By Eriqua McGhee, Contributing Writer
The atmosphere was tense as the coordinator revealed the mystery ingredient: pork tenderloins.
Teams of students were pitted against one another in the third annual Battle of the Students Cook-Off. Students in the event could be in pairs or come as a single participant. Two of the five teams present were females
and the rest, males. The students had to make a dish that contained the mystery ingredient and present it to all four judges.
The challenge was particularly difficult for the contestants due to one of the
judges being vegetarian. Teams had to create a similar vegetarian version of the dish that carried the same taste and quality. When the timer started, the team ran to the Fresh Market area to collect the vegetables needed for their dishes.
The dining area was full of delicious aromas, and it was hard to tell what the contestants were creating. In the middle of the CookOff, the MC of the
night gave the judges the opportunity to walk around and ask the teams about their dish. Ms. Plecenik, Vice President of Business Affairs was pleased to see Team Aaron create a vegetarian-based dish with a pork twist on it: stuffed tomatoes. The contestants did their best to meet all the requirements to win the judges over.
The hour went by very quickly and one team, Team Dextonia, presented their dish before the hours end. The team presented a dish from her native
land, Peru. It had rice, pork, and vegetables in it, and for the vegetarians, the cheese replaced the meat. The judges seemed impressed with Team
Dextonia’s dedication and presentation. Then the next team, Team David, served a pork linguini dish with potatoes and vegetables. The heartiness of his meal gave the judges a taste of pure Italy with an American twist. Team Katie was the third group to present, and they made mandarin pork with stir-fry. The judges were in awe by the simplicity of the food’s presentation.
Team Aaron created stuffed tomatoes with cheesy bread at the last minute of the hour. The delicate taste and originality gave the judges an elegant vibe to the dish. Team Dakota served a classic fried pork with mustard sauce, mashed potatoes with homemade gravy, and fresh garden vegetables. The judges loved his approach to a classic dish and quickly began to score it.
When scores were called, everyone held their breath. Team Dextonia and Team Katie tied for second runner up and Team Aaron swept up first runner up. The new Champion was none other than Team Dakota. He won a trophy, a grill, beach accessories, and bragging rights. He was very happy with being the winner of the Student Off. He hopes one day he will open his own restaurant, and he wants to keep his passion food alive
