2008 Woodie Awards
Video related to this article is available below.Issue date: 4/7/08 Section: News
Serving up the competition - Iron Chef style
Penn Law profs showcase skills in coconut-themed culinary battle
Alex Melamed
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That was on the menu last Friday evening when 30 family members, curious Penn undergrads and law students trying to score points with their professors gathered to witness Penn Law professors duke it out in the third-annual Iron Chef competition.
Working in two teams of four - two chefs and two sous chefs - law professors vied for the palates of six judges from the Law School. Law professor Tobias Wolff, who donned a velvet vest to host and narrate the match, tried to mimic the competition's famous namesake.
Chefs had one hour and 15 minutes to prepare a three-course meal - appetizer, entree and dessert-that all contained secret ingredient: coconut.
The culinary artists chose from a variety of coconut products including the not-so-popular coconut soda.
Chefs scrambled back and forth trying to invent delicious sauces, interesting desserts and, most importantly, ways to crack open their coconuts.
Meanwhile, audience members rooted for their favorites, jeered if chefs opened cookbooks and awaited the final product.
Once the allotted time was up, the judging began.
The six judges on the panel earned their spots in an auction held earlier this year, which raised $700 for the Equal Justice Foundation, which provides grants and post-graduate stipends for law students committed to working in the public sector. The competition brought in a record number of donations this year.
In a case of role reversal, students could now put their professors on the spot, critiquing - and praising - their dishes.
And while judges were happy to munch on their well-deserved meals, presentation was also key.
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