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The 7th annual S.Pellegrino® Almost Famous Chef^SM Competition brought together culinary students from 40 top schools around the U.S. and Canada for a spirited cooking competition. Entrants were judged on their cooking skills and their potential star quality.

S.Pellegrino congratulates Connecticut Culinary Institute student David Awad, this year's title winner for his Pan-Seared Lamb Loin with a Red Wine Honey and Mint Glaze. In addition to cash and other prizes, David also wins a paid apprenticeship under one of the elite chef judges. Chef Awad's recipe will be featured on thesparklinglife.com this fall.

The salt-cured hams of the Emilia-Romagna region were already renowned in the 1st century BC. Today, their production is strictly controlled by international law.

• Specially bred pigs are fed grain and whey from the region’s other famous export, parmigiano cheese.
• By law, the only ingredients are pork, sea salt and pepper
• It takes up to 18 months of hanging to cure a large ham

Pairings: a medium-dry white wine or fine sparkling water and simple foods, like figs and melon.