Syosset Hospital's own special order cook, Victor Hidalgo, competed in Northwell's
sixth annual Ultimate Chef Healthy Cooking Challenge earlier this—and won the top
prize for an individual dessert.
By Andrea Mineo
Chefs from 17 different Northwell hospitals were put
together in teams of three. They were judged on their
individual dishes and as a team for their menu of dishes.
Many of them met and cooked together for the first time
during the heated competition.
"It was definitely nerve-racking because everyone was
watching you," said Mr. Hidalgo, who has been a cook at
Syosset Hospital for two years and part of Northwell's
Food and Nutrition Department for 15 years. "I didn't think
I was going to win, but I didn't want to embarrass myself
or the hospital. I've seen television shows like Chopped, so
I wanted to make sure everything was on the plate when
the time was up, and that it tasted good."
It must've tasted very good, because Mr. Hidalgo won
first place for his individual dessert: Dominican-style
rice pudding.
Hidalgo says he became inspired to cook as a young boy
living in the Dominican Republic. "I fell in love with food
when I was young, watching my grandmother and my
mother prepare traditional dishes. I would learn little
things here and there from them because I was always by
their side in the kitchen."
Drawing on his Caribbean roots, he prepared a Dominican
dessert that incorporated the challenge's secret
ingredient, fennel, and did not use lactose (which was
prohibited for the competition).
"So I boiled the fennel with the rice and clove powder to
ease up the fennel taste and I used almond milk instead
of regular milk to avoid lactose. I didn't think I was
going to win, but when I saw one of the judges eat the
whole thing, I thought maybe I had a shot at second or
third place."
Hasty pudding wins Syosset chef just desserts
Healthy eating
northwell.edu
12
