Toro Iron Chef Returns: The Secret Ingredient is Fun
Cuisine – and a good time- “reigned supreme” at Toro Iron Chef II, which was held on Oct. 29 in the Palm Courtyard of the Loker Student Union. Four teams of student “chefs” competed for the title during the hour-and-15-minute competition, where they were challenged to create dishes with lamb, the main ingredient that was kept a secret until the beginning of the contest.
Robert Hines, chef, Campus Dining Services, who joined the staff at California State University, Dominguez Hills last August, was excited to welcome students to his home turf.
“It’s not everyday you get to work with students like this and do such a fun event,” he said. “They have their ideas, they came prepared and they all seem to be excited about it. [I’ve never] had the chance to do something like this; it’s a welcome change of pace.”
The four teams reflected the diversity of students at CSUDH, bringing the flavors of their collective cultures to the table. “Rock 'B Cinna Rolls” brought music students to the kitchen with Josue Aguilar, Amanda Chavez, Hector Del Pino, II and Kevin Hodge. “Cooking Up Trouble” represented the campus’s History Club, with Stacey Atkins, Ashley Eggleston, Jessica Medrano and Jessica Rivera. The “Vicious Coco Squad” included Joyce Auvele, Samrach Em, Ennisha Kyles and Sonya Tuuao. “Team Caliente” rounded out the competition with Raquel Diaz, Brandon Fuller, Michael Martinez and Carlos Rodriguez.
Auvele, a junior in business and marketing, said that her team chose the name to honor the Samoan heritage that she and Tuuao share and to give them a fighting edge.
“Basically, we wanted to have a name that was intimidating,” she laughed. “[And] it includes that kind of island thing, like coconut.”
The aspiring chefs stocked their work stations with an array of ingredients that reflected many ethnic cuisines: ginger, masa, black beans and pasta. Del Pino, a Cuban native who confessed to watching the Food Network the way that other young men watch sports, said that everyone in his group loves to cook.
“In high school, I was fortunate to get in the kitchen and try some things,” said Del Pino, a junior in digital media arts. “I love pastas, I love Cuban food.”
However, when it comes to the kitchen, it’s a small world after all. Del Pino hinted that one of the team’s offerings was going to be Asian-inspired and indicated his teammate Aguilar was working on another dish: pupusas filled with the secret ingredient.
“It’s a traditional dish from El Salvador,” said Aguilar, “they’re like stuffed tortillas.”
The judges, two of whom are professional chefs, eagerly waited to taste the results of the students’ work. Brunson Achiu, a chef for Sysco Foods, expressed his concern over the difficulty of preparing the secret ingredient.
“The leg of lamb is a tough piece of meat, so they have to find a way to tender it up,” he said. “It’s made for roasting [which] tenderizes the meat. Stir frying and other techniques make it tougher. We’ll see what kind of interesting dishes they come up with. They’re really enthusiastic about doing a good job out here.”
Joining Achiu at the judges’ table were Natasa Christodoulidou, assistant professor of hospitality management; Michael Cruz, executive chef, Home Depot Center; Joy Masha, vice president of operations, Associated Students, Inc. (ASI); Mary Ann Rodriguez, vice president of Administration and Finance and Randy Zarn, associate vice president of Student Affairs.
Toro Iron Chef II was sponsored by the Loker Student Union; Toro Productions; Campus Dining Services; the Multicultural Center; Anza Event Rentals; Republic Master Uniforms; the University Bookstore and Sysco Food Service.
Masha, whose Team Half and Half won the Toro Iron Chef title last fall, enjoyed being on the other side of the range this time.
“I get to enjoy sitting back here watching their frustration,” she laughed. “It’s very exciting... knowing that I’m going to decide who wins tonight.”
The winning team “Rock ‘B Cinna Rolls” came out over first runner-up “Vicious Coco Squad.” Along with their titles, the winners were given their chef’s coats and toques, which were donated by Republic Master Uniforms. In addition, Hines hoped that the experience will inspire some of its participants to a career in the culinary arts.
“I don’t want to say [it will] change their life, but...I guarantee there’s going to be some kids that come out of this that will want to come and work in the kitchen,” he said, “ or at least show some interest [in cooking].”
Hines displayed a curiosity about food when very young, finding a passion for cooking.
“As a young kid, I always used to watch cooking channels,” he remembered. “Whenever we went out to eat, I would always order the most awkward thing on the menu, I was never afraid of anything. [After] I got out of high school, my mom opened the newspaper and there was a full-page ad for the California School of Culinary Arts. She asked me if I would like to go to school to learn how to cook. I said, ‘Yeah,’ and the rest is history.”
History was a recurring theme at Toro Iron Chef II. Among the spectators – many of whom got to sample the chefs’ offerings, was Christopher Monty, assistant professor of history, who came out to cheer his students to victory.
“I’m very proud of my students,” said the advisor to the History Club, as Rivera brought him a plate of “Cooking Up Trouble’s” samples. “Cuisine is a part of the culture of [a] people. Historians have been paying more attention to things like that for the last 50 years because it gives us access to everyday life.”
Other familiar faces from the first Iron Chef contest were alumnus Markus Biegel, who reprised his role as “The Chairman,” the mythical host of the original “Iron Chef” series made in Japan, and Toby Bushee, catering and event manager of Campus Dining, who emceed the evening’s program.
“This is amazing to watch the second Iron Chef competition go,” said Bushee, who established the event on campus last October. “It’s a dream come true.”
- Joanie Harmon
http://www.csudh.edu/univadv/dateline/studentnews/toroironchef.htm
