Badass Women Chefs of the Boulder International Film Festival – CineChef

CineCHEF returned to the Boulder International Film Festival highlighting an impressive lineup of Badass Women Chefs

by Caren Austin

Colorado is filled with amazing and influential women chefs, and this year’s CineCHEF kickoff extravaganza to the International Boulder International Film Festival had a very important theme. While the event is in its 10^th year, this is the first year that every culinary team or Chef is female, making the theme of “Badass Women Chefs” quite appropriate, and much overdue in the Colorado culinary industry.

In the name of Film, the chefs had to create a dish inspired by a movie to coincide with one of the world’s best international film festivals. The event drew hundreds of foodies and film festival enthusiasts to taste some of the best bites Colorado has to offer.

I got the chance to attend this beautiful event with 9 Female Chefs battling it out. In my opinion, they all had already won for having an all-female roster. Just getting the chance to be present amongst some of Colorado’s great female chefs would have been enough, but the event was so much more than that.

The roster included well known Chef Dana Rodriguez (pictured above) of Working Class, Casa Bonita and Carne; Chef Jen Jasinski of Bistro Vendome Rioja and Ultreia, and Chef Linda Hampsten Fox of the Bindery, but there were other names in this game. Chef Ariana Rios from Ajax Tavern, Chef Rainbow Schultz of The Jamestown Mercantile Café, Chef Alexandra Stuessi of Pizza Alberico, Chef Laura Leitner of The Greenbriar Inn, Chef Shamane Simons of Shamane’s Bakery and Café, and The St. Julien’s Angels from the St. Julien Hotel were also competitors in the event.

There were so many fantastic bites inspired by the movies that it was hard to decide which was best. Some teams were even dressed like their chosen movie. Team Rainbow Schultz were dressed up like the movie The Life Aquatic (pictured above) while serving a Deep Sea Zissou with Seared Tuna, Hashbrown Potatoes and Spring Farm Greens. Chef Dana Rodriguez never disappoints and paid homage to Silence of the Lambs with her Lamb Mixiote. It was heaven on a plate. I had to come back for seconds on this bite. Chef Jen Jasinski (pictured below) celebrated spring and the movie, The Hundred- Foot Journey, with her Spring Pea and Mascarpone Risotto with Pea Shoots.

And the winner was… Chef Rainbow Schultz and her Team Aquatic. A well deserved recognition, but all of the Chefs were winners that night and proved they are Badass Women Chefs! Women lifting each other up was the absolute best part of the night.

Girl power emanated from the teams and made this energetic evening exceptional. I was glad to be a woman in the crowd and a little part of the Boulder Film Festival cineCHEF event in the beautiful city of Boulder Colorado!

Learn more about the Boulder Film Festival here. Make plans to attend next year while you’re at it: www.biff1.com