Third Annual Iron Chef Serves Up Competition, Sharing of Culinary Traditions

“Iron Chef III” returns to the California State University, Dominguez Hills campus this month on Oct. 29, from 6-9 p.m. in the Palm Courtyard of the Loker Student Union (LSU). The annual competition, which is modeled after the Food Network program “Iron Chef,” gives students the opportunity to show off their kitchen skills and compete for the title by inventing dishes on-the-spot with the evening’s “secret ingredient.”

“Students take pride in what they do and in this case, they want to showcase their [cooking] talents and or their culture through food,” says Carole Desgroppes, senior coordinator of Programs, Marketing and Assessment, LSU. “It is always exciting to plan an event of this magnitude and see how the students can’t wait for the event to happen.”

Four teams are anticipating the challenge including Team Blend: Emnet Amari, Lakesha Harris, Alexander Jones, and Sherice Norris; Team Tasty Dish: Suong Ly, Kim Nguyen, Lan Nguyen, and Luan Phan; Team Hot Tamales: Khaleah Bradshaw, Daphne Brooks, Tashiana Bryant, and ASI President Joy Masha; and an unnamed team formed by Mayra Aguilera, Cheyenne Francis, Abby Hamdam, and Angelica Jimenez.

Richard Chester, director of Campus Dining Services, says that the event’s popularity with its participants is due to the fact that “No particular skills [are needed] other than the love of food.”

“Often our competitors involve their family members and special recipes from home,” he notes. “It is great to see how they combine cultural backgrounds, which is expressed a lot through the foods [they] eat. The sense of competition drives the event, but the showcase and stage presence makes it more exciting.”

Desgroppes and Kim Clark, executive director, LSU, will present “How to Implement an Iron Chef Competition on Campus” regional conference of the Association of College Unions International next month at CSU San Bernardino. Desgroppes says that they are hoping to establish a CSU-wide competition and have invited representatives from the CSU, student unions and the Food Network to attend next week’s event in order to showcase the event at CSU Dominguez Hills.

“Iron Chef III” is sponsored by Campus Dining Services, the LSU, Toro Productions, the University Bookstore, Follett Higher Education Group, Sysco Foods, Republic Master Chefs, and Anza Rentals.

For more information on “Iron Chef III,” contact Desgroppes at (310) 243-3854 or cdesgroppes@csudh.edu; or Chester at (310) 243-2814.

- Joanie Harmon