Iron Chef Competition Comes to Caltech

The Iron Chef competition highlights Asian-Pacific Heritage Week at Caltech, from May 19 to 23.

Four teams of amateur Iron Chefs, consisting of Caltech undergraduates, graduate students, alumni, and staff, will compete for the coveted "Iron Chef" title. To qualify as a chef, no prerequisite is required–just a passion for cooking.

Each team, using an array of ingredients including one required "secret ingredient," has only 40 minutes to prepare its culinary entry.

Eight judges, also selected from students, staff, and alumni, will score each team's entry based on the following five criteria: taste–40 percent; use of the secret ingredient–25 percent; appearance and presentation–15 percent; aroma–10 percent; and creativity–10 percent.

A "Best Overall" winner will be chosen, and a "Most Creative" winner will be named. Last year's defending-champion team, which won with a cucumber soup, will compete in this year's event–and plans to claim the title again.

The public is welcome to attend this fast and furious competition, and will even get to taste the dishes at the end of the competition.

Other Asian-Pacific Heritage Week events include: Monday–Chinese calligraphy class and demonstration; Wednesday—UCLA Korean cultural dance performance and Korean food; Thursday–Hawaiian Hula workshop and Hawaiian food; Friday– traditional Chinese dance performance; and Friday night–Odissi dance performance based on classical dance from the ancient temples of eastern India.

For complete information on Asian-Pacific Heritage Week and the Iron Chef competition, visit http://www.its.caltech.edu/~apsu.

Contact: Deborah Williams-Hedges (626) 395-3227 [email protected]

Visit the Caltech Media Relations Web site at: http://pr.caltech.edu/media

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