NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) – Alan Ehrich, executive chef at the Audubon Tea Room, holds occasional challenges for his four sous chefs. They’re divided into teams of four, with the sous chef as head chef for the day, and they have 30 minutes to prepare creative dishes for the chance to win a trip to a culinary conference. This year the conference is in August in Washington D.C.

Contestants were asked to prepare two grab-and-go dishes that could become part of the Tea Room menu for future events. The event  is designed to spark creativity, healthy competition and reward staff.

“I do it every summer when we kind of slow down, it’s to stretch my sous chefs and get them to think outside of the box,” said Ehrich. “They had some parameters. They had to do a small plate. It had to be a trend. It has to be efficient because we do weddings for 200 and 300 hundred, 500 people, and it has to look good and taste good.”

Chef Contestants:

Tim Milton (the winner)

Lee Sands

Rondino Rogers

Mark LeJeune

The judges:
Julie Barreda – Simply Julie/Destination Kitchen

Xavier Laurentino – Barcelona Tapas

J.N. Link – Red’s Chinese

Glen Hogh –  now a “free agent’’ but formerly of Vegas Tapas Café

Richard Buchsbaum – vice president of food and beverage for Audubon Nature Institute