Chef Alex Dino Wins at the Sears Chef Challenge Grand Championship and Donates $20,000 to Charity

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., Nov. 5, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Sears combined two key ingredients of the holiday season, food and charity, as it announced Chef Alex Dino as the winner of the Sears Chef Challenge Grand Championship last night during a live broadcast of the event at the Kenmore Live Studio. As part of Dino's winnings, Sears will make a $20,000 donation on his behalf to The Food Bank of Central New York, a local food pantry. In addition to the charitable donation, Sears is providing Chef Alex Dino with an entire home kitchen renovation, a suite of brand new Kenmore® appliances and the opportunity to become a guest blogger on Sears.com as a result of winning the Sears Chef Challenge Grand Championship cooking competition.

The Sears Chef Challenge Grand Championship was the culmination of a seven-month long cooking competition that began with 24 chefs who were narrowed down to two finalists through a national online vote, regional in-store recipe demos and semi-final cooking competitions. The two finalists, Chef Mark Maassen and Chef Alex Dino, competed in a series of head-to-head cooking challenges during the event and were scored by a panel of expert and culinary judges based on the taste and appearance of their recipes. As the primary culinary challenge for the finals, each chef was required to select three common household canned food products and incorporate them into a recipe using a previously set list of ingredients provided for the competition. In addition, with charity and food serving as the theme for the evening, a canned food drive benefiting the Chicago Anti-Hunger Federation took place during the Sears Chef Challenge Grand Championship, with attendees donating products when they arrived at the Kenmore Live Studio.

"I feel fortunate to have taken part in the Sears Chef Challenge and have the chance to give back to a well-deserving charity in need during the holiday season," said Alex Dino, owner of Sachet d' Epices Catering in New York. "I want to thank Sears for giving me this opportunity, as the Sears Chef Challenge has been a fantastic national platform to share my passion for combining the culinary arts with charity."

Chef Alex competed on behalf of the Food Bank of Central New York, a food bank working to eliminate hunger through nutritious food distribution, education and advocacy in cooperation with the community. As a graduate of the Art Institute of New York City and author of the cookbook MODERN TOFU, Chef Alex displayed his culinary skills during the Sears Chef Challenge Grand Championship through his winning version of a bento box recipe featuring octopus, tuna and scallops, among many other delicious ingredients.

"Through the Sears Chef Challenge, we were excited to bring increased visibility and much-needed financial support to select local charities nationwide that the various chefs represented during the contest," said Doug Moore, president of Home Appliances for Sears. "As culinary enthusiasts continue to seek the latest kitchen resources, tools, recipes and cooking tips, we at Sears aim to provide innovative products and top brands for aspiring chefs and at-home cooks interested in exploring their own food creations."

The Sears Chef Challenge consisted of a three-phased cooking competition – quarter finals, semi-finals and Grand Championship. In-house chefs at Sears selected 15 professional chefs from Le Cordon Bleu and the United States Personal Chef Association (based on personality, style and their recipe), along with nine "wild card" chefs from online video submissions (based on bio, recipe, why they should win and customer votes).

To view photos and video from the Sears Chef Challenge Grand Championship or previous events or for official rules on the Sears Chef Challenge, go to www.searschefchallenge.com.

For more information about Sears' full-line of kitchen appliances and offerings, visit www.sears.com.

About Sears Holdings Corporation

Sears Holdings Corporation is the nation's fourth largest broadline retailer with approximately 3,900 full-line and specialty retail stores in the United States and Canada. Sears Holdings is the leading home appliance retailer as well as a leader in tools, lawn and garden, home electronics and automotive repair and maintenance. Sears Holdings is the 2010 ENERGY STAR® Retail Partner of the Year. Key proprietary brands include Kenmore, Craftsman and DieHard, and a broad apparel offering, including such well-known labels as Lands' End, Jaclyn Smith and Joe Boxer, as well as the Apostrophe and Covington brands. It also has the Country Living collection, which is offered by Sears and Kmart. We are the nation's largest provider of home services, with more than 12 million service calls made annually. Sears Holdings Corporation operates through its subsidiaries, including Sears, Roebuck and Co. and Kmart Corporation. For more information, visit Sears Holdings' Web site at www.searsholdings.com.

SOURCE Sears Holdings Corporation