Brewer backed into teaching. She’d gotten a hospitality management undergraduate degree and a consumer science master’s, intending to open her own restaurant. But startup costs can be overwhelming; getting teaching certification was a backup. Today, having a restaurant is still a dream. “But I don’t know if I could ever leave these kids,” she says.
Brewer’s skill and enthusiasm elevated Lanphier’s Family and Consumer Science enrollment. But the supply budget hasn’t kept pace; there’s only $1,000 yearly for 14 classes combined. For the Iron Chef competition, she successfully applied for a grant from the Springfield Public Schools Foundation. Brewer also persuaded MJ Kellner Food Service to donate the (exceptionally good) bacon, and Primo Designs to make and donate winners’ T-shirts.
On Friday, Dec. 9, the first class (third hour) is gearing up for battle. One group is making pasta with bacon, asparagus and parmesan. None of the five-member team had previously eaten asparagus; some had no idea what it was.
The next team prepared woven bacon baskets filled with polenta, topped with egg and cheese, accompanied by a spinach salad. It was a gutsy move: if the “baskets” slid out without breaking the egg yolks or disturbing the bacon weave, the dish would be gorgeous; if not, it would be a total mess. They nailed it.
Perfect crêpes aren’t easily made without practice. My jaw dropped as Jessica Vonachen, looking as if she’d been doing it for years, poured in exactly the right amount of batter, swirled it around to cover the pan’s bottom, then flipped each crêpe up and over. Had she practiced at home? “No,” she replied. “This is the first time I’ve made them.” But Vonachen wasn’t the only one responsible for her team’s dish: other team members prepared the bacon, cheese and mushroom filling, a spinach salad, and the egg-thickened lemon sauce – a Greek avgolemono that’s even trickier to pull off than crêpes.
In each class, one team made burger variations. But they didn’t just do burgers; they also made hand-cut, skin-on French fries, using the classic twice-fried method. Housemade sauces were also prepared; one of the judges said he’d gladly take a bath in one team’s spicy ranch sauce – “We kind of made it up ourselves,” said team leader Emunnee Day. Their vinegar/salt fries were also especially good.
That second class (fifth hour) was the largest – from five to seven on each team. Entries included Chicken and Bacon Quesadillas with Mexican-flavored rice, Fettucini Carbonara (with house-made pasta), and Crispy Bacon-wrapped Chicken with Three-Cheese Risotto and an Arugula/apple salad, as well as the above-mentioned burgers.
As with the third-hour competition, five (different) judges – mostly faculty members – circulated, watching the action and asking questions about what and how they were doing. Then came judgment. After presenting its dish, each team faced the judges. There were well-deserved compliments on their teamwork, and questions about the dish. What was it composed of? How was it made? How did they decide what to make?
And there were compliments on the food itself and requests for recipes. “That Mexican rice – could I have the recipe so my wife could make it? Or maybe you could come over and make it for us?” asked Rambach.
The last class (seventh hour) included student-made cheese ravioli dressed with bacon and onions, topped with beautifully crisped bacon spirals; Louisville Hot Brown Sandwiches (close cousins to Springfield horseshoes); pasta dressed with an oil-based shrimp/bacon condiment, accompanied by garlic knots – bacon-infused dough twists brushed with garlic butter; and brined, baconwrapped pork chops drizzled with housemade caramel atop caramelized apples, accompanied by a warm potato “salad.”
Judging was based on teamwork (10 points), creative use of the “secret” ingredient (20 points) and taste and execution (20 points). An award is also given for best kitchen sanitation.
I sometimes get annoyed when student competitions are so touchy-feely that everyone gets a prize, even if their participation has been halfhearted and lazy. But after spending two days with Lanphier’s Iron Chef students, I think they should all get medals. Sure, mistakes were made, and some dishes were better than others. But each was good, more than edible. In fact, every recipe requested by the judges was for preparations that didn’t win. Every single student participated and was fully engaged, from those with no previous cooking experience to some who cook at home daily. I was impressed by them all, and in awe of Brewer, who made it happen.
Contact Julianne Glatz at realcuisine.jg@gmail.com.
