Lyndonville native advances to quarterfinals of chef competition

Photos courtesy of Val Czamara: First Harvest Arancini, left, and Grilled Chili Lime Shrimp Salad were both prepared by Lyndonville native Val Czamara. She has made it to the quarterfinals of the Favorite Chef competition. The First Harvest Arancini is her contest entry for the critic’s pick which she could present at the James Beard Foundation gala if she is the overall winner. The other food photos are dishes she prepared.

Val Czamara works in digital marketing. She loves to cook as a side passion. She is a well-known regular customer at Lebro’s Restaurant in Getzville, near Buffalo.

A Lyndonville native has made it to the quarterfinals of a the national Favorite Chef competition. Online voting continues until Friday. She is currently is second place and could move up to the semifinals.

Val Czamara, 45, graduated from Lyndonville in 1998 when she was Val Bergeman. She lives in Buffalo and is a passionate home chef.

The Favorite Chef competition is hosted by Carla Hall, well known for her roles on the Food Network and Top Chef. The contest seeks to find the best undiscovered chef in the country.

Czamara is a self taught cook. She isn’t a caterer or a professional cook. She instead enjoys preparing meals for family and friends. She did the online profile for the Favorite Chef competition, and submitted photos of her signature dish. She was accepted and has been steadily advancing in the online competition.

If she wins, she gets $25,000 which she said she would put into her kitchen at home. The winner also will appear in Taste of Home magazine, and get to cook with Carla Hall. If Czamara wins, her signature dish, First Harvest Arancini, also would be served at the James Beard Foundation Gala in New York City in November.

She said her grandmother, Helen Bergeman, is her culinary inspiration. She made many pies for the former Apollo Restaurant in Albion and helped bake the record-setting pie at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds, a 21,210-pound apple pie in 1978 that was a record-setter.

“She taught me that food is how you take care of people, bring them together, and create memories,” Czamara writes in her profile on Favorite Chef. “She sparked the foundation, and from there my curiosity took over. I wanted to learn more, try more, and push myself further.”

Czamara said she has found incredible flavors and food from restaurants in Buffalo.

To vote for Czamara, click here to see her online profile.

Walleye Chowder, left, and Greek Style Lake Ontario Salmon Farro Bowl.

Linguine and Clams, left, and Mexican Shrimp Street Corn Bowl.