Memphian wins 2024 World Food Championship division
Michelle O'Guin was the winner of the 2024 World Food Championships Live Fire Division. O'Guin moves onto the Final Table competition, which will be held in Bentonville, Arkansas. (Courtesy Michelle O'Guin)
Memphian Michelle O’Guin took home first place in one of the divisions in this year’s World Food Championships in Indianapolis.
O’Guin dominated the WFC’s Live Fire division, scoring five points higher than anyone else in her competition category.
O’Guin describes her winning dish “The Great Balancing Act” as “simplicity meets elegance.”
It’s a grilled ribeye cap steak paired with a sea scallop, prepared over live fire. The ribeye is nestled in a bed of bright chimichurri while the sea scallop floats in a savory white wine mushroom cream sauce.
Live fire cooking is a method of cooking food over embers or wood flames. It sounds daunting, but O’Guin said it actually allows for versatility.
“There is so much you can do over a live fire,” she said. “You can do simple, delicate and elegant dishes on an open fire table in cast iron skillets. That’s what I did for the competition.”
The 2024 World Food Championships were Friday, Nov. 8, through Tuesday, Nov. 12, and competitors from more than 35 states and almost 20 countries battled to take home titles across the 12 different categories.
Topics
World Food Championships Live Fire Michelle O'Guin Subscriber OnlyAre you enjoying your subscription?
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Jennifer Chandler
A cookbook author and former restaurateur, Jennifer Chandler has been writing about food and dining for more than 25 years. In her role as the food and restaurant writer for The Daily Memphian, she covers food news, provides readers an inside look into their favorite restaurants and offers suggestions for what to order at eateries across the Memphis area.
Chandler’s stories and recipes have been featured in national publications such as Real Simple, HGTV Magazine and Woman’s World. She’s also appeared on a number of national broadcast cooking segments including Food Network’s “Dinner: Impossible” and Ducks Unlimited TV. She also hosts a radio show “The Weekly Dish” on Memphis’s NPR station WKNO-FM.
She is the author of four cookbooks: “The Southern Pantry Cookbook,” “Simply Salads,” “Simply Suppers,” and “Simply Grilling.” While she boasts a degree from Le Cordon Bleu, this Memphis native is about making real food accessible for real families.
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