Favorite foods were on everyone’s mind at the sixth annual Iron Chef Competition at Casey Middle School, which took place on April 23. When competitors and spectators were asked about their favorite dishes, the answers ranged from Italian to Indian and Mediterranean to bacon-infused Brussels sprouts. But it was Asian cuisine that dominated the menu with five out of six teams creating varied versions of Asian-influenced dishes; all for the chance to get their recipe on the hot lunch menu for the coming school year.
School lunches have certainly evolved over the past few decades. No longer are kids subjected to questionable meat, smothered in brown, lard-heavy gravy and overcooked, mushy vegetables. Today, savvy students are introduced to good nutrition early. Most are offered a selection of organic, locally grown produce and healthy alternatives to meat.
Six years ago, organizers of this event decided to get the kids involved in their food choices; the concept: Food Is Fun! Beginning at the high school level, the Iron Chef Competition now incorporates all school ages, down to elementary school, which holds its event in the fall.
This year’s middle school competition theme was vegetarian cuisine. Chef Brandy Dreibelbis, district manager for the department of food services, explained that there is a vegetarian option on the hot lunch menu every day. While many students are vegetarian, the meatless option doesn’t sell well. It is difficult to balance school lunch nutritional guidelines and maintain a healthy, meat-free lifestyle. The USDA only acknowledges certain sources of protein. The students were told to keep that in mind while preparing for the competition.
Four schools produced six teams for the contest this year, ranging in grades from sixth to eighth. Walking into the cafeteria at Casey Middle School, the first sense to be tempted was the sense of smell. Spices hung in the air, pungent and teasing, letting the spectators know something good is waiting in the wings. The overall atmosphere was calm and easy-going, contrary to the televised competition for which this event was named (Iron Chef was adapted for the U.S. from a long-running Japanese cooking show in 2004, and challenges the best chefs in the country to make a better dish in one hour than celebrity “iron chefs” like Bobby Flay, Mario Batali and Masaharu Morimoto). Despite the occasional clatter of bowls hitting floor, laughter punctuated the air — that doesn’t really happen on the show. Adults milled about, chatting with one another and the kids. A moderator roamed between the teams asking foodrelated questions; Alton Brown was not available.
Getting to this point in the competition takes some effort, said Anne Mechling, teaching mentor to the Aspen Creek team. Each team is required to come up with a recipe, one that may be easily replicated for mass production. Boulder Valley Sschool District serves approximately 12,000 hot lunches a day. While ingredients are contemplated, there are several other factors to consider. Nutritional guidelines and cost efficiency must be met.
Each team was judged by a panel of adults and their peers, 12 people in all, on several points: overall taste, ease of replication and the ability to produce the recipe in bulk. Professionalism was also considered, as was presentation of the dish itself. Other deciding factors were cleanliness and organization of their workstations. Teams were asked to choose a representative to announce their dish and explain a little about the inspiration behind the recipe.
The first team to serve their dish to the judges was from Aspen Creek School. The team of sixth grade boys, the Cobras, were eager and excited to discuss their creation with the panel. Serving pad thai noodles with tofu in a brown sugar and soy sauce combination, the dish was garnished with red pepper flakes and raisins. The judges marveled at the nice blend of spicy and sweet, and the interesting addition of the raisins.
One of the two teams representing Centennial Middle School, “Back to Bangkok,” came in next with another version of pad thai noodles. This dish was inspired by one of the team member’s trip to Bangkok two years ago. She had taken a Thai cooking class and fell in love with the cuisine. The idea was a blend of different recipes, adding a slightly different feel to the traditional dish. The judges didn’t anticipate mango on their plates and said it was a pleasant surprise.
Platte Middle School also had two teams in the competition. The first team, the “Wild Wolves,” served pad miri with raisin rice. Their representative explained that every ingredient was fresh except the chili sauce, including the five-spice blend that was ground by hand. The judges enjoyed the spice blend and remarked on the bold choice of cooked cauliflower.
Next was the brother and sister team from Monarch K-8. Their love of Asian and Mexican food inspired the Vietnamese banh mi wrap and a visually pleasing fruit decor. Marveling at the creative blend of two cultures, the judges noted favorably the use of tofu, daikon radishes and pickled flavor in every bite.
The second team from Platt Middle School, the Platt Pack, delighted the judges with their version of a Vietnamese noodle dish. Using the same five-spice blend their schoolmates used, a combination of coriander, cinnamon, cumin, cardamom and anise, the team also made a gluten-free sauce from scratch and presented their mostly organic cuisine with a smile.
Centennial Middle School’s second team, “Team Chow,” broke away from the pack and presented the judges with a pesto-inspired pasta dish. Deciding that pasta was kid-friendly, this team also whipped up a side salad with strawberries and balsamic vinaigrette.
The judges retired to a back room to decide on a winning dish and after 10 minutes of anticipation, the judges were back with their decision.
Honorable mentions each received a $50 gift card to spend at Whole Foods, encouraging the participants to fuel their culinary creativity. The teams that received honorable mention were Team Chow and Back to Bangkok, both from Centennial Middle School, and the Platt Pack.
Third place went to the Asian/ Mexican infusion of the Monarch Mustangs, and second place went to the Aston Creek Cobras, the team of sixth grade boys who said they were already looking forward to next year’s competition.
And the winner of the sixth annual BVSD Iron Chef competition was the team from Platt Middle School, Wild Wolves. Their pad miri with raisin rice will be featured as a vegetarian option on the school lunch menu next year.
Excellent nosh aside, the amount of creativity, teamwork and positive attitudes from the kids that participated in this competition are what made this event worthwhile. Future contestants will continue pushing the boundaries of taste and presentation with style and class.
