There were three different teams hosted by the English and Modern Languages department: Spanish, German and French, each competing for the title of the Iron Chef through a main course and desserts. In the Nance Room of Dorrill Dining Hall on the evening of Nov. 15, the affair began with an auction.
There was a silent auction available for everyone in attendance, the auction was for different baskets and prizes set up against the back wall. There were also speeches and presentations of the different cultures by each of the teams, to give the dishes their stories.
“These cultures come alive through food,” said senior Hannah Shumway, who cooked for the German team.
For the French team, some of their dishes came from Julia Child herself as they made and served French onion soup and beef bourguignon with pasta. Three different judges: Dr. Bill Abrams, Dr. Charles Ross and Dr. Charles White were present to decide on which team would become the next Iron Chef winners. The judges agreed that the dish could be described as comfort food. White told a story about how in his household beef and noodles was seen as a warm and homey dish.
“Because we took recipes from Julia Child, it gave it a story,” said senior Christy Tagg of the French team.
For the German team, their dish was described as hearty by the judges; it involved pork chops with apples and sauerkraut.
“Flavorful” was used by Abrams to describe the chicken empanadas, chicken arepas and chicken tacos made by the Spanish team. The group wanted a dish that would be both ethnic but also close to home. Sophomore Morgan Tasseff explained how the event was a great way for students to introduce themselves to new cultures without pushing oneself.
The judges ate before the audience members were able to indulge in the different meals, then the crowd was able to go through a buffet style line to get their food. Along with the dishes there were three desserts that were unspecified to which team they belonged to. The dessert table included churros, a fruit tart that included chocolate and whipped cream as well and cream puffs, which bursted when bitten.
At the end of the affair, it was time for the announcement of who won the competition. The German team became the next Iron Chef winners, taking the title from the French team. Even so, the event was more about learning about different cultures and how to appreciate the differences in each language and culture.
“What we want to do with the event is show off their culture and language skills," said Dr. Wade Edwards, department chair of the English and modern languages department.
“My favorite dish was the Spanish tacos,” said Tasseff. “The perfectly seared steak topped with a simple cilantro sauce that wasn’t overbearing and the very fragrant and bright mango salad topping it off. (It) just made the taco go to a whole other level.”
“I think it’s a very unique experience for us in all cultures,” said junior Justin Ferranto, who presented for the German team. “(It) doesn’t matter who wins. We all had a great time.”
Students and faculty joined together to enjoy dishes made by the language clubs which included Spanish, French and German. Although all of the food and history told were astounding, the German club won the hearts, and stomachs, of the judges.
Students and faculty joined together to enjoy dishes made by the language clubs which included Spanish, French and German. Although all of the food and history told were astounding, the German club won the hearts, and stomachs, of the judges.
Students and faculty joined together to enjoy dishes made by the language clubs which included Spanish, French and German. Although all of the food and history told were astounding, the German club won the hearts, and stomachs, of the judges.
Students and faculty joined together to enjoy dishes made by the language clubs which included Spanish, French and German. Although all of the food and history told were astounding, the German club won the hearts, and stomachs, of the judges.
Students and faculty joined together to enjoy dishes made by the language clubs which included Spanish, French and German. Although all of the food and history told were astounding, the German club won the hearts, and stomachs, of the judges.
