NYC, Philly and Boston chefs will compete for the winning kidney-friendly dish… chosen by YOU!
The National Kidney Foundation Serving New England, Greater New York and the Philadelphia & New Jersey regional offices have teamed up for a fun and friendly cooking competition. Nested under our signature "Cooking with Konfidence" program, three incredible chefs will compete on March 23, 2023 at 1:00pm EST. One winner will be crowned the Ultimate Cook-off champion... chosen by YOU! The first 50 registrants from each respective area (150 total) will receive a limited edition starter kit with NKF branded cooking swag, recipes, gift cards from local food stores, goodies and more!
Step 1: Choose your team (based on location)
Step 1: Choose your team (based on location)
Step 2: Meet the Chefs
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From New York
Chef Mario Gentile
Chef Mario Gentile As an owner and executive chef of Adoro in New York City. His passion for cooking began as a child, when he was able to hone his kitchen skills at his family’s restaurant in Brooklyn. He ventured to Rome, Italy to train under Michelin-star chef, Adriano Cavagnini of La Terrazza fame and since then has received rave reviews for his work at Nove. In February of 2015, he focused his efforts on Adoro, an exciting new Italian Restaurant/ Lounge located on Hudson Street in NYC which transforms and elevates the traditional pizza eating experience.
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From Philadelphia
Chef David Pollack
As a chef with over 30 years of experience, David has always been drawn to how creative and versatile food can be. At 22 years old, he was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease and 11 years later he had to go on dialysis which requires a very disciplined way of eating. Today, he is an 11 year kidney recipient focused on helping people living healthier and happier. Through a nonprofit created by David, called Cooking Without Kidneys, he aims to help people on dialysis to not just survive but thrive through food. As a way to give back and show support for the kidney community at large, David hopes to share his food and experience with viewers.
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From Boston
Chef Giovanna Huyke
Huyke is a renowned Chef known for her pioneering restaurant work in Puerto Rico and as a media trailblazer and cooking show host that earned her the moniker as the “Julia Child of Puerto Rico.” Over 10,000 cooking shows were produced, reaching millions of viewers daily and running uninterrupted for 23 years. Additionally, she has published six cookbooks and 20 recipe collections of her culinary creations. Credited with the use of local ingredients along with traditional cooking methods, Huyke has created a new class of lighter and healthier dishes without sacrificing traditional flavors. Read more.
The Dietitian: Marisol Kramer
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Marisol has been a Registered Dietitian since 1994 after receiving her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Medical Dietetics from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She has been working for Pure Life Renal in Stoughton, Massachusetts for 5 years but has worked as a renal dietitian since 2012 with companies including DaVita and US Renal Care. Marisol has delivered speaker programs for both FMC and AstraZeneca. She is currently engaged in volunteer work with the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) as the Chair of the NKF Council on Renal Nutrition of New England Chapter, NKF CRN Region 1 Representative, article reviewer for the Journal of Renal Nutrition and member of the NKF CRN Education Committee.
Helpful Resources
Kidney super foods, recipes and more!
You may have heard that superfoods are super important for people with kidney disease. While the idea of completely managing kidney disease by eating certain foods is appealing – the reality is not quite that simple.
Many people think superfoods are foods that have special, almost magical, qualities. While some foods are certainly more nutritious than others, no food is the magic answer for good health.