News Releases
PETER BECKER RESIDENTS, CHEFS COMPETE IN FIRST "CHEFS CHALLENGE"
HARLEYSVILLE, PA, March 7, 2009 – Residents of Peter Becker Community in Harleysville, PA, will “don” their chef coats to compete side-by-side with Peter Becker executive chefs in the community’s first “Chefs Challenge” event, Friday, March 13, 2009, from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Peter Becker Community’s Arbor Conference Center. The Peter Becker Community “Chefs Challenge” will coincide with the community’s annual flower show featuring “Oceans of Blooms”, March 12-14.
Based on the Food Network’s popular “Iron Chefs” show, each team will have 1.5 hours to prepare two plated courses (appetizer, salad, main entrée) using a secret ingredient in each course that will be announced the day of the show by Peter Becker Community President and CEO Carol Berster.
“Team Flair” and “Team Old School” will feature the culinary talents of Peter Becker Community residents Russell Moser, 80, a nationally recognized award-winning photographer and former owner of Moser Studio of Professional Photography in Souderton, PA, where he operated his business for 47 years; Judy Detwiler, 82, of Norristown, a retired home economics instructor; and Marge Janoski, 86, of New Jersey and Lansdale, PA, professionally trained in food service management, who will judge the food presentations.
A Peter Becker Community resident since 2006, Moser was born and raised three miles from the community he loves to call home. According to Moser, “Since my parents both worked, I learned to cook for my family when I was 16. The cooking lessons I received from my mother paid off as I cooked for my wife and me after she became ill.” Moser continues to cook and is best known at Peter Becker Community for baking fresh apple and strawberry rhubarb pies. “The key to successful baking is using fresh ingredients,” says Moser whose pies are a hit with Peter Becker Community residents including the famous “Becker Babes”, a group of women who socialize weekly (including Moser’s three older sisters Rose Hafler, Betty Schantzenbach, and Miriam Barndt who all reside at Peter Becker Community).
Born in Bethlehem, PA, Mrs. Detwiler moved to the Norristown, PA area and soon after graduating from Drexel University, pursued a career in home economics. “My specialty is sewing,” says Mrs. Detwiler who was an instructor for 15 years at Penn State University Montgomery County branch campus, and taught at Stewart Junior High School and Norristown High School. Mrs. Detwiler loves to prepare foods that do not take long to cook and still enjoys sewing. “I was happy to help sew fabrics for the Oceans of Bloom murals. I’ve lived at the Peter Becker Community for five years and haven’t met a person I didn’t like. I love it here,” she says.
An impressive panel of judges will critique foods based on taste, presentation and originality. They include Marge Janoski, a 10-year Peter Becker Community resident. Upon graduating from Cedar Crest College in Allentown, PA, Mrs. Janoski completed culinary arts training sponsored by the Statler Hotels. Certified by The American Restaurant Association, Mrs. Janoski learned everything from food preparation to managing food service and catering operations. Although she is retired from teaching home economics in Princeton and Wayne, NJ schools, Mrs. Janoski still enjoys baking and watching others cook. “I enjoy the Iron Chefs show, but I pay more attention to judges,” laughs Mrs. Janoski, who will also manage the baked goods table at the Oceans of Bloom flower show. Deb Takes, President and CEO of Harleysville National Bank, and Nick Camody, Cura Hospitality COO will also serve as judges.
Resident participants will be permitted to bring one ingredient of their choice, while chefs (managed by Cura Hospitality) will provide pantry items including flour, sugar, spices, fresh herbs, produce, pork, poultry and beef. Teams are required to prepare three servings of each food for a panel of three judges with one show plate per course.
TEAM FLAIR: Chef Anthony Dippolito, Support Cook Jenn Benner, and Peter Becker Community Resident and Guest Sous Chef, Russell Moser
About Chef Anthony Dippolito
Our youngest Chef brings over 10 years experience. Chef Anthony’s humble beginnings started with preparing from scratch pizza and bread dough’s to serving private meals to the president of a fortune 500 pharmaceuticals company. Chef Anthony is classically trained and has honed his skills in several fine dining restaurants and on and off premise catering companies, in addition to attending extensive corporate college food service training. Prior to joining Peter Becker Community in January 2008, Chef Anthony was selected as a traveling chef introducing and implementing new food concepts for a major food service company. Chef Anthony enjoys Italian cuisine with French influences, using proper cooking techniques and simply prepared with an emphasis on freshness. In his spare time, Chef Anthony enjoys fishing with his son.
TEAM OLD SCHOOL: Executive Chef Jim Cowell, Support Cook Gay Brady, and Peter Becker Community Resident and Guest Sous Chef Judy Detwiler
About Executive Chef Jim Cowell
Chef Jim has over 30 years experience in foodservice and the culinary arts. I chose the name “Team Old School” because to me it means traditional cooking and comfort foods with a modern twist. The “Chefs Challenge” will be very interesting. We will not know what we are going to prepare until the secret ingredient is revealed to us the day of the competition. I can promise one thing though; my team will be focusing on tradition and comfort foods with a slight southern flair.
Chef Jim held several leadership positions with catering and food service operations including Jimmy Duffy Catering on the Philadelphia Main Line; sous chef at the Dilworthtown Inn near Kennett Square, PA; and chef/operations manager at Southern Seminary College in Buena Vista, VA and the Montgomery Academy in Montgomery, AL. One of Chef Jim’s goals was to return to the Lansdale area to be closer to his parents, Allan and Marjorie Cowell, who have resided at the Peter Becker Community for 17 years. During visits with his parents, Chef Jim witnessed the conception and building of Maplewood Estates. “It seemed to be the perfect place for me,” says Chef Jim, who applied for the chef position before the building was even completed. Chef Jim was hired and worked in the Ridgeview Kitchen until Maplewood Estates opened its doors. “Peter Becker Community and Maplewood Estates lived up to my dreams since I first saw the bulldozers roll into the corn field, which is now Maplewood Estates,” says Chef Jim.
A graduate with a food service management degree from Montgomery County Community College, Chef Jim also holds a degree in culinary arts from the Culinary Institute of America.
