The Amond Board Of California Announces “
Ultimate Snack-off Recipe Contest" Grand Prize Winner

Chefs “Got Their Game On” to Win the Hearts and
Hungry Stomachs of Sports-Loving Guys

MODESTO, Calif., Dec. 22, 2008 – The Almond Board of California (ABC) has awarded Chef Jennifer Wayland of Morris Plains, N.J., a football season finale prize package valued up to $10,000 for her winning entry in the Board’s Ultimate Snack-Off Recipe Contest. In a competition that challenged North American foodservice professionals to create almond-centric snack food ideas designed to satisfy a man’s “game day” appetite, Wayland, an executive sous chef and pastry chef at Roxiticus Country Club in Mendham, N.J., defeated competitors with her recipe for Grilled Skirt Steak Sliders with Smoked Almond Romesco, Maytag Blue Cheese, and Smoked Almond Butter.

“Small bites are popular and sliders are perfect for snacking,” said Wayland of the rationale behind her entry. “Smoked almonds add a rich, bold taste to the steak and the Romesco sauce is like ‘fantasy ketchup,’ boosting flavor and adding depth. The components of this recipe are great on their own, and they come together beautifully to showcase many of almonds’ culinary capabilities.” The chef suggests that men dining out at a restaurant or sports bar would enjoy pairing her flavorful snack dish with their favorite lager.

While Wayland’s sliders took the grand prize, hearty flavors and crunchy proteins were a hallmark of many other entries in the Ultimate Snack-Off Recipe Contest. Recipes were judged based on five criteria: creativity, suitability for the male demographic, distinctiveness of almond usage, ease of preparation and taste.

The three runners-up in the competition were:

· Beer and Bacon Glazed “All-Mans” (Almonds) – created by Cory Barrett, pastry chef at Lola Bistro (owned by Michael Symon of “Iron Chef America” on the Food Network) in Cleveland, Ohio

· Almond Beer-Battered Catfish – created by Elyse Buckley, Erin Harbacek, and Kathryn Goddard of Kansas State University’s Kansas Value-Added Food Laboratory

· Three Chili Honey Almond Fried Chicken – created by Randal Shircel, corporate R&D chef at Ventura Foods

“We were thrilled that so many of the almond snack recipe entries were in tune with the current and emerging food industry trends we’ve seen in Dr. Elizabeth Sloan’s most recent Emerging Mega Trends Report,” said Harbinder Maan, manager of foodservice and industrial marketing for ABC. “The contest generated some inspiring examples of foodservice professionals using almonds to create crunchy encrusted proteins, to introduce globally influenced flavors and to complement ‘small bites’ both savory and sweet. These real-world ideas from working professionals show how California almonds are a multi-tasking ingredient that can help deliver the value that today’s consumers are looking for in terms of flavor, texture and nutrition.”

According to Mintel, the global market intelligence company that compiles an annual Menu Insights Database and Global New Products Database (GNPD), snack foods are among the top eight trends expected to transform American menus this year.

Additionally, more new grocery products with almonds were launched in snack foods than any other category last year and, according to Mintel, packaged snack foods are a huge category of importance for nuts, and almonds in particular.

The Almond Board of California administers a grower-enacted Federal Marketing Order under the supervision of the United States Department of Agriculture. Established in 1950, the Board’s charge is to promote the best quality almonds, California’s largest tree nut crop. For more information on the Almond Board of California or almonds, visit www.AlmondsAreIn.com.