LOS ANGELES-BASED CHEF WINS TOP PRIZE IN EARTH DAY CULINARY COMPETITION; JUDGING PANEL INCLUDED ACTRESS JULIANNE MOORE Chef Andrew Kirschner of Wilshire Restaurant wins live cooking competition centered around the importance of choosing environmentally responsible foods like soy NEWSCAST Los Angeles (April 22, 2009) - Tonight SOYJOY.

presented Wilshire Restaurant executive chef Andrew Kirschner a $15,000 prize package for winning Battle of the Chefs: Eco-Cuisine, a live cooking competition that placed notable chefs in culinary combat to demonstrate the numerous ways earth-friendly foods, like soy, can be incorporated into formal cuisine. The event took place at Boulevard3 in Los Angeles.

Chef Kirschner competed against two other well-known chefs, including Chef Robert Danhi (owner and executive chef of Chef Danhi & Co.) and Chef CC (executive chef and owner of Clean Plate Meals).

Recipes were tasted and scored by a panel of celebrity judges including actress Julianne Moore, local celebrity chef Akasha Richmond, registered dietitian and author Kate Geagan, Cooking Light contributor, PBS host and author Chef Joanne Weir, and Connie Guttersen, RD, PHD, author and nutrition instructor at the Culinary Institute of America.

Tasked with demonstrating the versatility of Soybeans and their various forms, each chef prepared and plated three delicious dishes live on-site, given five minutes to prepare a soy-based beverage, 15 minutes to make a savory soy dish and 15 minutes for a soy-based dessert. Chef Kirschner's winning recipes will be available to consumers on April 29 at www.SOYJOY.com.

"My restaurant is dedicated to supporting sustainability and sourcing local ingredients. Weaving more earth-friendly foods, like soy, into your diet is one of the best ways to reduce your impact on the planet," said Chef Kirschner. "Soy is so versatile. It makes an excellent center-of-the plate protein, but can also be incorporated into a great on-the-go food, like SOYJOY. I'm thrilled to continue working with SOYJOY, a brand that supports this kind of eco-friendly cuisine and seeks to communicate the benefits of soy for health and for the planet." Celebrity chef, author and TV host Dave Lieberman emceed the evening's festivities. In addition to hosting the Food Network's "Good Deal with Dave Lieberman" and publishing two cookbooks, Lieberman is a contributing editor to Saveur magazine and a regular food columnist for Women's Health magazine. Lieberman is also an advocate for making eco-friendly choices in the kitchen.

Multimedia content including video is available at: www.newscastus.com/mediablast/100006/100006.html

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