Judy Navarro, assistant manager of production for Union dining operations, won a bronze medal at the National Association of College and University Food Services annual Culinary Challenge Cooking Competition on March 2 at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colo. She prepared stuffed Portobello mushrooms for her first culinary competition.
An American Culinary Federation sanctioned-competition, this year's mandatory ingredient was fresh Portobello mushrooms. Contestants had 75 minutes to create four portions of an original hot entrée. The entrée, side dishes and sauces were required to be nutritionally balanced. Each competitor also had to demonstrate knife skills.
Navarro joined NDSU in 1999 bringing with her 20 years of experience in the food service industry. She oversees production for a dining center, catering department and 11 retail operations. She previously was a chef in a large corporate dining operation, which exposed her to a wide variety of food styles. She also worked in a restaurant setting, which helped her bring new and exciting ideas to the campus.