket and schedule information on the Nickel City Chef website.