Vote for Chef Stephanie Krzywanski & Kimberton in Sears Chef Challenge!

Vote for a local chef AND benefit local Camphill Village Kimberton Hills!  Stephanie McKeon Krzywanski, Phoenixville resident, personal chef and owner of The Comfort Gourmet is 1 of 24 chefs nationwide to participate in the Sears Chef Challenge.  Readers, vote once a day until July 10th via www.searschefchallenge.com and enter to win an entire suite of Kenmore appliances.

We caught up with Chef Stephanie to see how her green passion translates to the kitchen:

Green Philly Blog: What sustainable practices do you use while cooking?
Stephanie McKeon Krzywanski: In the kitchen, I am always mindful about the impact I am having on myself, my customers and my surroundings.  To that end, some of the practices I have incorporated are composting vegetables scraps, using clothes towels for clean up instead of paper towels and using green cleaning products.  In my home kitchen we are 95% local/organic.  We even check the labels to choose products that have travel the shortest distance to get to us.

GPB: What inspires you in the kitchen?
SMK: In the kitchen I am inspired by what is going on around me.  So, if it is raining I will throw together a soup.  If football is on, definitely nachos!  If it a beautiful summer day, a tomato salad from my garden and some roasted home-grown peppers.

GPB: What would you recommend to aspiring cooks in Philly for top notch, eco-friendly feasts?
SMK: If you have a local farmers market use it!  There are some great green markets in our region.  My favorite is in Phoenixville.  I do 90% of my weekly shopping there.  Also, get to know your local farms.  It is amazing to me how many farms in the region are producing high quality, sustainable products.  I get my milk and baked goods from Camphill Village Kimberton Hills – who is my non-profit partner in the Sears Chef Challenge.  I also get veal and cheese from Birchrun Hills Farm.  Both are less than 15 minutes from my house!

The Sears Chef Challenge grand prize is a complete kitchen renovation valued at over $35,000, plus an additional $20,000 donation to the winning Chef’s charity of choice.  Krzywanski chose GPB favorite Camphill Village Kimberton Hills, a farming and handcrafting community to encourages individuals (especially those with special needs) to fulfill their greatest developmental and creative potential.  Stephanie McKeon Krzywanski founded The Comfort Gourmet in 2008 after 12 years of working as an award-winning meeting and event manager. The Comfort Gourmet specializes in in-home culinary needs such as weekly meal preparations, dinner parties, food and wine pairings and cooking instruction.

Posted by Julie