DICED 2024: Happy Valentine's Day

Catersource + The Special Event was feeling the love earlier this month. 

Six chefs (Chef Joseph Pina, Chef Joshua House, Chef Alicia Smith, Chef Nettie Frank, Chef Jeremy Langemann, and Chef Jean Claude Etienne) faced off during Catersource + The Special Event (held February 12-15 in Austin, TX) at the annual DICED competition (held on Valentine's Day, February 14th). The challenge? Prepare a dish that a couple could enjoy together on Valentine's Day: breakfast in bed, charcuterie for two, anything goes as long as it could be enjoyed by two people. 

This year’s discerning judges (wedding cake extraordinaire Ron Ben-Israel, James Beard nominated Chef Tavel Bristol-Joseph [and Art of Catering Food 2024 keynote], and Phuoc Vo with CBK Catering & Events [and last year's DICED champion]) evaluated each dish based on creativity, taste, originality, and presentation. 

Chef Jean Claude Etienne (Rosendale Events) investigates his box of mystery ingredients. 

As with any great competition, a little twist was thrown into the mix in the form of "mystery boxes," which included various ingredients that chefs had to incorporate into their plates. This year's ingredients included chocolate heart candies, champagne vinegar, artichoke hearts, parmesan, prosciutto, and conversation hearts.

It was a day for girl power as both of this year's female competitors (Chef Nettie Frank and Chef Alicia Smith) took the top prizes: Frank (who recently competed on Food Network's Chopped alongside DICED host Chef Robin Selden) took the judge's prize and a $1,500 Visa gift card and Smith received the audience's choice and a $500 Visa gift card.

Your 2024 DICED champion: Chef Nettie Frank

Congratulations to all of this year's competitors for bringing the love to DICED 2024.

All photos courtesy Ivan Piedra Photography/AGNYC Productions, Inc. 

Chef Nettie Frank

The 2024 DICED competition winning dish came from Chef Nettie Frank with her parmesan fondue served alongside crepes, sauteed vegetables and steak.

Chef Alicia Smith, Cru Catering

Chef Alicia Smith (Cru Catering) took home the people’s choice prize for her dish: caramelized onion, fennel, artichoke, and potato medley served with seared scallops, crispy prosciutto topped with an orange and chocolate sauce, bruleed orange, and parmesan snow.

Chef Joseph Pina, Bridgewater University

Chef Joseph Pina’s (Bridgewater University) finished DICED dish: steak tacos with a champagne vinegar red cabbage slaw, artichoke pesto, prosciutto garnish, and mole sauce.

Chef Joshua House, The JDK Group

Chef Joshua House’s (The JDK Group) finished DICED dish: harissa bone broth demi-glace finished with a little bit of chocolate, a relish comprised of artichokes, prosciutto, parmesan and champagne vinegar, smoked paprika asparagus, served alongside a strip steak with a brown butter seer. 

Chef Jean Claude Etienne

Chef Jean Claude Etienne’s (Rosendale Events) finished dish for the DICED competition: leeks and cauliflower puree served with sauteed mushrooms, seasoned and seared strip steak, julienned crispy prosciutto topped with a chocolate sauce comprised of heavy cream, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper.

Chef Jeremy Langemann, Bingemans Catering 

Chef Jeremy Langemann (Bingemans Catering) prepared an aphrodisiac tasting plate for his DICED entry: a celery heart salad with champagne vinaigrette and goat cheese, prosciutto wrapped artichoke, raw beef tataki served with a chocolate garnish on the side.

See more from this year's Catersource + Special Event in the summer issue of Catersource magazine!