Certified Master Chef Hartmut Handke to Represent U.S. at Bocuse d'Or 2003 International Culinary Competition.

Food, Cooking & Lifestyle Editors

CLEVELAND--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 22, 2002

Recipe for Brioche Breakfast Braid Adds Flair to Holiday Tables

and Showcases Chef's International Talent

While most U.S. chefs are putting the final touches on lavish holiday menus, Chef Hartmut Handke, CMC, is already looking beyond the New Year as he works to perfect the most important menu of his culinary career.

Chef Handke, who is owner of Hanke's Cuisine of Columbus, Ohio, will compete against 23 other international chefs at the Bocuse d'Or 2003 international culinary competition January 28-29 in Lyon, France. Other participating countries include France, Germany, Sweden, Italy and Russia. Electrolux, which manufactures Frigidaire appliances and the Electrolux Assistent all-purpose mixer -- a favorite with Swedish cooks for over 40 years, will sponsor Chef Handke.

The Bocuse d'Or is considered the world's most prestigious culinary competition. It was created in 1987 to showcase the talents of the world's best chefs and is a biennial event at the International Food Trade Fair.

Chef Handke won the honor to compete at Bocuse 2003 by placing first in several U.S. preliminaries, including the 2002 National Restaurant Association Competition in Chicago.

Participants in Bocuse each will create one meat course and one fish course. Strict requirements of the competition dictate the main ingredient, but each recipe is unique -- the result of months of preparation by each chef.

Chef Handke will have just five and one-half hours the day of the competition to prepare both courses. Each must serve 12 people and be presented on one large platter.

Chef Handke now spends about 20 hours each week -- more than 900 hours to date -- preparing for the Bocuse. The rest of his time is spent perfecting the dishes that earned Handke's Cuisine the title of top-rated restaurant in Columbus and the state of Ohio in Zagat's 2000 Survey.

Even while he counts down the days to Lyon, Chef Handke is preparing to serve his annual Thanksgiving feast to Columbus patrons -- a sumptuous spread of free range Turkey, traditional favorites and delectable pastries such as Brioche Breakfast Braid.

"This recipe is one of my favorites for the holidays," Chef Handke said. "It is an elegant complement to most holiday dishes and relatively simple to prepare."

The European-trained Handke has over 40 years of culinary experience. He is one of only 71 chefs certified as a Master Chef by the American Culinary Federation and has competed in over 50 national and international culinary competitions during his career. He currently holds 36 culinary gold medals.

In 1995, Chef Handke won the Auguste Escoffier USA Grand Prix and went on to place second overall at the Grand Prix Culinaire Internationale Auguste Escoffier in Nice. He was a member of the U.S. Culinary Olympic Teams in 1984 and 1988, both of which won gold medals in the cold foods competition. Chef Handke was declared world champion in the hot foods competition.

Prior to opening the popular Columbus restaurant, Chef Handke served as executive Chef of the renowned Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia and at the Athletic Club of Columbus.

Recipe and high resolution photos may be downloaded at http://www.clarycommunications.com/Electrolux11_21/

About Electrolux Group

The Electrolux Group is the world's largest producer of appliances for kitchen, cleaning and outdoor use combined including refrigerators, washing machines, ranges/ovens, vacuum cleaners, chain saws, lawn mowers and garden tractors. In 2001, Group sales were $13 billion and the Group had 87,000 employees. Every year, customers in more than 150 countries buy more than 55 million Electrolux Group products for both consumer and professional use. The Electrolux Group is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden.

Electrolux top brands globally include Electrolux, AEG, Zanussi, Husqvarna and Flymo. Its North American consumer brands include Frigidaire, Eureka, Poulan, Weed Eater and Husqvarna.

About Electrolux North America 

Electrolux North America has over 22,000 employees operating in 18 states, Canada and Mexico, and sales of about $5 billion representing 39 percent of global Electrolux Group revenues of over $13 billion.