Amy Siegel of Clifton, NJ Proclaimed Grand Champion In the Third Annual "Simply Manischewitz Cook-Off"

Secaucus, NJ -- February, 2009

The Manischewitz Company named Amy Siegel of Clifton, NJ Grand Champion of the Third Annual Simply Manischewitz Cook-Off. Out of thousands of recipe entries nationwide, six finalists were chosen to compete in a live cook-off held at the NY Marriott Marquis on February 13, 2009. Amy Siegel's Marvelous Mediterranean Falafel Sliders topped five other award-winning recipes, allowing her to take home the $25,000 grand prize package which includes GE Profile kitchen appliances, cash and more. In addition, the day of the Cook-Off was proclaimed"Simply Manischewitz Cook-Off Day" by Mayor Bloomberg of New York City.

Amy, 37 years old, is a stay-at-home mother of three. She is an active volunteer with a local non-profit organization called "Hand in Hand," which provides food for senior citizens and, despite her hectic schedule, Amy finds the time to devote to her favorite past time: cooking. She is a familiar face in the competitive cooking circuit and was a semi-finalist in the 2007 Simply Manischewitz Cook-Off. As a serial cooking contestant, Amy stays up-to-the minute on contest opportunities by participating in an active online cooking community called Contestcooking.com. Amy's previous contest honors include: Runner-up in the 2007 Alouette Spreadable Cheese Recipe Contest, 2006 Semifinalist of the Crisco Country Music Cook-Off and Grand Prize Winner of the 2004 Kraft recipe contest.

"I am so excited to be the grand prize winner of the Third Annual Simply Manischewitz Cook-Off competition," said Siegel. "This competition challenged me to use everyday ingredients in a more creative way. It was a natural fit for me to enter this contest because I keep my pantry well stocked with Manischewitz products."

"The competition was extremely stiff, and the scoring very tight, but Amy Siegel’s Marvelous Mediterranean Falafel Sliders consistently scored high enough to take home the top honors for best overall recipe," said David Rossi, Vice President of Marketing for The Manischewitz Company.

The Grand Prize Winner was chosen by a panel of prestigious food experts including Todd Coleman, Food Editor, Saveur magazine; Emily Kaiser, Food Associate Editor, Food & Wine magazine; Michael Park, Epicurious.com; Jacob Schiffman, foodnetwork.com; and winner of the 2008 Simply Manischewitz Cook-Off, Joy Devor of Rockaway, NY. The final recipes were judged on the following criteria: Taste- 50%, Ease of Preparation- 20%, Appearance-15%, Originality and Creativity- 15%.

The other five finalists and their recipes include:

Click here for Amy Siegel’s Grand Prize Winning recipe.