October 16, 2008
Washington Chef Wins Nationwide Competition with Pear Ravioli
The corporate executive chef for TOP Food & Drug and Haggen Food & Pharmacy stores has won a nationwide competition and is being honored at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival for his pear ravioli recipe.
James Valentine will present a demonstration of how to prepare his recipe – Northwest Anjou Pear Ravioli with Vanilla Chardonnay Buerre Blanc – Oct. 25-26 during the festival at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fla.
Valentine’s recipe won this year’s USA Pears recipe competition for chefs representing grocery stores. His ravioli filling features Northwest Anjou pears with ricotta and mascarpone cheese. Valentine’s recipe includes directions for making ravioli pasta from scratch, as well as creating a buerre blanc that blends chardonnay wine with heavy cream and a whole vanilla bean.
“We’re blessed in the Pacific Northwest to have many fresh and delicious ingredients like pears so readily available,” Valentine said. “Northwest Anjou Pear Ravioli is a recipe that will be a hit with guests and isn’t difficult to make at home.”
It’s not surprising that the winning pear recipe came from the Pacific Northwest. Combined, Oregon and Washington comprise the nation’s largest pear-producing region. They produce approximately 84 percent of all fresh pears grown in the United States, and more than 94 percent of all winter pears (non-Bartlett varieties such as Bosc and Anjou). They also account for 92 percent of America's fresh pear exports.
For more information about USA Pears, visit www.usapears.com.
Valentine is the corporate executive chef for Haggen, Inc., which operates 33 supermarkets in Washington and Oregon under the TOP Food & Drug, Haggen Food & Pharmacy and Larry’s Market names. Headquartered in Bellingham, it is the largest independent grocer and sixth-largest private company based in the State of Washington.