SC - Ironmen Chef competitions [long]

[Susan Fox-Davis]

We did it in August of this year for the Altavia Japanese Tourney.  I'm an Iron
Chef addict, and wanted to do this for the SCA just to prove that arts contests
don't have to be boring.  I conspired with another IC fan, whom I considered a
better cook than I, and produced it for the local barony.  Here is the contest
announcement that ran before the tourney:

>Iron Chef huh?  We're about to try it out
>on the unsuspecting  SCA public in a play-test
>in about a week and a half, just to see if it catches on.
>If it does, we'll take challenges from wherever cooks abide.
>If it doesn't, well, we'll have fun anyway and a good lunch besides.

>On August 12, I face Lord Gwydioan am y'Gorlwyn
>in an "Iron Chef" tournament du cuisine at the annual
>Altavia Japanese Tourney in the Barony of Altavia
>[San Fernando/Santa Clarita Valleys, Los Angeles, California].
>Who says arts competitions are boring?  Heralds, fanfare,
>trash-talking and yummy fun all around.

>Lord Jared Blaydeaux will serve as the "Chairman"
>and booth announcer, Lord Padraig as roving reporter "Otah,"
>Mistress Huette Aliza von und zu Ahrens und
>Mechtildberg is our ever-exacting food expert
>[sort of Hatori, sort of Kishi].
>Baron Duryn the Red, co-propriator of the
>Green Frog Kitchen, will also be on the
>commentary panel.  A raffle will be held to
>determine the four judges, to benefit the Barony.

>Gwydioan will cook in the style of Medieval Europe;
>I will cook in the style of improvisiational Asian/Pacific
>with emphasis on Japanese.  The theme ingredient is Plums.

We had video going throughout.  Jared was a splendid "chairman" and emcee,
Padraig hit the right note of cluelessness in his roving reports and questions
to the competitors.  We're still working up a web page, someday we'll put it up.

"Kitchen Stadium" was a horseshoe-arranged pair of equally-equipped outdoor
kitchens, sharing a sink, open on the side facing the baronial pavilion, with
lots of banners hung over and well behind the 'battle zone.'  This worked very
well.  You need LOTS of tables as well as happy helpful assistants.  Secure at
least twice as many as you think you will need, because half of them will flake
on you, each one sure that everyone else will be there so he is not needed.
Hrmph.

Okay, so we arranged the theme ingredient and worked up menus ahead of time.
None of us have a TV network budget for every possible ingredient.    I got
Gwydioan's shopping list and bought all the ingredients.  Each Chef brought his
own cookware.

The time limit was not strictly enforced.  The judging was run just like in the
show however, the only change being 5 judges instead of 4 to avoid the tie
problem.

The victor was <um, er> myself, serving a menu of sunomono and sushi rice with
plum-infused rice vinegar; home-made udon noodles [plum as mixing liquid] with
'kitsune' tofu; BBQ pork skewers with plum sauce;  plums & agar jelly and
plum-blossom mochi [based on cherry-blossom mochi, only with brined plum leaf
wrappers - GOOD].  Gwydioan offered chicken in a cameline sauce [plum puree
instead of wine], a marzipan Buddha [mindful thematic variant on the traditional
religious subtlety!] and I forget the rest, I wasn't cooking it.

Next time, what I would do differently:

I would NOT attempt to produce [autocrat, steward] this contest and enter it as
well.  What a lot of work!

Remind both chefs to provide serving vessels, dishes and utensils for the
panellists.

Have Fun!

And if there's any challengers willing to come to next Potrero or GWW, I'm ready
to defend the honor of Caid!

Dame Selene Colfox
OP, OLC, OHA, ODC, SR etc.
Iron Chef Altavia
Sable Fret Pursuivant
selene at earthlink.net




Steven Weidner wrote:

> >Our cooking guild and others are just starting to discuss holding some
> >Ironmen chef competitions.
> >
> >I am looking for information from people who have held/sponsored/judged
> >and from those who have partcipated.  We want to know to know how
> >it worked for you from the multiple viewpoints - partcipant, judge, or
> >organizer.  What would you have done differently to improve it for
> >the next time?  What went exactly right (as you planned) ?
>
> I know that Clan Campbell has done this in camp at Pennsic for the last two
> years.  It started as simply a barbecue competition, and then moved on to
> specifically being Iron Chef, with the two ingredients being "fire" and
> "Something that used to walk".  The appropriate warning that comes from such
> a competition is that if no winner is chosen (i.e. it's a tie), you'll need
> to do it all over again the next year.
>
> (Mind you, it wasn't such a big thing to *watch* what was going on.  I will
> suggest that if that's to be a major part, be sure to get all folks their
> own kitchen facilities.  Jet engines i.e. high-output propane burners for
> cooking outside, are highly recommended.)
>
> Steinn Karlsson