Cacique And Chef Aaron Sanchez To Launch Go Autentico Mexican Cook-off Challenge On September 16

Your own original Mexican recipe can win you praise from a noted Food Network star, the chance to be featured on national television and an all-expense paid trip to Napa Valley, California for a five-day Culinary Boot Camp Vacation at the Culinary Institute of America.


Cacique, the authentic Hispanic cheese, cream and chorizo of choice for nearly four decades and Food Network Celebrity Chef Aaron Sanchez, will be launching its first-ever Go Autentico Mexican Cook-Off Challenge on September 16 for the Mexican Independence Day Bicentennial - a great day of national pride in Mexican history because it commemorates Mexico's independence from Spanish rule in 1910 and is celebrated by Mexicans all over the world.


The Go Autentico Mexican Cook-Off Challenge gives amateur chefs and food enthusiasts an opportunity to create their own original Mexican dish using Cacique's authentic Hispanic products for a chance to compete in a final-four cook-off that will be filmed, and broadcast over national television in February in a series of short vignettes. Viewers will also be able to watch the entire cook-off online at http://www.caciqueusa.com.


"Don't substitute authenticity. Cooking is all about using your ingredients to their fullest potential," says Food Network Celebrity Chef Aaron Sanchez. "Growing up, my family used authentic, high-quality ingredients such as Cacique's all-natural Queso Fresco in our kitchen. Its fresh, milky flavor and crumbly texture adds delicious creaminess to create traditional and Latin fusion dishes, and now you can too. We are pleased to offer consumers the chance to create their own unique Mexican dishes using Cacique's authentic Hispanic products for the chance to win the opportunity to pursue their culinary dream."


Here's how the Go Autentico Mexican Cook-Off Challenge works.


Contestants can submit their own original recipes using Cacique's line of Hispanic products and choose from Cacique's cheeses, creams and chorizos as the main ingredient of their authentic Mexican dish. The contest begins on September 16, 2010 and all recipes must be submitted by November 15, 2010 at http://www.caciqueusa.com or can be submitted via mail to 128 W. Santa Fe Ave., Placentia, CA 92870. Contestants are permitted to enter as many recipes as they want. The contest is open to all persons who are U.S. residents age 18 and over. Complete Go Aut?ntico Cook-Off Challenge contest rules are available at http://www.caciqueusa.com.


See Chef Sanchez's Cacique-inspired, Go Autentico recipes on the Cacique Web site at http://www.caciqueusa.com/recipes/1/go_autentico.


Cacique and Chef Sanchez will review the recipe submissions and select the final four contestants who will compete in New York City at the nationally televised Cacique Go Autentico Challenge hosted at Chef Sanchez's restaurant, Centrico. Chef Sanchez and a panel of guest judges will evaluate the contestant's main entree and judge them on taste, effective use of Cacique products, dish presentation, and recipe creativity of authentic Mexican and Latin-inspired dishes.


The grand prize winner will receive an all-expense-paid trip for two to Napa Valley, California and a five day Culinary Boot Camp Vacation at the Culinary Institute of America. Visit http://www.caciqueusa.com to learn more about the Go Autentico Cook-Off Challenge.


"Cacique's award-winning line of fresh and natural Hispanic products make it easy for everyone to create delicious, authentic Mexican recipes in their own home and we hope to inspire consumers to master their culinary talents by creating new, fun ways of using our products," says Gil de Cardenas, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Cacique.