Nonprofessional cooks are those who have no association with a restaurant or food service establishment.
Nutrition Programs Team Leader/Coordinator Patricia Coleman said they are expecting more participants to register.
“We are urging the cook participants to submit their registrations before the 4 p.m. deadline today,” she said.
Coleman said they will be giving each participant $20 to cover the cost of the ingredients.
The contest will be held at the Garapan Street Market on June 25.
“This year, participants will need to include shrimp in their recipes,” Coleman said.
Last year, the participants used reef fish as the main ingredient in their dishes, in addition to the “rainbow” of fruits and/or vegetables.
Coleman said a new feature in this year’s Cook-a-Rainbow Challenge is the youth category.
She said last year, there were a couple of young people who joined the contest but they worked with their parents.
“Now, the youth participants will have to join the contest on their own,” Coleman said.
She said the entrees of the participants will be judged based on taste, creative presentation, texture, use of fresh local ingredients and originality.
The Cook-A-Rainbow Challenge is in coordination with the Ayuda Network, the CNMI Diabetes Prevention and Control Program, NMC-CREES, PSS-Head Start, Public Health-Breast and Cervical Cancer Program and the Commonwealth Cancer Association.
For more information, call Rose Castro or Patricia Coleman at Challenge, contact Rose or Patricia at 234-5498 ext. 1726/1703.
