/ en /news/iron-chef-day-1-team-prepares-food-fight-against-other-universities <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Iron Chef, day 1: Team prepares for food fight against other universities</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/20170131%20-%20Ailin%20Xi%20tasting%20the%20appetizer%20%28resized%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=0qAFId8H 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/20170131%20-%20Ailin%20Xi%20tasting%20the%20appetizer%20%28resized%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=Ca9BLqTq 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/20170131%20-%20Ailin%20Xi%20tasting%20the%20appetizer%20%28resized%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=SywMV5SG 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/20170131%20-%20Ailin%20Xi%20tasting%20the%20appetizer%20%28resized%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=0qAFId8H" alt="Photo of students training for Iron Chef"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>geoff.vendeville</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2017-02-01T13:00:49-05:00" title="Wednesday, February 1, 2017 - 13:00" class="datetime">Wed, 02/01/2017 - 13:00</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Ailin Xi, a biochemistry and nutritional sciences major, tastes the salmon appetizer she prepared with Jordan Su, a human geography student (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville) </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/geoffrey-vendeville" hreflang="en">Geoffrey Vendeville</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Geoffrey Vendeville</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/iron-chef" hreflang="en">Iron Chef</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/cooking" hreflang="en">Cooking</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/education" hreflang="en">Education</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/culinary" hreflang="en">Culinary</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">They'll be facing off against McGill University, University of Massachusetts Amherst and more</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>After the first training session for the Iron Chef competition, Chef <strong>James Piggott </strong>says the University of Toronto&nbsp;student team&nbsp;has&nbsp;the right ingredients to win the intra-university culinary cookoff.</p> <p>But while Piggott hopes Ă山ǿĽé will win – especially since the competition is being held here for the first time –&nbsp;he says victory isn’t the most important thing.&nbsp;</p> <p>“If they walk away with a smile on their face and pick up a few new skills, that’s a job well done,” says&nbsp;Piggott, executive chef of&nbsp;residential dining at Ă山ǿĽé's New College, who is training the student team.&nbsp;</p> <p>“But let’s not lie. It’s fun to win.”</p> <p>For the first time ever, the University of Toronto is hosting the annual Iron Chef competition. <em>Ă山ǿĽé News</em> is following the student chefs chosen to represent the university in an culinary cook-off against the University of Massachusetts Amherst and other schools on Feb. 24–26.&nbsp;</p> <h3><a href="/news/student-chefs-face-secure-spot-u-t-iron-chef-team">Read more about the Iron Chef team trials in <em>Ă山ǿĽé News</em></a></h3> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__3348 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" height="500" src="/sites/default/files/20170131---Team-huddle-%28resized-and-saved-for-web%29.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="750" loading="lazy"><br> <em>The Iron Chef team and coach James Piggott&nbsp;gather&nbsp;for a high-five before their first practice on Tuesday&nbsp;(photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)</em></p> <p>At practice Tuesday evening at&nbsp;New College, students <strong>Felipe Branco</strong>, <strong>Brettany Colette</strong>, <strong>Jordan Su</strong> and <strong>Ailin Xi</strong> were asked to prepare an appetizer and main course using salmon – one of the proteins that may be in the mystery box of ingredients they receive on the day of the competition. They were also allowed to use ingredients from the&nbsp;cafeteria&nbsp;kitchen.</p> <p>The time limit was two hours – the same cutoff time as&nbsp;the competition.</p> <p>Wearing new personalized chefs’ coats and hats, the team toured the store room and meat fridge. At just after six o’clock, Piggott started the timer. The students quickly split into teams of two.</p> <p>Su and Xi whipped up the appetizer – smoked salmon with a&nbsp;pickled radish slaw – while Branco and Colette prepared the main dish, a salmon with beurre blanc sauce on multi-grain risotto with parsnip crisps.&nbsp;</p> <p>The team has good chemistry and was able to choose a menu quickly, Branco said.</p> <p>“We have different backgrounds, which is good. If I have an idea that’s, let’s say, more Latin American, they add an Asian perspective. It builds some nice flavours.”</p> <h3><a href="/news/calling-all-student-chefs-u-t-preps-iron-chef-cook-against-yale-mcgill-and-other-universities">Read more about the competition</a></h3> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__3349 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" height="500" src="/sites/default/files/20170201---Iron-Chef-composite.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="750" loading="lazy"><br> <em>From left, Chef James Piggott shows the students the store room, Jordan Su makes a sauce for the appetizer (top right),&nbsp;Felipie Branco and Brettany Colette (bottom right) plate the main course (photos by Geoffrey Vendevlile)</em></p> <p>When the clock ran out, the students presented their dishes to Piggott for tasting and critique.</p> <p>At next Tuesday's practice, the chef will choose three students to face off against the top student chefs at&nbsp;other universities at the Iron Chef competition. The fourth student will be an understudy this year, but guaranteed a spot on the team next time.</p> <h3><strong><u>Day 1 report card</u></strong></h3> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__3350 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/Letter%20grade.jpg" style="width: 114px; height: 114px; float: left; margin: 2px;" typeof="foaf:Image"><strong>Chef Piggott</strong>: “They would lose 20 per cent right off the top for kitchen cleanliness because that’s part of organization. But food wise, I’d probably give them an 85. The only things were – there were some portion-size issues, and there was the overcooking of the salmon. If I’m looking at the overall picture and deducting marks from 100 per cent, I’m taking a few points off for the salmon being overcooked. I’m taking a few points off here and there for the (small) portion size of the main course.</p> <p>“Overall that brings them closer to 75 per cent. But that’s because they’re losing big marks for organization and cleanliness. They had stuff spread everywhere. We need to work on that. But overall, fantastic job.”</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Wed, 01 Feb 2017 18:00:49 +0000 geoff.vendeville 104256 at