[October 14, 2010]
 A team of culinary arts students from the Ben Barber Career Tech Academy will compete in the first-ever Iron Chef: North Texas on Saturday, October 16, 2010 at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Dallas.
Iron Chef: North Texas is being hosted and coordinated by the Duncanville ISD in partnership Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts.
“We wanted to give students a fun start to their culinary competition season,” said Event Coordinator and Duncanville ISD Communications Specialist Tiffany Graber. “We also wanted to get their names in front of future educators or employers.”
The Iron Chef: North Texas competition will feature culinary teams from six high schools as they face-off to see whose “cuisine reigns supreme” among restaurateurs, chefs, and other influential members of the Dallas/Fort Worth community. The following are the participating schools and their districts:
- Emmett J Conrad High School (Dallas ISD)
- Duncanville High School (Duncanville ISD)
- Jack E Singley Academy (Irving ISD)
- Ben Barber Career Tech Academy (Mansfield ISD)
- Plano East High School (Plano ISD)
- Rockwall High School (Rockwall ISD)
Iron Chef: North Texas was inspired by the popular Iron Chef: America. The Food Network show features chefs from around the country as they challenge one of the resident Iron Chefs to a culinary cook-off. A panel of judges then decides who wins by rating their plates on presentation, originality, and taste. Iron Chef: North Texas will follow that same basic structure:
- A team from each high school will be responsible for cooking three dishes within an hour-and-forty-five minute time limit;
- in addition, these dishes must all contain a secret ingredient that will be revealed the day of the competition.
The battle begins at 9:00 am on Saturday, October 16 at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Dallas. The winning team/school will receive the title of Iron Chef: North Texas and a chance to defend this title at next year’s competition.
On Iron Chef: America, the panel of judges is comprised of culinary and community greats, and is just as important as the food that is being presented. The same is true for Iron Chef: North Texas. The panel of judges consists of chef/restaurant owners in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, as well as educators in several culinary institutes.
“As a chef and educator I am very excited and very proud to see the students stepping up to the plate and participating in the Iron Chef: North Texas competition,” said Head Judge and Director of Continuing Education at the Milestone Culinary Arts Center Andre Bedouret. “It is a tremendous opportunity for them to practice team work and the sharing of unforeseen challenges as a group. I am looking forward to a fierce and spirited competition.” |
