Announcing the 2024 Health Care Culinary Contest winner
Join us in celebrating the grand prize winner of the 2024 Health Care Culinary Contest: Keck Hospital’s deconstructed Honduran tamale.
This year’s winner, Chef Luis Santos from Keck Hospital of USC, brought a unique approach to hospital food that's deeply rooted in his Honduran heritage. His deconstructed Honduran tamale, a plant-forward twist on a family recipe, is filled with quinoa, garbanzo beans, yuca, and olives, replacing the traditional meat with hearty ingredients that offer the same satisfying flavors.
Chef Santos was celebrated at CleanMed 2025, where his winning meal was served to attendees. He will also be honored at the Culinary Institute of America’s Menus of Change Leadership Summit in June.
Read our interview with Santos on his win
A round of applause for our finalists – be sure to try their recipes!
- Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center's pesto bulgur bliss bowl – Chef Fue Xiong
- Nebraska Medicine's vibrant veggie power bowl – Chefs Joy Hadley & Matt Wehrle
- UW Health's farm-to-fork stuffed peppers with roasted red pepper & zucchini enchilada sauce – Chef Dan Hess
- Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital's campanelli à la norma – Chef Michael Jenkins
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