Iron Chef: Will they make the cut?

by Destiny Herrmann

November 8 was full of stress, competition, and excitement. Mary Schoedel’s Introduction to FACS classes spent weeks preparing for this day: the Iron Chef Competition.

Every year, Schoedel picks a unique, secret ingredient for each class that must be used to create five dishes. Senior Chloe Stahl, former Iron Chef participant, enjoyed the challenge presented by the secret ingredient: “Competing in Iron Chef gives you the opportunity to experiment with ingredients you would never use otherwise and create delicious new dishes!”

This year, Schoedel has two intro to FACS classes, and the two respective ingredients were coffee and lemon. The teams were assigned by Schoedel, and then the preparation began! Each group needed to find their recipes and make a shopping list. Schoedel then took a trip to Walmart for all the supplies -- her least favorite part of the whole process.

In contrast, Schoedel’s favorite part of this process is the “stress of the competition day.” With only 45 minutes to complete the whole menu, everything must be in place ahead of time. In the past, she’s had students show up as early as 6 in the morning to start! The dedication of her students is another one of Schoedel's favorite parts: “I love seeing how much pride kids put into this.”

A panel of judges -- other teachers or administration -- scored the students on taste, presentation, and creativity. Judge Elisabeth Quinn reflected on her experience: “I was very excited to judge this year, seeing as the secret ingredient was lemon. I was impressed with the creativity and execution of the dishes provided: lemon creme brulee was my favorite dish!”  

Through this whole process, Schoedel enjoys seeing her students work together on teams, learn time management, take risks, and challenge themselves. Clearly, this contest teaches beginner chefs so much more than just how to cook!