In February, three U of T students got a chance to let their foodie flags fly: they took part in the annual Inter-University Student Iron Chef Competition, hosted at U of T for the first time. U of T executive chef James Piggott coached students Felipe Branco, Brettany Colette and Jordan Su in preparation for the high-pressure cook-off against teams from McGill University, University of Ottawa and University of Massachusetts Amherst.
On competition day, each team was given two-and-a-half hours to create an appetizer and a main course, incorporating ingredients that had only been revealed to them the night before. The U of T team’s main dish, an Indian-styled ramen, fell a bit short on flavour, according to the judging panel – but their gravlax (a cured salmon) drew unanimous praise, earning them the best appetizer prize.
Overall, the U of T chefs placed a close second behind UMass Amherst, the defending champions. “I’m very proud of my team,” says Colette. “They’ve taught me a lot, and I’m grateful for the experience.”
Watch: The Iron Chef 2017 finale
Recent Posts
We Need a Green New Deal for Canada
Linking climate action to job creation, living wages and equality reframes the debate as a win-win – though tough political choices remain
The Madam Who Shot the Mountie
How a brothel-keeper in 1880s Edmonton crossed the law – and won
Doing the Devil’s Work
The local bishop called her a heretic. The Criminal Code deemed her work illegal. But Dr. Elizabeth Bagshaw was more concerned with helping women at Canada’s first birth control centre
