IRON CHEF (BYU 167th Ward Style)

We recreated an Iron Chef competition tonight. It was really a lot of fun. Special thanks to Trish and Joe from the ward activities committee for hosting it. Great job guys!

The secret ingredient was given to us the day before: APPLES.

I decided to go with Mele con la salsa di Lampone [Apples with Raspberry Sauce], the dessert from Sicily that I made for dinner group last semester. I asked Eve to help me as my cooking assistant. She and I dressed up like Italian mobsters and cooked by candle light for the benefit of the camera crew that filmed us.

We finished cooking our dessert early so I spent my extra time taunting other groups and chatting with Bishop VanAusdal.

Things I will remember for next time:

Serve in transparent cups for greater aesthetics.
Cut apple sliced in half to fit easier into you mouth (or use tiny apples.)
Use real whipping cream and less than you think.
Chill the full hour.
Shaved dark chocolate topping wouldn't hurt, if you don't mind it being a little less healthy.
I must remember to take a picture of the final product.

Things would change if I were hosting it:

I would post the secret ingredient on a central website two days ahead, and then I would insist that everyone RSVP by listing what they are going to make. That way, there are sure to be no duplicates.
I would rent out one of BYU's giant kitchens so that all the chefs could be there, cooking at the same time. Spectators would be allowed to walk around and witness the chaos.
Then, for judging, I would have the three judges rate each dish by categories like, presentation, flavor/taste, texture, appearance/color, smell, memory-association, and overall aesthetic.
That would give who ever is doing the video just enough time to prepare the video presentation, if people wanted to hang around and recreate the drama while enjoying leftovers of peoples' dishes.

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