Fairway Market Asks www.ParamusPost.com to be a Judge At Firehouse Cookoff

Fairway Market Pursuing their interest in involving the community. Fairway Market held a cookoff competition with several firehouse chefs displaying their culinary abilities. In addition to Mel Fabrikant, Susan Leigh Sherrill, newly appointed food editor of The Record and Ray Venezia , longtime meat mogul and director of that department for Fairway were enlisted to taste the various preparations and to judge them. Fairway donated all the food, water and shade canopies to the participating contestants and rewarded them with gift certificates plus a trophy and a donation to the winner’s charity of choice.

Fairway Market The three judges sat at a table and waited as the food was brought to them by staff members. The tasting covered hamburgers, chicken and ribs. The cooks started out with the same Fairway products and then made them according to their own recipes. While, for the most part, the food was tasty and well presented, there were little discrepancies in the presented products from each fire company. Some of the food was overcooked; some undercooked. This did skew the judge’s decisions. The sincere efforts of the competing fire companies, Park Ridge, River Edge and Elmwood Park more than made up for it.

Councilman Rich LaBarbiera was a little chagrined that there was no Paramus Fire company participating, but was somewhat redeemed as the Firehouse # 1 hook and ladder truck went speeding by, sirens and horns at full toot on their way to a fire. Councilwoman Maureen O’Brien was pleased with the food selection and even second guessed the winner: Park Ridge. Owner Dan Glicksberg stopped in to check on things before heading into New York to one of Fairway’s other stores.

Curiosity led this reporter to ask Jackie Donovan, Fairway Merchandise Director, how much meat Fairway had donated. Jackie was quick to call the proper party and informed me that each company received 30 pounds of ribs, 15 pounds of chopped beef and had to double the order from 6 to 12 pounds of boneless chicken breasts due to the large attending crowd,

Looking at all the happy faces, one could see that Fairway does give back to the community.