The contest encourages home chefs to experiment with different ethnic foods and to think of preparing a Kosher-inspired meal as part of that experience, in the same way people enjoy preparing Japanese, Italian, Mexican, Chinese and other popular ethnic cuisine.

Entrants will compete for a chance to be crowned the "King or Queen of Kosher" and win the $25,000 grand prize package including GE Profile kitchen appliances, cash and more. Five finalists will win an all-expense paid trip to NYC to compete live on March 18th at the Jewish Community Center of Manhattan. The contestants will be judged by an on-site cooking panel consisting of food media and other culinary experts.

This year the cook-off will be bigger and better than ever with legendary acclaimed chef, Jacques Ppin as the celebrity guest of honor who will act as emcee, head judge and award prizes. Ppin is one of America's best-known chefs, widely recognized as the host of 11 acclaimed public television cooking series and the author and publisher of 26 cookbooks. He is also a founder of The American Institute of Wine and Food (WIWF) and has been the Dean of Special Programs at the French Culinary Institute (New York) since 1988.

As an added bonus, this year's event will benefit Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM), a national month of recognition of the more than 350-year history of Jewish contributions to American culture. Updates on JAHM will be available on www.Manischewitz.com shortly and will continue through the end of JAHM on May 31, 2010. The Manischewitz Company is the official corporate sponsor of JAHM, and will work with the JAHM steering committee to drive awareness of events and programs.

How it works

The Manischewitz Cook-Off invites U.S. residents 18 or older to submit an original, easy-to-prepare entre. All recipes must be original, kosher, include a new Manischewitz Broth product, have no more than a total of eight ingredients and be prepared and cooked in one hour or less. For official contest details log onto www.manischewitz.com and complete the official entry form and submit your recipe online. You can also enter by mail by sending your recipe entry to: Manischewitz Cook-Off, c/o BHGPR, 546 Valley Road Upper Montclair, NJ 07043. All entries must be received by January 31, 2010

For more information, prize details, rules and regulations, log onto www.manischewitz.com.

To inspire you for Cook-Off try this delicious chicken dish:

Pot of Olive Oil Broth Poached Chicken with Artichokes and Tomatoes

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken, cut up
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups onions, diced
• 1 1/2 cups celery, diced
• 2 tablespoons garlic, chopped
• 42 oz Manischewitz Chicken Broth (3 cans)
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cans artichoke hearts, drained and halved
• 2 whole tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, cut into thin strips

Preparation:

1. In a large stock pot sear chicken skin side down in olive oil; remove.
2. In same pot, saut onions, celery and garlic.
3. Add Manischewitz Chicken Broth, thyme and bay leaves; bring to a boil, then reduce heat
4. And chicken.
5. Simmer 30 to 45 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked and tender, skimming off any fat or broth that comes to the surface; add water if necessary to keep chicken covered.
6. Remove chicken and set aside on serving platter.
7. Skim off any remaining fat or froth; add artichokes, tomatoes and basil; simmer briefly.
8. Serve with chicken.

Serving suggestion: Strain 1 1/2 cups of stock and add to 1 1/2 cups of couscous for a quick side dish.

NUTRITION INFORMATION
Servings per recipe: 6

AMOUNT PER SERVING:

• Calories: 709
• Total fat: 47g.
• Cholesterol: 226 mg.
• Total carbs: 24 g.
• Dietary fiber: 9 g.
• Protein: 50 g.