Grand Valley chef a finalist in baking contest

A Laker-themed dessert served at Fresh Food Company was among recipes that made the final cut in a national contest hosted by General Mills.

Katey Borek, chef manager for Fresh Food Company, entered her Blueberry Buckle Bars in the Gold Medal Medallion Award Culinary Challenge Contest last summer.

The challenge was to use at least one, five-pound box of General Mills Gold Medal Mix product and only five additional ingredients, not including water. Borek submitted her Blueberry Buckle Bars, a secret recipe she created with a bit of inspiration from Grand Valley’s school colors.

Recipes submitted were judged by a panel of members from General Mills culinary and marketing teams, as well as food service industry professionals and university students. Recipes were evaluated based on taste, appearance, ease of preparation and creativity.

Borek, a culinary arts graduate of Grand Rapids Community College, discovered the national contest while flipping through one of the food magazines on campus. “The contest seemed appealing so I went for it,” she said. “It was definitely a challenge to use only five ingredients, so I had to get creative.”

All of finalists’ recipes are featured on the General Mills Food Service website, as well as the 2011 General Mills Culinary Workshop Guide.