The Epic SLU Food Fight

By Britney Fiandra

Billiken Background

On the chilly night of Friday, November 18^th tucked away in the hilly, woody terrain of Wildwood, Missouri there was a cooking competition worthy of Food Network fame occurring among 13 inventive Saint Louis University students. The 13 students are members of The Billiken Teacher Corps, whom are individuals completing graduate coursework while simultaneously working as volunteer teachers in Catholic schools around the St. Louis metro area. As part of an organized weekend retreat, Friday was designated as a food-focused day. 

Culinary Battle Begins

The morning began with the group splitting up into teams of four to participate in a food scavenger hunt at Soulard Market. Teams were presented with the task to retrieve the list of produce and pantry staples to be used for the cooking competition. As darkness fell, a Chef host arrived to the Wildwood retreat location to begin the culinary fun. With the four groups gathered around the main kitchen table, the Chef announced the competition would be to create an innovative, tasty pasta entrée. The rules were to utilize at least two vegetables and one fresh herb. A series of games were set up in order to disperse ingredients in an organized fashion. To begin with, the groups were faced with the challenge of identifying herbs and spices using their sense of touch, taste, and smell. Equipped with paper and pens, the groups recorded their best guesses for the five herbs and spices including basil, oregano, parsley, dill, and cayenne. The winner of the first round had priority selection on pasta shape and a selection of meat. Next, the groups were faced with a blind taste test with the challenge listing five ingredients in a spinach-kale dip. Winners of this competition had priority in selecting which cheese to use with options ranging from smoked gouda, ricotta, parmesan, and brie. Finally, small trivia questions were asked to determine group order for produce selection. Armed with an arsenal of pasta, cheese, meat, and fresh produce, the student teachers began flexing their competitive chef muscles, eager to create culinary masterpieces. 

  

The Heat Rises

With the ring of the bell, the groups sprinted around the kitchen to gather cooking equipment and tools. Sights around the culinary arena included whisks whipping, wooden spoons twirling, and chef knifes rocking along wooden cutting boards. Sounds included sauté pans sizzling, sheet pans clanging, and pasta water splashing. Aromas included smells of garlic roasting, onions caramelizing, beef sautéing, and herbaceous sauces reducing. After 90 minutes of the heated pasta battle, all cook soldiers made it out of the battlefield injury free, minus one reported trivial burn incident. 

Delicious Demise

By the end of the showdown, all groups presented with pasta entrees certain to be Gordan Ramsey approved. Provided with such noteworthy culinary creations from each group, selecting a winning team was a challenging task. Overall, one team shined brighter than the rest with their tenderly cooked penne pasta, dowsed in a succulent brie sauce, sprinkled with a colorful medley of bell peppers, tomatoes, and spinach, scented with flavorful notes of fresh basil and sautéed garlic. This team, with the title “The Last Souper”, earned the first place bragging rights accompanied with a satisfying bottle of red wine as a prize. 

Carbohydrate Loaded Conclusions

By the end of the competition, the group of confident teachers had their own dose of reality of feeling what it’s like to be an apprehensive student with a blank slate. Thrown out of their comfort zone based on a traditional classroom environment and into the fire filled kitchen, the group demonstrated superior team work through collaboration and execution of the final entrees. All in all, this culinary adventure acted as a bridge to help all of The Billiken Teacher Corps members bond and develop professionally in the most delicious manner. 

Wheat Winners of Wine