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Vanderbilt nurses take first place at Hot Chicken Festival

The team of Melissa Morton and Katie Forrester took first place at the Hot Chicken Festival July 4.

The team of Melissa Morton and Katie Forrester, nurse practitioners for the trauma service at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, tied for first place in the amateur category at the 2014 Music City Hot Chicken Festival. The event, co-sponsored by Vanderbilt and benefitting Friends of Shelby Park, was held July 4 in East Park.

After becoming friends, Morton and Forrester—who compete under the team name Hot Breasts—realized they share a passion for adventurous and Southern food. They began sampling hot chicken available in the Nashville area and playing with recipes to create their own version. Neither had ever fried chicken before embarking on their quest, and the duo spent a year perfecting their winning recipe.