Chopped Live – Open Table

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Chopped for Charity 2022

Chopped for Charity 2022 was held on Friday, June 24, 2022.

Three amazing local chefs competed for the title of Top Chef! Each had 30 minutes to plan, prepare, and plate a beautiful and delicious main entree using pantry staples and a basket of mystery Ingredients. The resulting dishes were judged by three culinary professionals, an audience member judge, and the audience through donations!

Watch the full show above, hosted by the fabulous Stefanie Cloutier, to learn who was crowned the Chopped for Charity Champion or read on!

The Competition

Chef Lucmann Pierre

Chef Lucmann Pierre, a native of Haiti, is a James Beard award recipient and Cookbook author who has earned a reputation for delectable cuisine and unprecedented service. He was named President of the National Association for Catering Events (NACE) of New Jersey and has been featured on the TODAY Show on NBC and several other media outlets. Before moving to Massachusetts his Le Pierre Caterers, served clients throughout New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.

Chef Didem Hosgel

Chef Didem Hosgel traveled from her native Turkey in pursuit of her passion and convinced acclaimed Chef Ana Sortun of Oleana to take a chance on a home cook with no experience but endless determination. After many years at Oleana, she received a degree from Cambridge School of Culinary Arts, became the Chef to the Turkish Consulate of Boston, and returned to work with Sortun as her Chef de Cuisine of Sofra Bakery and Cafe. In 2020, Chef Didem introduced Tasteful Sini, a personalized chef service.

Chef Jordan Mackey

Jordan Mackey is the Chef-Owner of Nan’s Rustic Kitchen and Market in Stow and Sobre Mesa Tequila Bar in Sudbury. A graduate of the New England Culinary Institute, Mackey has had stages with Roy Yamaguchi of Roy’s restaurants and Austrian Master Chef Wilhelm Gahabka. He credits his mentoring and inspiration to French Master Chef Michel Leborgne, Union Square Café’s Danny Meyer, and fresh vegetables. Jordan believes in a “complete experience” for his diners.

And the winner is…

This year’s cooking challenge was “Twist on a Classic”. Jordan Mackey of Nan’s Kitchen and Sobre Mesa claimed the Chopped Chef Title with his New England twist on a Bulgogi lettuce wrap served on a creamy summer salad with fig saraccha and Fritos. Chef Didem Hosgel of Tasteful Sini won the audience voting with her show stopping twist on a Turkish street food “Surf and Turf Wet Burger”. And Chef Lucmann Pierre gave a command performance using Asian and Caribbean spices to create both shrimp and beef entrees served on top of a seared tomato and topped with fig jam. Yum!

It was a tough decision for the judges with all the scores being very close. The judging panel included Louise Mawhinney, the owner of Sudbury’s Duck Soup and Sky Bar Manufacturing Company; freelance food writer and editor Jacqueline Cain; and Joe Gatto, a private chef, culinary Instructor, author and host of the cutting-edge cooking show From Scratch. They were joined by Meredith Powell, who won the fourth judging position in an auction prior to the start of the competition.

Honored Guests

Two Open Table supporters, Michelle Schmidt of the Gilson Family Foundation and Mary Landolfi of the Osterman Family Foundation, were honored at the event. Local dignitaries in attendance included State Senator Jamie Eldridge, State Representative Kate Hogan, and State Representative Tami Gouveia.

“Open Table’s supporters came out in force for this year’s Chopped for Charity Gala,” said Jeanine Calabria, executive director, Open Table. “With more than 200 attendees, the event surpassed our fundraising goal putting the organization much closer to outfitting a newly acquired warehouse to support our mission to end food insecurity in Middlesex County. We are fortunate to have such a strong, supportive coalition of people willing to roll up their sleeves and open their wallets on our behalf.”