Chefs dish it out in Modesto 'Culinary Clash'

Vincent Alvarado of Dewz Restaurant won the Culinary Clash at Modesto Centre Plaza.

The event Thursday night was a fund-raiser for Doctors Medical Center Foundation. The chefs were given an hour to create four dishes using the secret ingredient -- peppers.

Alvarado also was the "people's choice," beating Marco Alvarado of Bacchus Food & Spirits and Scott Pasco of Clayton's restaurant. The Alvarados are not related.

Judges were Bee wine columnist Tom Bender; chef Stanley Dimond, former general manager of Mallard's restaurant; and Irene Angelo, a longtime foodie and cooking instructor.

"I was real thrown off by it," Vincent Alvarado said of the secret ingredient. "But it's a good ingredient."

The key to victory, he said, was his talented staff, and their trio of appetizers: olive oil poached salmon, cherrywood smoked scallops and ahi tuna tartare.