Cindy and I are fortunate to have a bunch of neighbors and local friends
who are good cooks. At the end of most weeks, the group gets together
for the "Friday Night Follies": a prepared dinner at one of our homes,
or takeout, or a gathering at a restaurant.

This week we decided to make it a bit more challenging. We organized
our own "Iron Chef" event. Actually, the rules were more like the Food
Network's "Chopped" show, but without anyone getting chopped. There
were no eliminations, no judging, no prizes. Just a good challenge for
the chefs. I volunteered to organize the event.

We had two teams, with three chefs on each team. At 4:30pm on Saturday,
all the chefs gathered for the revealing of the secret ingredients.
They did not know what they would be given before this meeting. Each
team received three bags, and each bag contained 3 or 4 ingredients.
The first bag contained ingredients for making an appetizer: Italian
eggplants, capers, and fresh mint. The second bag contained ingredients
for a main course: pork tenderloins, extra-firm tofu, leeks, and
tamarind paste. The last bag contained the dessert ingredients: Fuji
apples, goat cheese, and hazelnuts.

The teams had to use the ingredients in each bag in a significant way
for the designated course. They could add other ingredients found in
the kitchens, or fetch supplies from nearby markets. The chefs were not
allowed to consult cookbooks, the internet, or any other sources of
help. They had 3 hours to prepare a complete meal for 20 people:
themselves, and the assembled families and friends.

Cindy was on one of the teams, and I will let her describe the Iron Chef
experience. For me, choosing the secret ingredients was enough of a
challenge. My choices were constrained by a pre-agreed budget ($10 per
person), and by the dietary restrictions of some people who would be
sharing the dinner. Some are vegetarians. We also had to avoid gluten,
tomatoes, fish, walnuts, and dairy products from cows.

Our Iron Chefs performed beyond expectations. They finished on time,
and turned out some great food. Everyone had a lot of fun. To see the
results, and photos from the event, check out this gallery:

http://julianv.zenfolio.com/ironchefwedgwood2011

There will be a sequel, probably early next year. For the next event,
the Iron Chefs will be recruited from the children of the FNF families,
all of whom are college-age, or slightly older.

--
Julian Vrieslander