MCCC Pastry Arts Scholarship from left: MCCC Chef Frank Benowitz, David Lumberger, Laure Granarolo of Princeton (recipient of the Chef Anne Lumberger and Chef Shari Widmayer Pastry Arts Memorial Scholarship), David and Lillie Widmayer and MCCC Chef Doug Fee. Granarolo’s original award-winning dessert was “Apple Caramel.”
The culinary community of Central New Jersey came together at Mercer County Community College (MCCC) on October 13, 2015 to celebrate the lives of two chef instructors, the late Anne Lumberger and Shari Widmayer. Now in its second year, the Culinary Tasting Event hosted by MCCC’s Hotel, Restaurant and Institution Management (HRIM) program featured haute cuisine, comfort foods, ethnic dishes and desserts prepared by professional chefs, chef instructors and MCCC culinary students. Many of the participants and guests have deep ties to MCCC, having earned their culinary degrees at the college and/or studied under Chefs Lumberger and Widmayer.
A highlight of the festivities was the awarding of the Chef Anne Lumberger and Chef Shari Widmayer Pastry Arts Memorial Scholarship to student Laure Granarolo of Princeton. Granarolo’s winning dessert was called “Caramel Apple” and featured a brioche base filled with apple cream and topped with a mini-croissant, caramel sauce and apple slice.
The event raised approximately $6,000 for the scholarship fund.
The participating restaurants and food service companies included Agricola (Princeton), Anjappar Chettinad South Indian Cuisine (opening soon on Route 1), Blue Bottle Café (Hopewell), Jersey General Salsa Company, Jersey Girl Café (Hamilton), LilliPIES (Princeton), Nassau Inn (Princeton), Palace of Asia (Lawrenceville), Sadie Cakes (Robbinsville), Sano Catering, The Gingered Peach (Lawrenceville), Small World Coffee (Princeton), Sodexo Bloomberg, Blend/Brothers (Hamilton), Stone Terrace by John Henry’s (Hamilton), Terra Momo Bread Company (Princeton), North End Bistro (Kingston), Teresa’s Café (Princeton), Toscano Ristorante (Bordentown) and Princeton Wegmans.
The Chef Anne Lumberger and Chef Shari Widmayer Pastry Arts Memorial Scholarship Fund continues to accept donations. Gifts may be made online by visiting mccc.edu/give, or with a check made payable to: MCCC Foundation with “Chef Anne Lumberger and Chef Shari Widmayer Scholarship Fund” noted on the memo line. Checks should be mailed to the MCCC Foundation, P.O. Box 17202, Trenton, NJ 08690.
