Green & Black's Announces Winners of Chocolate Challenge Recipe Contest and Donates $100,000 to Cocoa Farmers in Belize
Wednesday May 28, 4:00 pm ET
Five Home Chefs Win Day of Organic Food Shopping and Cooking with Green & Black's and Celebrity Chef Curtis Stone


PARSIPPANY, N.J., May 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Five creative home chefs no longer have to wait to be approached in their local grocery stores for a chance to cook with Curtis Stone, host of The Learning Channel's "Take Home Chef." Green & Black's, a best-selling organic chocolate brand, announced today the grand prize winners of the Green & Black's Chocolate Challenge. These five winners receive a trip to New York City in June to participate in a day spent shopping for fresh, organic ingredients at gourmet New York City markets and preparing a delicious, organic meal with Curtis Stone, one of People magazine's "Sexiest Men Alive." Winners also receive tickets to the James Beard Foundation Awards gala on June 8, 2008, an event commonly referred to as the "Oscars of the food world."
Home chefs across the country were invited to showcase their love for organic food by submitting an original five ingredients or fewer recipe that incorporates at least 2 ounces of Green & Black's® chocolate. Recipe submissions ranged from espresso and cream truffle cake to empanadas with caramel chocolate to beef tenderloin steaks with balsamic-chocolate demi-glace. The following entrants were selected by a panel of judges for their creative recipes and compelling essays:


-- Erika Allen, Cupertino, Calif. -- Organic Banana Chocolate Cherry
Brownies
-- Alison Brantley, Polo, Ill. -- Chocolate Basil Shrimp
-- Melissa Moore, Littleton, Colo. -- Roasted Jalapeno Peppers with Brie
Cheese, Raspberry Preserves and Dark Chocolate
-- Sonali Ruder, New York, N.Y. -- Chocolate Espresso Dream Parfaits
-- Camilla Saulsbury, Nacogdoches, Tex. -- Lemon, Cardamom and White
Chocolate Fool with Raspberries


"The enthusiasm entrants of Green & Black's Chocolate Challenge have for creating organic dishes with our intensely flavored chocolate is exciting," said Elizabeth Cheng, Director of Marketing, Green & Black's. "Not only have our contest entrants impressed us with their passionate essays and creative recipes, we also want to thank them for helping us give back to our farmer partners in Belize who allow us to procure the finest organic cocoa beans."

During their day of shopping and cooking with Curtis Stone, winners will visit Curtis' favorite New York City markets, learn insider tips on entertaining and the ins and outs of shopping for great organic ingredients and then prepare a delicious meal at the James Beard House. Winners will get a taste of what hundreds of established and emerging chefs, including Emeril Lagasse, Nobu Matsuhisa, Jacques Pepin, and Charlie Trotter, have experienced over the years: the privilege of cooking at the James Beard House.

"This will be my first time cooking in the James Beard House kitchen, the center of America's culinary community where so many great chefs have cooked before, so it will be fun to share that experience with the Green & Black's Chocolate Challenge winners," said Curtis Stone. "The entries submitted for the Chocolate Challenge were very impressive, so congratulations to all who entered, and to the winners, I look forward to seeing you in New York City in June. Bring your appetites; we're going to be creating some great organic dishes!"

By participating in the contest, all Chocolate Challenge entrants have helped the cocoa farmers from whom Green & Black's procures cocoa beans used in its chocolate bars under a Fair Trade agreement. In honor of the entries received, Green & Black's is donating $100,000 to the Toledo Cacao Growers' Association farmers' cooperative in Belize as part of its ongoing sustainability efforts. These funds will go toward the planting and growth of hardwood trees on farmers' land. The hardwood trees, as part of a reinvestment in the indigenous rainforest, will provide three main benefits to the farmers: 1) shade that's needed to grow their cocoa plants, 2) increased sustainability of the soil due to balanced nutrient levels, reduced erosion, and protected watersheds and 3) high value woods that can be used by future generations as a cash crop once the trees reach the end of their life spans.

For more information about the Chocolate Challenge winners or to view their recipes, visit http://www.GreenandBlacks.com.

About Green & Black's

Launched in London in 1991 by Craig Sams and Josephine Fairley, Green & Black's entered the U.S. market in 2003 and has become one of the best selling chocolates in the natural food channel. The name reveals Green & Black's key strengths -- Green for sustainable and Black to symbolize the deep, rich, dark brown (almost black) color of the chocolate. Green & Black's buys only the very best organic cocoa beans grown under the shade of indigenous rainforest trees and alongside other crops. All Green & Black's products meet the National Organic Program (NOP) standards set by the USDA, thus giving consumers of organic products an assurance that the product is from a trusted source and matches the high standards of production. For more information, visit http://www.greenandblacks.com.

P.S. The recipes aren't on the site yet, can't wait though. Think I'll try the shrimp and the jalepeno recipes.