Cooking Challenge

Have you watched Iron Chef? Chopped? This week we got a taste of it with our own Daines Family cooking challenge. We had two rounds, six teams, one hour to cook, a basket of required ingredients, and a garage full of pantry items. Judging was based on taste, creativity, use of the ingredients and presentation.

Baskets in Round 1 contained a protein (different for each group), daikon...yes, we hadn't heard of it either, Reeses Pieces, and Greek yogurt. Competitors in Round 1:

Team Cupcake: Emily, Mindy, and Nate

Kaylee and Emily Shea

Team: That's us

Round 2 consisted of Josh Gill, Jake, and Dad; David and Malerie; Brian, Dawn Anne, and Amy Gill. Unfortunately I don't have pics. of Round 2 because the photographer was in Round 2.

The winning dish was a grilled lamb shank, seasoned with cilantro, garlic, and red curry paste, served with bell peppers, rice, and asparagus and covered in a red curry sauce. Plated with the main entre included a tempura of sweet potatoes and daikon dipped in a tasty Greek yogurt tempura sauce. And let's not forget the salad with a peanut sauce, sprinkled with Reeses Pieces and chocolate syrup, which David nicknamed "The kid who went to the salad bar and stopped at the dessert bar."

We had a fun afternoon and evening of cooking, rushing, tasting, and judging and Bryce and I are proud to hold the title of Cooking Champions at least for the next year.