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Feb. 19, 2004
By JOHN CHARLES ROBBINS
Staff writer
ALLENDALE -- University chefs armed with knives, butter and a garden of vegetables faced off Wednesday in a heated
competition at Grand Valley State University.
In the spirit of the Food Network's popular "Iron Chef" TV show, teams of chefs went stove-to-stove in a
frenzied hour of cooking.
The Chef's Challenge was held at the Fresh Food Company, located in The Commons on GVSU's campus here.
Grand Valley's team, led by Executive Chef Ryan Jones, smoked the competition, capturing the top score in all four
courses.
And team GVSU took home the big enchilada -- best overall team trophy.
GVSU earned 272 points. Saginaw Valley State University came in second place with 237 points. And Central Michigan
University claimed 202 points.
The event was modeled after "Iron Chef," with teams working side-by-side in a high-pressure atmosphere to
produce four menu items in one hour.
Each team was charged with creating five servings, plus one presentation plate, of an appetizer, soup, salad, and
entre.
An added twist to the food fun: All teams were required to incorporate a mystery ingredient into each dish, that was
revealed only moments before the contest began.
The item: Portabello mushrooms.
With a digital clock borrowed from the athletic department, the kitchen was turned into a mash of chefs running, shouting,
frantically searching for mixing bowls and plates.
There was more activity in the kitchen than the pits at any NASCAR race.
The front of the endless counter was crowded with large metal baskets spilling over with fresh onions, carrots, green
peppers, celery, sprouts and potatoes.
At the half-way point, GVSU's Emil Rousseau of Muskegon lit a fire under his teammates.
"Pick it up a notch let's go," he said supportively.
Tiny clouds of steam rose from all corners of the kitchen, and rushing chefs carried heavy plates and pans up high
as they tried not to bump into each other.
During a rare lull in the culinary contest, Edwardo Fuentes of team GVSU eyeballed the crowd and called out, "It's
awful quiet over there. Come on make some noise!"
Which drew an immediate and loud response from the dozens of students and others watching the chefs carve and cook.
A small group began chanting in support of the home team, "G-V-S-U, G-V-S-U!"
A trace of perspiration on his face, Rousseau brandished a butcher knife and carefully dissected stalks of celery
like a surgeon.
Rousseau grabbed hold of a carrot the size of a small baseball bat and reduced it to tiny diced pieces in less than
a minute.
At 16 minutes and counting, the GVSU chefs were already clearing off the counter to make room for dishing out the
goods and making the final presentation tweaks.
Jimmy Forrest of Grand Rapids, on team GVSU, gathered up two huge metal baskets still heavy with vegetables in each
arm and scooted to the back of the kitchen.
The crowd, encouraged by two amplified and boisterous commentators, counted down the remaining 15 seconds.
At zero the crowd erupted in shouts and applause. Fuentes took two steps backward, pumped both arms above his head
and hollered along with everyone else.
And then he smiled.
Team GVSU's main offering was Rice Timble with seared Portabello mushrooms and warm Asian slaw.
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