Schalmont students see whose cuisine is supreme
Jordan Vanosky, left, and Dominic Toma, members of Schalmont Middle School Chefs Club,work on linguini with broccoli during the "Iron Chef" competition on Tuesday afternoon at the school.
ROTTERDAM — Corin Noga winced and Lauren Chrysler immediately dipped a fork into the remaining bowl of the duo’s pasta concoction as their competitors began describing their dish to the panel judges.
They had prepared similar dishes in some respects; both had cooked linguine with broccoli and both had liberally seasoned their recipes with fresh garlic, the main ingredient of choice for Schalmont Middle School’s version of “Iron Chef.” But as eighth-grade classmates Dominic Toma and Jordan Vanosky finished their description, Corin and Lauren immediately realized that they had forgotten an ingredient in their haste to finish in time.
“The lemon adds a zing, and the Parmesan cheese complements the whole dish,” Dominic said proudly — and to the sudden chagrin of his competitors.
The Parmesan cheese, mumbled Corin after sampling a bite. They had forgotten to add the Parmesan cheese.
These things sometimes happen when the clock is ticking closer to deadline, they explained, especially since none of nine students on the four teams competing at Schalmont’s “kitchen stadium” — Diane Babin’s classroom — were accustomed to pushing out full meals in less than 30 minutes.
“It’s definitely a challenge,” said Lauren as she mopped errant bits of broccoli from her station.
Babin, the middle school’s home and careers teacher, proposed the competition as a way for the Chefs Club’s students to put their culinary skill and creativity to work. All of the teens had taken nutrition and food preparation the previous year, so she figured they might enjoy an opportunity to mimic a slice of pop culture during the club’s after-school meeting Tuesday.
“They loved the idea and decided to run with it,” she said.
And they weren’t the only ones. As the potent aroma of garlic wafted down the middle school hallways, a slow procession of curious teachers and students filed into the room to investigate.
Some of the students were well aware of the time constraints and patterned their recipes accordingly. Skylark Wood’s team chose a dish called rustica, a noodle, garlic and olive recipe that suggested a cook time of 15 minutes.
“We looked for the shortest amount of time,” she said.
Brianna Tote and Alexandra Harvey turned to the Internet for recipe ideas. They selected tortellini with fresh vegetables, which they prepared several times in advance of the competition with the hope of achieving perfection the final time.
“It might have been a little bit peppery,” Alexandra confessed, “but it’s pretty good.”
Others decided to rely on dishes they were accustomed to eating at home. Jordan and Dominic whipped up a dish using sun-dried tomatoes, pepperoncini, fresh broccoli and, of course, a heaping helping of garlic.
“I cook with my dad all the time,” said Jordan, noting that their dish was one his father frequently prepares.
Jordan’s home cooking advantage showed at the judge’s table. The panel of three Schalmont teachers agreed it was the best, even though the others were close.
“Might we add they were all A-plus dishes,” said John George, an English teacher at the middle school. “They were all really close.”