Who is judging the Better Than Your Bubby's Chicken Soup Challenge?
Some pretty serious palettes will be gathering at Abigael's on Broadway for the final tasting in March.
Jeff Nathan, Executive Chef and co-owner of Abigael’s on Broadway will be hosting the tasting and will lead the prestigous judges through the tasting. Jeff is well known for his television series, New Jewish Cuisine, which is seen on public television stations nationwide, Israel and several other countries.
He is an award-winning chef, restaurateur and cookbook author of two best selling books, Adventures in Jewish Cooking and Jeff Nathan’s Family Suppers.
Jeff is a culinary consultant for the Hain Celestial Group and Royal Wines Corporation. Working directly within the research and development branch, Jeff is responsible for many of the new products on the market shelves today.
Recently Jeff has broadened his culinary horizons… He has expanded into full service catering, with his boutique company, Jeff Nathan Events.
Gary Bensky serves as Consulting Executive Chef/Designer for Clevenger Frable LaVallee and teaches classical and international cuisine at the Culinary Arts Institute of Hudson County Community College. Since 1999 he has a regular column in Nations Restaurant News and has served as Executive Chef at prestigious restaurants including The Rainbow Room, The Lotus Club and Café Americain in New York City and Lake Mohawk Country Club and Greenbrook Country Club in New Jersey. He has received distinction, often winning 1st place in Societe Culinaire Philantropique Salon competitions. 
Melissa Clark, a James Beard Foundation award winner, writes about cuisine, wine, travel and other products of appetite for numerous publications including the New York Times (as a columnist for the Dining Section), Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, and Martha Stewart. In addition, Clark has written 20 cookbooks including Chef Interrupted: Delicious Chefs Recipes You can Actually Make at Home (Clarkson Potter). Recently, she completed her first diet and lifestyle book to answer the oft-asked question “how can you be a food writer and a size 2?” The Skinny: How to Fit into Your Little Black Dress Forever (Meredith Books) came out in December, 2006. Clark was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, where she now lives with her husband, Daniel Gercke, their infant daughter Dahlia, and their formerly cosseted cat.
Paul Dillon is the Executive Director of the Culinary Arts Institute of Hudson County Community College. He has 40 years of experience in the culinary field and hospitality industry having served as executive or consulting chef for national and international venues as notable as the World Cup, the Olympics and the New York Mets World Series victory celebration. Dillon has also hosted and produced televised cooking shows and has received three Emmy nominations and was granted eight Telly Awards for his work. 
Jamie Geller is the author of the wildly successful cookbook, Quick &Kosher: Recipes From The Bride Who Knew Nothing. She is host of 2 internet cooking shows, Quick & Kosher iTV and Simply Kosher as well as an award winning freelance TV producer for HBO and the Food Network. Jamie is also an internationally syndicated food and lifestyle columnist, a motivational speaker and cooking instructor, giving classes and lectures all across America. She and her husband have three children. They live in Monsey, NY.
Elan Kornblum is the Publisher and President of Great Kosher Restaurants International Magazine. With their 5th edition due out soon, the upscale coffee table book and their website, GreatKosherRestaurants.com has revolutionized the way diners choose to go out to eat. The award-winning publication showcases how kosher dining has evolved remarkably over time. The magazine features photos, menus and articles on the best kosher restaurants around the globe. Known as the “Restaurant Guy,” Elan has visited over 500 kosher restaurants worldwide and brings a unique perspective on the kosher food industry.
Lenore Skenazy writes a bright, unpredictable op-ed column that appears in more than 100 papers. Her often cheery, sometimes chiding pieces look at everything from politics to family life to the strange times we live in – times that have brought us bottled water for dogs, pole dancing for grannies and the vocabulary-covered “S.A.T. Shower Curtain” for kids. Her observations can be heard on NPR and read in Reader’s Digest. She has also written for Mad Magazine and co-authored “The Dysfunctional Family Christmas Songbook.” Her quiz/joke book, “Who’s The Blonde That Married What’s-His-Name?” is due out in June and her topical humor contest, “What Next?” runs in the magazine The Week. She also writes a column for Advertising Age. (Busy gal!) Her book “Free-Range Kids” is due out in April. And though she prefers working in print, she also spent several years as an on-air (younger, cuter) Andy Rooney, first at CNBC and then at the Food Network.
