What says Valentines Day better than homemade Italian food for dinner?
Even though it wasn’t for dinner, Hope Senior Apartments kicked off Valentines Day for it’s residents by serving them a lasagna cook-off for lunch.
Three residents turned chefs, Bob and Beverly Kemerer, Cecila Hosner and LeAnne Hicks, who was represented by her mother Georgie Hicks, submitted their version of the classic Italian dish during the first annual Senior Hope Apartments Lasagna Cook-Off.
Hosner presented a very delightful and hearty vegetable lasagna, while Kemerer and Hicks tickled everyone’s taste buds with different renditions of the classic sausage lasagna.
Judges Oxford Township Clerk Curtis Wright, Oxford Fire Chief Pete Schultz and Juanita Summers were impressed by all three renditions.
‘It was very difficult,? Schultz said. ‘All three of them were totally different as far as flavor and taste, depending if you liked traditional taste or if you were going for something different, but all three were savory and very delicious.?
Wright agreed.
‘I wouldn’t refuse any of the three if they were put in front of me to eat,? he said.
After a thorough examination of each piece for overall taste, texture and presentation, the judges were able to come to an agreement that Kemerer’s was the best.
‘It makes me feel pretty proud,? Kemerer said.
Summers said that it was the texture and traditional flavor that won her taste buds over.
‘It also looked like it might have taken a little bit longer to create,? she added.
For Schultz, it was all about the sauce. ‘The overall moisture was a little bit better and the sauce was probably the part that tipped it off for me.?
Wright said the winner was more of the traditional style of lasagna with the vast amount of layers and sausage flavored sauce.
Kemerer said he couldn’t take all the credit for the lasagna. He gave credit to his wife, who began cooking her lasagna recipe when she lived in Darlington, PA.
Kemerer said he and his wife made the lasagna together on Sunday night and stuck it in the oven Monday morning just in the time competition.
It’s like they say: Those that cook together win lasagna competitions together.