Librium Arcana Iron Chef!

[Dark Silver]

The lights slowly raise up, revealing a enormous stadium split in half by a black line, on each side is a massive, fully equipped kitchen area, done in elegant stainless steel and marble - all the latest in cooking implements are available to those working within the areas


-walks out dressed in appropriately fancy Steam-Punk Victorian garb to the sound of applause-

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Kitchen Stadium. I am your host...Chairman Steele. I have worked long and hard to bring the scene before you to life - the Kitchen Stadium.

We have gathered here, in part by today's challenge, but mostly by our hunger and curiosity.

The Challenge was issued by B4UTRUST onto Jason Firewalker, to prove their culinary metal in a contest of utmost honor.

I will allow both men to say a few words about themselves, and what has brought them to this, their great day, and the challenge set before them.

Once they have finished, I will reveal their Secret Ingredient - the item which must be in all their recipes - and those recipes will be judged by our esteem Panel.

The Winner will then be crowned as Librium Arcana's 75% Iron Chef!

The lights fade out on Chairman Steele, and light up over Jason Firewalker and B4UTRUST.

[Jason_Firewalker]

Thank you very much Chairman Steele. I humbly also thank our judges and ask that they indulge a long winded sentiment.

I ,Chef Firewalker, have been a culinary aficionado since I was first able to put a sentence together fully. I have eaten at several world famous establishments including The French Laundry (which I worked for briefly as an assistant to the Saucee), Nobu in NYC, Cheecha Lodge in the Keys (and I now study to be a professional chef under their former Executive Sous Chef, Michael Scott), Opus in Littleton CO, Cyrus in Healdsburg CA, Providence in LA (where i briefly assisted head pastry chef at the time Lynn Baglieria), and some of the best restaurants across Japan and France. I have been a home chef for nearly 20 years, having made my first 3 course meal for my entire family at age 10.

My style of food is Neo-Euro/Asian Fusion with a Farm to Table approach. I use local ingredients as much as possible. I am an avid lover of farmers markets, obsessively going to get the freshest ingredients possible and also have stock in local farms livestock so that when they do slaughter it, I get at least part of it. I have been considering a career in Culinary Arts for as long as I can remember.

Thank you all. It is an honor to compete against this worthy opponent.

*Bows head at B4UTRUST*

Thank you again Chairman Steele.

*Bows head to the Chairman*

And Honored Judges

*Bows head to Judges*

[B4UTRUST]

I am Chef B4UTRUST. I am here today to prove that one need not work at fancy restaurants or hold degrees of culinary arts to be a great chef. I prefer not to label my food as a style or cultural cuisine as I borrow from many. I have traveled all over this world and sampled the foods from every country I have visited. I have spent over 20 years learning my art and have many times bested professionals at their own specialties. I strive for excellence in flavor and a uniqueness in my creations that cannot be taught but must be born from the heart and mind and soul of the cook. As the animated rat has taught us; anyone can cook. But not everyone has the desire or the passion to do it well. These are things I do not believe can be taught, that one must have them inside themselves already.

*bows to Firewalker*
May the best chef win.
*Bows to The Chairman and judges*
I am honored for this opportunity.

[Dark Silver]

The lights rise again on the chairman, standing on a raised some five feet before the Chefs. on the table is a metal dome with a handle on the top.

"In honor of the uniqueness of this challenge, and the nature of the event....I have thought long and hard on what the secret ingredient could be. I contemplated this long and hard, and eventually could not narrow it down to just ONE.

Thus, today's inaugural Contest will have not one, but TWO Secret Ingredients - which should work to the respective chef's diverse backgrounds, but which with others may try these recipes on their own.

places his hand ontop of the dome, before it levitates off the table, revealing the secret Ingrediants.

CHOCOLATE and CHICKEN!

Each chef will come up with FIVE recipies involving these items, points will be given for originality, extra points if you show pictures of preperation or the finished product!

This contest will run for 1 week. At the end of the week, a panel of secret judges (who will become not so secret then), will vote and we will crown the first Librium Arcana 75% Iron Chef!

[Limepink]

Oh god that is gross and wrong and Im offended on behalf of chocolatey goodness.

Gack gack gack gack.


Papaya woulda been better....

[Cynical Cat]

Oh god that is gross and wrong and Im offended on behalf of chocolatey goodness.

Gack gack gack gack.


Papaya woulda been better....

Two words: chocolate molae

[Dark Silver]

The Rules:

Each Chef comes up with a total of 5 Recipes, involving the Secret Ingredient(s).

You do NOT have to use both secret ingredients in all the dishes, but each ingredient must be used a in a minimum of 2 dishes.

All recipes should be re-creatable in the home kitchen. Bonus points if the Chef provides images of themselves preparing said dishes.

[B4UTRUST]

Who's home kitchen? Mine or Frigid's? Meaning well stocked kitchen with gadgets, pots, pans and utensils galore or average guy who doesn't do a huge amount of cooking and might only have one or two pots or pans to work with?

[frigidmagi]

Hey! I got 3 or 4 pots to work with!

[Dark Silver]

The bog standard suburban kitchen, not one kited out with all the fancy professional grade doodads you got.

In this case, my kitchen.

[Jason_Firewalker]

for informations sake as i have never been in your kitchen... what do you have? be explicitly detailed please

[Dark Silver]

.....seriously?

It's just a average, standard apartment kitchen, 4 burner range, assortment of knives, oven, sink, blender, full set of pots and pans etc etc.

[Jason_Firewalker]

Ok, you have to understand, my kitchen is gadget filled. I have 2 stand mixers, I have a 4 burner gas stove, 2 ovens, a home rigged smoker, a home rigged thermal recirculator, a small deep fat fryer.... the list goes on... I generally need to know what items I can and cannot use that I have in my kitchen or how I can replicate the effects.

[Limepink]

I think my kitchen when I moved to FL would have made you cry. It frustrated me and I'm no foodie. Left near everything in NY except 2 coffee mug, 4 glasses,a set of cutlery, but missing 6 spoons- thats another story though- 4 plates, a set of knives, a frying pan, a sauce pan, and a coffee machine.

I eventually broke down and got a cutting board, soup pot, blender and a set of baking dishes lol.

Apparently I cant make toast on a frying pan, but I can make grilled cheese in a hotel on a radiator with a clothes iron... go figure.

[Jason_Firewalker]

The first dish I present will be a classic of mine, a Middle Eastern style of chicken. Pictures to be added as soon as I can get a copy of my 35mm over to my computer via RiteAid CD creation

Ingredients (Marinade):
10 oz Unflavored Yogurt
2 oz grated onion
2/3 teaspoon crushed garlic
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1/3 teaspoon of ground cardamon
Mace To Taste (a dab will do ya)
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/3 teaspoon black pepper (ground)
1 teaspoon salt


Ingredients (Other):
4 chicken breasts, preferred boneless skinless

Procedure:
Mix marinade together with a whisk and let chicken sit in it for approx. 3 to 6 hours in sealed container. After removing chicken from marinade grill the chicken (skillet with a little bit of rice bran oil works great), brushing the chicken at least 2 times with marinade during the cooking process. Plate and serve. I usually serve mine over a nice bed of cous cous.

[Dark Silver]

For this excercise and contest, assume anything you have in your home kitchen is fair game.

Admittedly, the home-smoker is extravagant...but there ya go.

[Jason_Firewalker]

Yes I am going there before you B4!

Special Gear: Mortar and pestle or decent food processor or coffee grinder you dont want to EVER use for coffee again (used for grinding to powder the ancho, the sesame and the almonds)

Ingredients: (sauce)
15 ancho chilli (capped and seeded and ground to powder)
1.75 oz sesame seed (ground to powder)
4 oz almonds (ground to powder)
6 oz (weight) of rendered chicken fat (just ask the meat counter guy at safeway, most have it, if not then its not too hard usually to find a place that will have it, otherwise replace with lard)
1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 teaspoon ground cloves
8 oz tortilla chips
8 oz tomato (fresh preferred but canned.... works... barely...)
4 cloves garlic (chopped)
2.5 oz Bittersweet chocolate, best brand you can buy, grated or shredded or chopped
Chicken Stock as needed (usually only 2 to 4 fl oz required if at all)

Ingredients (filling):
3 to 4 POUNDS chicken breasts
1 onion chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
2 cloves garlic
8 black peppercorns
1/2 oz Salt
Water: as needed
3 large tortilla


Steps: (sauce)
1: Combine the powdered sesame seed and almonds together with the cinnamon, clove, tortilla chips and pepper. Put in blender.
2: Peel the tomatoes first if they are fresh, but if canned just proceed. The tomatoes and the garlic also enter the blender. Blend till a smooth puree. (note if too thick, add some chicken stock slowly).
3: Heat the fat in sauce pot. When melted to nice thin consistency add the chillies and continue cooking for 1/2 minute. Dont BURN!!! BE FREAKING CAREFUL HERE!!!!
4: Add the Puree from the blender carefully. Cook for 5 min stirring entire time. A stiff whisk is a good idea but a large metal spoon will do. This mixture will be viscous.
5: Add chocolate and stir till completely blended in.
6: Let sit for at least 6 hours, to no more then 2 days, in a refrigerated environment.

Steps: (Post sauce production)
1: Put the chicken, the onion, the carrot, the peppercorns and the garlic into a large pot, fill with water till solid product is immersed.
2: SIMMER on low heat till chix is tender.
3: Remove chix and set aside for short time (keep covered)
4: Strain the broth from the pot, measure out approx 2 to 4 pints of the broth and stir it into the sauce from before, simmering slow for 30 to 45 min, until you consider the flavors having blended well, I like it around 35 min. The mixture must be about the viscosity of ketchup.
5: Add the chix into the sauce and simmer till hot.

Service:
1: Remove chicken from sauce, and slice or shred as you may choose.
2: Place chicken on plate and pour sauce over chicken. Place folded tortillas (fold them in half 2 times, trying not to let them rip) around the edge of serving platter.
3: CONSUME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[B4UTRUST]

Special equipment: Grill

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken breasts, in halves
  Salt and pepper
  2 c. barbecue sauce
  1/2 c. chopped onion
  2 tbsp. butter
  1 green chili pepper
  1 c. tomato-vegetable juice
  1 (15 1/2 oz.) can chili con carne
  1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
  1 tsp. beau monde seasoning
  1 tsp. chocolate or cocoa
  1/2 lb. shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Wash chicken; dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; cover with barbecue sauce and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Place chicken pieces on foil on grill. Let brown about 15 minutes per side, turning once and basting occasionally.

Saute chopped onion in butter until transparent. Wash and seed chili pepper; cut into long strips and add to onion. Let simmer a few minutes. Add vegetable juice, chili con carne, chili powder, beau monde, and chocolate. Simmer over low heat for a few more minutes. Add additional vegetable juice if sauce seems too thick.

Place browned chicken in a 12 x 6 inch boat made of double thickness foil. Spoon chili mixture over chicken and top with shredded cheese. Pull foil up to cover chicken loosely, but not touching the cheese. Place on grill for 30 to 40 minutes. Makes 4 servings.

[Jason_Firewalker]

1 pint tomato juice
2/3 cup vodka
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tablespoon crushed garlic
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish (pref with white wine vinegar)
4 tablespoons olive oil (cheap, not the good EVO)
1 pound chicken breast (bone in skin on)


Steps:
Mix all the ingredients (minus chicken) in 1 gallon ziploc. Add chicken. Sit for 6 to 12 hours in fridge.

Bring your skillet to high heat. Remove chicken from bag and pan sear both side, then lower heat to medium low and cook till done. The fat/skin should be rendered thoroughly and crisped. Remove chicken from heat and let sit for 2 to 4 min in a small "house" made of tinfoil. Serve.

[frigidmagi]

So Huh... Who won?

[Dark Silver]

B4 only gave us one recipe....

so um...if we go by volume...Firewalker won...

[B4UTRUST]

I got too busy with work to properly prep and participate the way I wanted to. But I will concede the battle as I was unable to complete the requisite recipes. When and if time ever allows I'd do it again, but I will concede for now that Firewalker has won by superior numbers as it were.

[Jason_Firewalker]

I say we need a vote. One on one... Molae vs Molae. My post from Thu May 20, 2010 4:30 am versus Scotty's from Thu May 20, 2010 5:25 pm