America's Top Amateur Chef Crowned In Beverly Hills

Beverly Hills - Celebrity chefs proclaimed Brett Youmans from Reading, Pa., America's "Top Amateur Chef" in the second annual LG Electronics USA "Taste of Something Better" cooking competition in Beverly Hills.

The winner took home a complete LG kitchen makeover and the opportunity to represent the United States in LG's global 2010 "Life Tastes Good" Championship later this month in Seoul, South Korea, with more than 20 representatives from across the world competing for the global title.

With just under an hour on the clock, competition finalists -- Youmans, Paula Mannino of Spokane, Wash., and Lou Kostura of Belmont, -- worked furiously in the LG Kitchen to perfect their culinary masterpieces.

Judging the competition were celebrity chefs Ted Allen, host of the Food Network's hit primetime series "Chopped"; Tim Love, season two winner of "Iron Chef America"; Michael Voltaggio, Chef de Cuisine at The Dining Room, Langham Huntington Hotel & Spa in Pasadena; and "Top Chef Masters" fan favorite, Ludo Lefebvre.

After the judges conferred and deliberated, Youmans was crowned the winner for his orange scented lamb skewers atop watercress and roasted fig salad with baked goat cheese crisps.

Kostura was awarded first runner up for his crab stuffed pork tenderloin, while Mannino took home second runner up for her chicken cacciatore with polenta recipe.

"It was a great experience to compete in front of an audience, and have my dish judged by such culinary talent. All of the finalists did a fantastic job, and it was exciting to compete against them," said Youmans. "I'm thrilled to be going to Korea to represent the U.S. in LG's global cooking competition."

The three finalists were chosen from hundreds of submissions in an LG-sponsored recipe contest announced earlier this summer.

The "Taste of Beverly Hills" took place at the Beverly Hilton Hotel Thursday through Sunday, with some of the proceeds benefiting the Beverly Hills Education Foundation.