Chef Omar Anani of Detroit's Saffron de Twah become the second Detroit chef this year to win an episode of Food Network's "Chopped."
Anani competed on "Chopped: All-American Showdown" in the north region, where the chefs had to cook using a mystery basket of ingredients.
Now, he'll compete against three other winners of the South, East and West regions in a tournament finale, which is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 8 at 8 p.m. with a chance to win $50,000.
During Tuesday night's episode, Anani cooked up three dishes; fried lake perch with sautéed corn salad, goat meatballs with pizza sauce potatoes and finished with a chocolate-peanut butter mahalabia with pita chip gremolata.
Anani said the dessert is a traditional Egyptian dessert that his mother and grandmother made often, and he said he wanted to make dishes that showed off America's diversity.
The judges were looking for "all-American" dishes and Anani
According to the Detroit Free Press, Anani asked guests at a watch party Tuesday night in Detroit to donate to the Saffron Community Kitchen Meal Relief fund. The goal is for Anani and Saffron de Twah to fund 935 meals this summer and launch a community fridge.
In 2020, Saffron de Twah was named a James Beard Award semifinalist for best new restaurant.
In March, Hamissi Mamba of Baobab Fare also won an episode of "Chopped"and donated the winnings to Freedom House to help build a new shelter kitchen.
