Judges & Awards
Results from 2023 Cookoff:
- 1st Place: Aishel House (Holy Chili Peppers)
- 2nd Place: Chabad of Sugar Land (Noshin Neshamos)
- 3rd Place: Basi Legani
- Showmanship and Spirit Award: TeDan Surgical Innovations (Phantom Chili Peppers)
- Joshua Berry People’s Choice Award: Cross Country Mortgage
Results from 2020 Cookoff:
- 1st Place: Basi Legani
- 2nd Place: Texas Hummus
- 3rd Place: HEB
- Showmanship and Spirit Award: Beth Yeshurun Synagogue
- Joshua Berry Peoples Choice Award: Beth Yeshurun Synagogue
Results from 2019 Cookoff:
- 1st Place: BJC – Bellaire Jewish Center
- 2nd Place: Aishel House (Holy Chili Peppers) (Pot #1)
- 3rd Place: Aishel House (Holy Chili Peppers) (Pot #2)
- Showmanship and Spirit Award: TeDan Surgical (Chili) Innovations
- Joshua Berry Peoples Choice Award: Beth Yeshurun Synagogue
2018 Cookoff canceled due to Hurricane Harvey
Results from 2017 Cookoff:
- 1st Place: Aishel House (Holy Chili Peppers)
- 2nd Place: Friendship Circle/Chabad Outreach/Chai Learning Center of West Houston
- 3rd Place: Congregation Emanu El Boy Scout Troop 1190
- Showmanship and Spirit Award: Seven Acres
- Joshua Berry Peoples Choice Award: Greene Family Camp
Results from 2016 Cookoff:
- 1st Place: Chabad of Uptown
- 2nd Place: 6 Meat Under (Houston Jewish Funerals)
- 3rd Place: Congregation Emanu El Brotherhood
- Showmanship and Spirit Award: Chabad of Sugar Land
- Joshua Berry Peoples Choice Award: Levy Funeral Directors
Results from 2015 Cookoff:
- 1st Place: United Orthodox Synagogues
- 2nd Place: Congregation Or Ami
- 3rd Place: Chabad of Sugar Land
- Showmanship and Spirit Award: Aishel House
- Joshua Berry Peoples Choice Award: Congregation Beth Yeshuran
Results from 2014 Cookoff:
- 1st Place: Aishel House
- 2nd Place: Texas Hummus
- 3rd Place: Young Israel
- Best Homestyle: Aishel House
- Showmanship and Spirit Award: Team WKPZ (The law firm Weycer, Kaplan, Pulaski, Zuber)
- Joshua Berry Peoples Choice Award: Chabad of Sugar Land
Thank You to Our Past Judges:
- Craig Ackerman – Voice of the Houston Rockets
- Kathy Ballanfant – Southwest Village News
- Ben Ballanfant – Southwest Village News
- Lara Bell from Absolutely! Magazines
- James Brock from PaperCity
- Commissioner Jack Cagle – Has served as county commissioner for Harris County Precinct 4 since October 3, 2011.
- Council Member Ellen Cohen – Houston City Council District C
- Phaedra Cook – Houston Press
- Amber Elliott – The Houston Chronicle
- Al Farb from The New 93Q Country
- Tom Flynn from HTexas Magazine
- Michael Garfield – The High Tech Texan. Radio Personality and Celebrity Spokesperson.
- Representative Larry Green – Elected into office January 2012, Council Member Larry V. Green is the Council Member to the newly formed District known as “K”
- Lanny Griffith – Journalist and Radio Personality
- Amy Gross from Mom’s Toolbox
- Kim Kroth of Edible Houston Magazine; radio and television personality
- Alan Lipman – Executive Director ERJCC
- Ernie Manouse – American television host, radio personality, writer and producer. Currently hosts the interview show InnerVIEWS with Ernie Manouse, produced by Houston PBS
- Sir McMillen – Publisher of Chile Pepper Magazine
- Greg Morago – Food Editor of The Houston Chronicle
- Ruchi Mukerjee – Lights Camera Action
- Ted Powers – Food Editor Jewish Herald Voice
- JP Pritchard – an award-winning radio journalist and anchor who has served Houston audiences for the past 33 years on News 92 Fm Houston
- Eric Sandler – CultureMap Food Writer and former Editor Eater Houston
- Chef Ellen (Schwartz) – Private chef and culinary instructor
- Adam Stiles from Absolutely! Katy Magazine
- Cleverley Stone – The Diva of Dining, and host of The Cleverley Show on CBS Sports Radio 650; Fox 26 TV and founder/organizer of Houston Restaurant Weeks which has raised more than $2.9 million dollars for the Houston Food Bank.
- Laurette Veres – HTexas Magazine
- Steven Weber of Fireforks.com
- Russell Weil – Buzz Magazines
- Katherine Whaley – ABC13