Porter Lansing

1995 Grand Prize Winner

Appliance retailer, later a chef and now a food writer, from Englewood, Colorado

Inspiration for Chicken Oriental Burgers with Grilled Shiitake:

"I tried to incorporate sweet, sour, salty, fragrant, bitter, nutty, and hot flavors to create a Chinese theme for the ground chicken."

Memories of BBB:

"The incredible array of superlative California food offerings available in Napa...also the friendliness and hospitality of the Trinchero staff and Build a Better Burger contest family. Also, the magician at the banquet and the huge rosemary bushes near the property of the winery. The contest and especially the esteemed caliber of the judges gave me, a student at that time of contemporary American cuisine, the incredible confidence to sell my appliance business and dive headfirst into the professional cooking world, leading to and culminating in four years cooking at the top New American Grille in Colorado.

I became a professional cook in 1997 and stopped competing in amateur contests. I've since lost a leg to an illness and have retired to a budding career as a food-themed novel author. Since I'm no longer going to be able to handle a shift in a busy professional kitchen, I've begun a food-writing career and the experience of the Build a Better Burger contest was primary in my ability to compose recipes in the regional American genre. Thanks to James McNair and all the wonderful staff at Sutter Home for the opportunity."

Other Notable Wins:

No other wins to date.