We are proud to announce that He and She and our friend Gwen will compete against four other teams in the University of Missouri Iron Chef battle next week. The three of us are confident in our cooking skills, but we’ve never been in much of a pressure situation. It will be interesting to see how we adapt to having a time limit and working in a new kitchen.
About that kitchen…we’re not sure what to expect. This isn’t real Iron Chef or Top Chef, where you have access to incredible ingredients. It’s a university dining hall kitchen. I enjoyed the food during my time on campus, but I don’t know whether the kitchen will be as stocked as we’re used to.
We’re low on details now, but we know our team of three will be joined by one of the chefs from Missouri Campus Dining Services and be given a ‘secret ingredient.’ Last year it was citrus. (Again, this is on the university budget in the middle of Missouri winter. Don’t get too excited.) Then we’ll have a limited time to prep and cook. It might only be one or two dishes, not sure yet.
We have a week to brainstorm ideas to have in reserve and get more details about the competition. (Like, can we bring our own knives or any spices?) We’ll be brushing up on technique and flavor combinations, and trying to get a little faster in our preparation. In the meantime, check out some photos from last year: Mizzou Iron Chef.
Any tips for cooking under time constraints?
