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Iron Chef Competition Returns to Millersville

Five teams of Millersville students will go head-to-head in a cook-off on Tuesday, Nov. 19.

Millersville students prepare for the cook-off

In mid-November, five teams of Millersville students will trade their pens and pencils for forks and knives, going head-to-head in a cook-off to determine who will be named Iron Chef of Millersville.

The annual Iron Chef competition, sponsored by the Center for Health Education & Promotion (CHEP) and supported by dining services, will be held in Lehr Dining Room at Gordinier Hall on Tuesday, Nov. 19.

As a member of the National Association of Colleges & University Food Services (NACUFS), Millersville Dining Services came together with CHEP, formerly known as the Wellness and Women’s Center, to design the Iron Chef competition based on the NACUFS Culinary Challenge. As the Mid-Atlantic region president of NACUFS, Millersville’s Executive Chef Louis Logan plays an integral part in the design, preparation and execution of the annual competition. Each year, Chef Logan enjoys watching the number of spectators increase along with the competitive spirit. According to Logan, one of his favorite aspects of the competition is “seeing the intensity of the competitors and their determination to win.”

The competition is open to as many as five teams, each consisting of between three and four members. After dining services selects a protein for the teams to work with, each team selects from a wide variety of ingredients provided by dining services for the event. Teams have 50 minutes to cook their dish, 10 minutes to plate it and five to clean and sanitize their area.

Each dish is judged on appearance, taste, organization and technique, and a winner is declared. Magenta Hensinger, a competitor in last year’s competition, wouldn’t hesitate to do it all again. She said, “I felt it was a great experience to have with my friends. It was a lot of fun planning for the meals beforehand and watching them come to life.”

Students who are not participating in the competition are encouraged to attend the event as spectators. “It is amazing watching different techniques and personalities come together to create a specific goal,” Millersville student Ben Smith said. “I am not a cook and can barely make a grilled cheese myself, but I still hold a deep appreciation for these outstanding young student- chefs-to-be.”

For more information on the Iron Chef competition, contact Jayme Trogus at Jayme.Trogus@millersville.edu.

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