*Ding Ding Ding* Vegan Iron Chef announces your Round 1 competitors: Home Chef Bijal vs. Pro Chef Maria.
- Karine announces Bijal as the winner!
- Chef Maria (2nd place winner Sammich Throwdown)
Attendees of the 2014 Vegan Sammich Throwdown will remember our Round 1 Chefs as the winner and runner up, thanks to their delicious sammiches!
Chef Bijal is a food enthusiast, blogger, home chef and a vegetarian. She learned the art of cooking from her mom and various books and online blogs, and she has never recieved any formal training. As those of us who have tasted her winning sammich know, she specializes in Indian food. Bijal also loves experimenting with fusion food, and we can’t wait to see what she creates for this year’s competition! Follow her adventures along the way at - my-rasoi-adventures.blogspot.com.
Chef Maria has over 15 years of hands-on experience working in professional kitchens. With a strong enthusiasm for fresh, seasonal foods, she savors teaching alternative cooking techniques to the seasoned chef, as well as those new to the kitchen. Maria is currently the Healthy Eating Specialist at Whole Foods Market Coddingtown in Santa Rosa, works as a lead catering chef at Insalata’s in Marin, and assists the director of programs at the Dr. John McDougall Medical Program. To keep up with Maria, check out her website Plant Strong Endurance. You’ll find fantastic recipes (like her Mia Famiglia Sammich) as well as resources for chefs and athletes interesting in a plant based food lifestyle.
