Prize-winning braciole

Every year on the eve of the Philadelphia TASTE Festival of Food, Wine and Spirits at the Valley Forge Convention Center, Philly.com, the Inquirer and the Daily News issue a call to home chefs to submit family favorite recipes.

From this year's stack of hundreds, three people were asked to cook their dishes and serve them to three judges at the Water Works restaurant, behind the Art Museum.

First up was Ed Caruso of Ardmore, who served Caruso chicken -- boneless chicken breasts in a cream sauce studded with pearl onions and pancetta, served atop grilled eggplant. Next was braciole in a homemade marinara sauce from Joan M. Menige Mastroianni of St. Davids. Then came Greek shrimp from David Herman of Elkins Park, who concocted it in rice with tomato sauce and Bulgarian feta.

Darryl Harmon, executive chef at the Water Works; show organizer Chris Myers; and I had the tough assignment of choosing the winner. Though we enjoyed Ed's chicken and David's shrimp, it was Joan's braciole, incredibly fork-tender even after the ride down the Schuylkill Expressway, that impressed us the most.

Joan wins four passes to the festival (this weekend at the Valley Forge Convention Center), and two passes to an exclusive party featuring chefs such as Jose Garces and Mike Isabella.

Details on the festival are here.

Joan's braciole recipe is here.

Ed's Chicken Caruso recipe is here

David's Greek Shrimp recipe is here.