What do you get when you agree to judge a "Top Chef"-style showdown between sixteen culinary students? Answer: a whole array of interesting dishes, and a major food coma.
This past Tuesday and Wednesday, I was the guest judge for the students running The Tutored Chef*- a restaurant that is open to the public and operated by culinary students at the Art Institute of Tampa. I was asked to return to my alma mater to assist in judging the class' final practical exams because I won this "competition" two quarters ago, and, of course, I enthusiastically agreed to participate. Can you say: free food? And having the chance to adjudicate my former classmates was a bonus incentive.
The gist of the competition: each student had to complete two courses (an entree with a sauce, a starch and vegetable, and a dessert) from items provided by the instructors. That meant a sixteen course meal both days for us judges. (I was very full, to say the least.) We would then choose one winner for each entree categories, which would then be featured on the restaurant's menu next quarter.
This article appears in Dec 17-23, 2008.