Eco-friendly prizes aplenty at the Risotto Challenge

It’s been fun trawling the Internet today for Earth Day-related articles and blog posts. There’s a lot of positive energy out there, and I’ve been seeing much murmering about how to eat more green, or garden more green, how to drink, or not drink, more green, even date more green. Even the prophet Pollan has spoken on this national holiday, with some urgent calls to action and praise for the rise in home gardening. But I thought I’d mention another aspect of eating and living green, that has less to do with food than what it’s cooked in. It comes to me by way of a prize that I’m pleased to offer to a winner of the upcoming Risotto Challenge and Just Food benefit: a cookware set from the eco-friendly Danish manufacturer Scanpan.

Ever since stumbling across an article on untested, unregulated chemicals in so many household products, I’ve been wary of what’s in most cookware. When it comes to nonstick, unfortunately, it’s often a toxic chemical known as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). While it’s slated to be banned by the year 2015, there are alternatives in the meantime. One is not using nonstick, of course, and going au naturel with aluminum and copper-bottom all the way. At least a few friends of mine have made this change in their kitchens, which once caused hilariously bad results when I tried to make “potstickers” with them (believe me, they stuck). So I don’t know about you, but sometimes, and for some foods, I just need that slick, space-age surface!

How lucky then that Scanpan contacted me about an Earth Day giveaway for their cookware. The professional-grade line is not only 100% PFOA-free, but made with 100% recycled aluminum. It’s also made with ceramic titanium which creates a durable non-stick surface that won’t get damaged with metal utensils, plus, the cookware is oven-safe to 500 degrees.

The manufacturer is generously giving away a 10″ fry pan, 3 qt. saucepan and 6 qt. Dutch oven (wow!) as a prize to a lucky winner of the cook-off on May 23. The cookware set should be arriving at my doorstep any day now, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to keep it. We may even split up the set to spread the pieces around to more winners — we’ll see. (If you haven’t signed up but want to compete in the Risotto Challenge, see this page for registration info — and think local, sustainable and seasonal!)

But, there’s more! At last year’s Risotto Challenge, we gave away eight small prizes to the aspiring chefs for numerous category awards, like “most seasonal,” or “most original.” This year, we’re hoping to do just the same, and in addition to the cookware, we’ll be giving away:

-a gift certificate to dine at the gastropub Jimmy’s No. 43 (of course!)
-a gift certificate to dine at 1 Dominick, the new Tribeca wine bar
-cookware from The Brooklyn Kitchen
-a gift certificate for vino and spirits from eco-conscious wine shop, Thirst
-a seat for dinner at Ted & Amy’s Supper Club!
-sweet treats from local artisanal chocolatier Mast Brothers Chocolate
-a 1-year subscription to Diner Journal
-books by local food writers

And there may be more prizes in store yet, as well an update on the panel of judges, so stay tuned. In the meantime, enjoy your Earth Day wherever you may be, whatever you may be eating. Hope it’s deliciously Earth-friendly.