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SV teacher's "Make the Moment Last" burger takes FIRST in competition
Susquehanna Valley High School Family and Consumer Sciences teacher Jessica Esperon-Meneilly spends time during each summer break looking for professional development opportunities to add a little spice to the FACS program. This summer, her culinary exploration earned her a first place finish in the New York Beef Council "Best Beef Burger" contest.
 
When she signed up to participate in the STEM Beef Experience, sponsored by the Beef Council and NY Agriculture in the Classroom, Mrs. Esperon-Meneilly set a goal. "I wanted to be one of the top five finalists," she said. The contest was no simple "cook something and we'll taste it and award a ribbon" kind of thing. "This contest involved significant recipe testing, adjusting and readjusting, and analyzing the target market, costs, profit margins, marketing, surveying and social media outreach!"

The end result of all that work was her delicious creation, which she called the "Make the Moment Last Burger." When the judges got a taste of that plateful of culinary delight, it was anything BUT last! They awarded her FIRST PLACE!
 
If you'd like to try YOUR hand at duplicating this prize-winning burger, Mrs. Esperon-Meneilly was kind enough to provide the recipe basics:
"Equal amounts of Delmonico and Ground Chuck, smoked gouda, homemade buns (gluten-free and regular) toasted with homemade black garlic aioli, topped with caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, romaine lettuce, and red tomatoes. Served with a side of zucchini fries."