Empty Bowls – Puerto Peñasco held a very successful new event last month…our first annual Amateur Soup Cook-Off! It was so fun and exciting, with 10 local amateur cooks presenting their best soups for our panel of judges, as well as all attendees voting for the People’s Choice Award. The participants were: Team Los Avendaños (Dee and Enrique Avendaño), Team Broth Brothers (Frank Cook), Team Calgary Flames (Melody Scott and Lesley Wong), Team Wahoo (Patti Handorf and Gerrie Gerbean), Team Souper Stars (LuAnne Yoder and Pete Holowaty), Team Jasbo (Jorge Ortega), Team Ser Desierto (Juan Jesus Sanchez and Mixa Endi Sosa), Team Onion Fun (Robin and Robert Brunstein), Team Doña Baby (Elaine Turnbull), Team Chica del Camaron (Sally Downey).

 This event was held in the outdoor plaza of Big Ragu’s Italian Kitchen & Pub on March 22nd. The event was so successful with 150 attendees (including Rommel Bustamante, City Tourism Director and Marco Zuniga, Director of Banco de Alimentos) that we were able to secure our donations to the Puerto Peñasco Foodbank, for a full 13 months including the proceeds from the big event this past November!

We had 10 teams participate with a wide variety of soups. The winners, as judged by our professional panel were:

1st place (Golden Ladle) Team Onion Fun – Robin & Robert Brunstein

2nd place (Silver Ladle) Team Souper Stars – LuAnn Yoder & Pete Holowaty

3rd place (Copper Ladle) Team Birria Brothers) Alfredo Zamorano & Charles Roberts Padilla

People’s Choice Award – Team Wahoo – Patti Handorf

(Both our 1st & 2nd place teams donated back half of their winnings to Empty Bowls)

We wish to give a big thank you to our superstar judges: Laura Palacio (El Tapeo Wine Bar), Tony Acuńa (Molly Molly Sushi), Fedra Poppen (Grapes and Barley), Laura Leal (Zays Western Bar and Grill), Betty Cuevas (Rocky Point BBQ House), and Abel Salazar (Big Tuna Brewery)!

Huge thanks also go to our sponsors Big Ragu’s Italian Kitchen & Pub, Pink Cadillac Restaurant, Saludos Bar, Bottoms Up Yacht Club, Zays Western Bar and Grill, Hermanos de Queso, Al Capone’s Seafood and Pizza and Big Tuna Brewery, Margarita Mermaids Restaurant, Molly Molly Sushi, Ole Mole Peñasco, and Grapes and Barley. With special thanks to our MC Tony Lake of Lagos Entertainment as well as our wonderful musicians Los Guapos Locos and all of our wonderful volunteers! It really does take a village, and we are all neighbors helping neighbors with food insecurities.

Please be sure to watch or Website www.emptybowls-puertopenasco.com as well as our Facebook page for updates on new events coming in May, July, and September. Lots more fun ways coming for all of us to lend a helping hand to our neighbors!