NJIT Chef Chosen To Represent NJ in Upcoming Louisiana Seafood Cookoff

NJIT’s Executive Chef Peter Fischbach, of Toms River, will represent New Jersey this summer in the fourth annual Great American Seafood Cookoff, Aug. 4, 2008 in Louisiana. http://www.greatamericanseafoodcookoff.com/contest.html  As executive chef and director of food service for Gourmet Dining Services at NJIT, Fischbach is in charge of all aspects of food service. 

Fischbach recently won the honor at a statewide competition at Atlantic County Community College, competing against 12 great chefs from throughout New Jersey.  Two of his great-grandmother’s recipes sealed the deal. One 50-year-old family secret was for zuppa di pesce (soup of the sea); the other was pan-seared local black bass in a citrus-ginger sauce complemented by sweet potato puree and a sauté of seasonal local produce. (ATTENTION EDITORS:  Both recipes are available upon request.)

The upcoming cookoff, arguably among the nation’s most prominent, is funded by the US Department of Commerce (NOAA Fisheries) in conjunction with the Louisiana Foodservice Expo. Michelob Light, Southwest Airlines, Whole Foods, the Food Network and other sponsors provided additional support.

“It was an honor to follow in the footsteps of esteemed chefs such as Jim Weaver of Tre Piani Ristorante, Princeton, and Klaus Muller, the former chef and dean of the Academy of Culinary Arts, Atlantic County Community College, Mays Landing,” Fischbach said at the state meet. “Now on to New Orleans to bring home the gold while showcasing New Jersey’s wonderful seafood and produce,” he said.

Recipes by Fischbach have been published previously by Gourmet Magazine and the Shore Gourmet Cookbook (Asbury Park Press, 2007). He has taught at Cook ‘n Tell, Marlboro, and the former Mairelles American Bistro, Freehold. See more recipes and information at www.culinaryclips.com. A member of the American Culinary Federation since 1996, he advocates using fresh, organically-grown produce and has been a long time member of SLOW. “It’s an organization dedicated to growing food the way it was meant to be grown: certified organic, pesticide and hormone-free just as nature intended.”

Fischbach is certified as an executive chef by the internationally-recognized American Culinary Federation. He is a graduate of Academy of Culinary Arts, Atlantic County Community College, Mays Landing.