ExxonMobil teams up with United Way for jambalaya cook-off

By 9:30 a.m. last Friday, a warehouse at the ExxonMobil Baton Rouge refinery was full of employees putting the final touches together for their entries into the annual jambalaya cook-off.

Teams of four employees were lined up at tables in the warehouse, looking at the competition across the walkway and wondering who might win this year.

Mark Giurintano, the self-described “executive head chef” on the team dubbed “From the South to Your Mouth,” has cooked in 23 of the last 24 cook-offs. He just retired from ExxonMobil, but came back to the job to prepare his jambalaya, which won first place last year.

“Everyone talks a little trash,” Giurintano says. “We all take this seriously. It’s an honor to win.”

Giurintano has been preparing his jambalaya since the 1980s for this competition, which is a campaign kickoff for Capital Area United Way.

“I’ve perfected it to the way I like,” he says. “It’s all about consistency. It’s like baking a cake nowadays—everything is all measured out.”

From the South to Your Mouth is one of more than 60 teams that competed this year in the jambalaya cook-off. Among the judges were Chef Ryan Andre of Le Creole, 225 contributor Jay Ducote, Charles Dupuis of Tony’s Seafood, Deron Carey of Carey’s Jambalaya and other local media personalities and foodies.

This year’s first place team was Chuck Leblanc, Joey Breau, Mike Breau and Christine Schlomer. The second place team—Michael Boudreaux, Ledell Whitfield and Robert Carroll—will join the winners to face off at the Jambalaya Jam in downtown Baton Rouge Oct. 10. More information on the jam will be released soon here.

Last year’s United Way campaign generated a $1.5 million donation from employees, retirees, union workers and corporate gift. That donation represented nearly 15% of CAUW’s campaign donations in 2012. —Matthew Sigur