Vegan Mac and Cheese Competition Takes NYC's East Village by Storm

The delectably-named S'mac 'n' Cheez - a creation of chef Miranda Crespin - garnered first-place honors at the recent Best Vegan Mac and Cheese competition at V Spot Organic on St. Marks Place.

Crespin earned top grades from the official judges as well as the crowd who made her their People's Choice. She said the main ingredients of her prize-winning dish were homemade soy milk, smoky mushroom-bacon, and pecan breadcrumbs, mixed with "lots of love."

Second place kudos went to Brenda Beener, from Harlem's uber-popular Seasoned Vegan restaurant. She presented a Louisiana-style baked mac and cheese recipe passed down from her mother and then veganized by Chef B herself.

Rosario Safina of DaRosario Organics took third place with his rich Organic White Truffle dish topped with shaved organic hazelnuts.

Also earning rave reviews were the other six competitors: Naliaka Wakhisi who created a pumpkin mac with coconut cream sage sauce; Kwame Williams and his Vital Mac; Cynthia King's "Mom's Homestyle"; Waz Wu's presentation featuring miso sesame acorn squash; Melissa Charlana and Ellen Flores with an Italian twist on the classic; and Benoit Bofia's "Soulkofa."

The competitors were a mix of professional and amateur chefs. Organized by U.S. Veg Corp, the competition was the third in a series - the two previous contests featured vegan versions of gourmet hamburgers and tacos.

For mac night, the three official judges were Michaela Grob (founder and owner of Riverdel, a vegan cheese shop in Brooklyn), Timothy Pakron (aka Mississippi Vegan, specializing in Cajun and Creole cuisine), and Allie Feldman (director of NYCLASS, the anti-carriage horse advocacy group in New York City).

As for the unofficial judges, V Spot Organic was packed with hearty eaters, some of whom also enjoyed margaritas and other bar specials throughout the evening. There were vegan buffalo wings and spring rolls off the menu, in case the samples of nine mac-n-cheese dishes were not enough to appease the vegan appetite.

What's next for the vegan competition scene in New York? Think Brussels sprouts... For information on these and other upcoming events, visit facebook.com/usvegcorp.

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