Kitchen Stadium
Last Tuesday, a group of American students waged their deft culinary prowess against one another in a mock ‘Iron Chef’ competition, utilising a small budget and their own kitchen facilities in UniLodge and Swinburne Residences.
The students were given almost 90-minutes to concoct at least one entrée that had to make appropriate use of the secret ingredient: kangaroo fillet. For some students, it was their first time even seeing kangaroo meat. Despite this, the results were spectacular.
Eight teams of two to eight students each produced distinct appetisers and entrées, and sometimes even dessert, that all made use of kangaroo meat in some way. One team, self-dubbed the Red Hot Chili Peppers, opened up a three-course meal with cheesy bruschetta with slices of grilled kangaroo, tomatoes and herbs. The A-Team took the comfort food path, with kangaroo pasta and savoury kangaroo pizza. The team that took the third place prize, the Mighty Munchers, wrapped kangaroo in pan-seared bacon and put it on top of creamy mashed potatoes.
The winning team, 607+2, stimulated every part of the judges’ palates with a harmonious array of meat, starch and vegetables. Then came the dessert, with the same inspired creativity one would expect from an actual Iron Chef. Strawberries carefully hollowed out and arranged and drizzled with both white and dark chocolate sauce. The marsupial twist? A dash of homemade kangaroo gravy in the chocolate to add a slight touch of saltiness to the sweet fruit and chocolate. Eat your heart out, Iron Chef.
The students who participated in this competition are part of a much larger group of about 116 students from Northeastern University in America. It is a unique program called ‘NUin’, where students spend their very first semesters of college studying abroad. In January, they will return to Northeastern in Boston to resume their studies. The Site Director of the students, Susan Atkins, was also a judge for the competition.
The first, second, and third place teams all won gift cards to Starbucks. Sonia Chan, another judge and Regional Team Leader for Swinburne International, hopes to see a potluck in the near future. That way, everyone can exchange some of the recipes that may have inspired the performances on Tuesday night. In any case, keep an eye out for your American neighbours around campus. You might do yourself a favour if you can arrange a dinner party.
In the words of the flamboyant Iron Chef host, Takeshi Kaga, Allez Cuisine!
-Written by International Student Advisor, Owen Ladd.
1 note
swinburne posted this