Dabawenya Culinary Student wons Chase Sapphire Preferred Grill Challenge 2015

Culinary students Elsa Sabellano Jenstad, left, and Krista Burdick, pose with chefs Emeril Lagasse, left, and Michael Mina at the Chase Sapphire Preferred Grill Challenge during Vegas Uncork'd by Bon Appetit on Saturday, April 25, 2015 in Las Vegas. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision for Chase Sapphire Preferred/AP Images) 

Chase Sapphire Preferred®, a premier travel and dining rewards card from Chase, in partnership with Bon Appétit hosted the third annual Chase Sapphire Preferred Grill Challenge, Saturday, April 25, during the ninth annual Vegas Uncork’d by Bon Appétit. Celebrity chefs and restaurateurs, Emeril Lagasse, chef / proprietor of Emeril’s New Orleans Fish House, Delmonico Steakhouse and more, and Michael Mina, James Beard Award-winning chef and Founder of MINA Group, faced off in the ultimate live grilling challenge. The acclaimed chefs partnered with two students from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Las Vegas, Elsa Sabellano Jenstad and Krista Burdick, during Emeril’s New Orleans Seafood Extravaganza at the MGM Grand.

With the chefs cooking alongside the lucky students, the teams prepared Bouillabaisse, a traditional French dish. Emcee Andrew Knowlton, Restaurant and Drinks Editor at Bon Appétit, turned up the heat when he announced black garlic as the “culinary curveball.” Impressing the judging panel, Chef Mina and Krista Burdick took a classic approach preparing Bouillabaisse with seared scallops and snapper. While Chef Lagasse and Elsa Sabellano Jenstad served the dish with lemongrass for a Filipino flare.

The sizzling competition came down to the palettes of three judges, including:

• Adam Rapoport, editor-in-chief, Bon Appétit
• Alison Roman, senior food editor, Bon Appétit
• Rochelle Billow, associate web editor, Bon Appétit

After much deliberation, the panel named team Emeril the winning team of the Grill Challenge. Elsa Sabellano Jenstad received a $20,000 scholarship and runner-up, Krista Burdick, was awarded $5,000 to fund their culinary educations, courtesy of Chase Sapphire Preferred.

Chase Sapphire Preferred is proud to provide scholarship funds to further these students’ culinary educations, and delighted to work with chefs Emeril Lagasse and Michael Mina to deliver such a unique experience - fueled by rich, culinary passion.

Le Cordon Bleu is a leading provider of quality culinary arts education worldwide. The network of 16 schools in the United States offers culinary and baking students a hands-on training alongside faculty dedicated to providing students with the necessary skills, knowledge, support and guidance to pursue career opportunities in the culinary and hospitality industry.

Emeril John Lagasse is an American celebrity chef, restaurateur, television personality, and cookbook author. A regional James Beard Award winner, he is perhaps most notable for his Food Network shows Emeril Live and Essence of Emeril, as well as catchphrases such as, "Kick it up a notch!" and "BAM!" Lagasse's portfolio of media, products, and restaurants generates an estimated US$150 million annually in revenue.

Lagasse graduated from the culinary school Johnson and Wales in 1978 and became Executive Chef at the Dunfey's Hyannis Resort in 1979. He was nominated as Chef of the Year in 1983.

Lagasse gained fame in the culinary world as executive chef of Commander's Palace in New Orleans. After leading the kitchen there for seven and a half years, he opened his first restaurant, Emeril's, in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1990. It was designated "Restaurant of the Year" in Esquire magazine that year. Lagasse is known for his emphasis on Creole and Cajun cooking styles. Many of his restaurants, as well as his corporate office, Emeril's Homebase, are located in New Orleans. Today, Lagasse is the executive chef and proprietor of thirteen restaurants in New Orleans, Las Vegas, Orlando, Charlotte, and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

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