MIDDLETOWN – If you were in the vicinity of Chic Le Chef in the Hardester’s Hidden Valley Plaza on a recent Saturday, you would have been treated to the fragrance of vanilla and cinnamon as five local food aficionados worked hard to prepare their original recipes using a unique main ingredient, Oregon Chai Tea.

The dishes were sampled by a panel of judges who rated them based on creativity, taste and presentation.

The top honor went to Yuba College culinary student Stephen Woolridge for his crème brulee.

Woolridge's first place win earns him the honor of his recipe being featured on the drink’s official website, www.oregonchai.com .

Esther Oertel of Hidden Valley Lake won second prize for her Chai-inspired Mexican chicken mole, while Zack Peters, also a culinary student at Yuba College, got third place honors for his chai bread pudding.

Julie Hoskins of Chic Le Chef wishes to thank contest judges Ross Christiansen, author of the Lake County News “Foodie Freak” column, Joyce Balbontin and Hardester’s employee, Debbie Harding.

If you missed this opportunity and would like to hone your cooking skills while having a lot of fun, stop by Chic Le Chef the first Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. for a relaxed and friendly contest using themed ingredients that will be revealed that night. All are welcome to attend these free events.

For more info, contact Chic Le Chef at 707-987-9664 or visit their Web site, www.chiclechef.com .