Batten Competes In NACUFS Culinary Competition

Fans of the Food Network’s Iron Chef program, or of Bravo’s Top Chef are familiar with the skill and dedication necessary to compete in timed cooking challenges. Eric Batten, Executive Chef at The Gallery in Snyder/Phillips, was up for the challenge. Batten recently competed in the Midwest Regional National Association of College and University Food Services (NACUFS) Culinary Competition. Chefs hailing from university kitchens across the Midwest were given sixty minutes to create a dish from scratch that incorporated the feature protein ingredient; striped sea bass. According to Kurt Kwiatkowski, manager of The Gallery, the challenge is even more rigorous than shows such as Iron Chef because each contestant is only allowed the use of two induction burners to cook their food. “This makes cooking methods a little more difficult and shows off each chef’s creative thinking in creating the dish,” Kwiatkowski explains. Batten’s Striped Sea Bass Bouillabaisse was a fan favorite, garnering him both a bronze medal and the People’s Choice Award. Congratulations, Eric!

Be sure to stop by The Gallery to see what other delicious meals are on the menu!

Wilson Hosts "Iron Chef" Competition

On March 27, Wilson Hall Dining Services partnered with Residence Life to bring an exciting event to Wilson Hall. Mary Nichols, Assistant Hall Director in Wilson, said that in planning activities for her hall, she was inspired by the popular television program “Iron Chef.” Teams of three to four students were given forty-five minutes in which to create three dishes incorporating the secret ingredient - tofu. Hosting the event in the dining room presented some limitations; the only heating apparatus teams had access to was a microwave. In addition to the secret ingredient and an assortment of preselected ingredients made available to them, teams were allowed a one-time access to the salad bar to collect any remaining ingredients they needed for their recipes. When time ran out, it was up to the judges to declare a winner. Jane Olsen, South Complex Area Director for Residence Life, Jay Makowski, Assistant Dining Services Manager for Wilson café, and Amanda Ross, a student photographer from H&FS Marketing Communications, served on the judging panel.

The winning menu included a wheat wrap with cucumbers, hummus, and tofu; a chili chicken tofu pizza; and a yogurt and tofu parfait with layers of banana, strawberry, and orange slices.

As the emphasis of this semester’s competition was on healthy food, gift certificates to healthy restaurants were awarded as prizes. The first place team received a gift certificate to Cosi, while the second place team received a gift certificate to Subway, both generously donated by the Wilson Hall government.

Makowski declared the event a success, and looks forward to continuing it in the future. Next year, Makowski is contemplating inviting MSU Test Kitchen staff to judge the competition, and possibly even incorporating some of the winning recipes into the café menu.

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