The Brunch Edition of the Food War / Food Throwdown Party took place last Sunday. For those unfamiliar with the dinner party concept that my good friends Katina and Justin started, it’s basically an episode of Chopped meets Top Chef played out among friends and fellow foodies. [READ HERE for the specific event details & rules.] From these parties, I somehow managed to earn a Simon Cowell reputation for my harsh honest critiques, and am constantly asked to put my money where my mouth is by entering a challenge and preparing a dish. I have only entered one previous challenge where my Peanut Butter Chicken Chili tied for the top spot. Truth be told, I will only enter any contest if I know that I will come out victorious on top, hence why I never participated in the homemade pasta and Moroccan challenges.
My friends Jaime and Jaden put so much work into hosting these parties at my dream their house, and creating such fabulous dishes, that it would only be fitting that I participate in this edition. So the challenge was on: contestants must prepare a Brunch Dish, savory or sweet and not limited to specific ingredients, to be critiqued by all guests, but ultimately selected as the winning dish by chosen judges. The cocktail challenge: to create the ultimate Bloody Mary, not limited to specific ingredients. Being that I can barely properly pour a beer, I stuck with preparing a Brunch dish for the challenge.
I have a reputation with my friends and co-workers for not knowing how to cook, solely because I may dine out often. Truth be told, I am a fine, young cannibal chef in the kitchen, and when I throw down, I throw it the @#$! down. For my brunch dish, I knew that I wanted to create a hearty dish. I also knew that I wanted to prepare something from Hawaii or Samoa that didn’t involve spam. (And yes I can make that joke!) Although, I may have lost this Food War, I am very proud of my dish and had quite the challenge with all of the wonderfully prepared and delicious dishes. I am looking forward to DESTROYING Jaime and Jaden participating at the next challenge.
Sunday afternoons don’t get much better than spending it with old friends, new friends, enjoying delicious cocktails and homemade food.
Here were the brunch dishes entered at this Food War / Throwdown:
Jessica & Amber’s Dish: Peruvian fish ceviche made with lime, onions, spicy peppers, fresh cilantro, and served with a sweet potato round and toasted corn kernels
Lauren’s Dish: Homemade almond, raisin monkey bread served with creme anglaise
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Areis’s Dish: Southwest stuffed breakfast pepper – stuffed with eggs, spinach, potatoes, pepper jack cheese, and topped off with black beans, pickled onion, pickled jalapenos, avocodo scallions, and sour cream
The Best Dish in the Universe My Dish: Hawaiian Loco Moco: coconut beef patty and brown tapioca gravy served over steamed jasmine rice, topped with a fried egg and bacon crumble
And of course for the WINNING DISH:
Jaime & Jaden’s Dish: Sweet potato hash, tossed in a spicy curry and sundried tomato sauce, topped with an olive oil poached egg, bacon crumble, and fresh herbs, and served with a gin, honey, simple syrup, ginger liqueur, fresh lemon juice topped with an IPA.
A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to Jaime and Jaden for not only winning the Brunch Challenge, but for also winning the Bloody Mary Challenge. And yes… they won Trophies for their victory. We foodies take these challenges very seriously!
A SPECIAL THANK YOU to Nicholas and Allison with NHIE Tampa Bay, who judged the Brunch Portion, and were amazing troopers for putting up with my bribery, harassment, extortion tactics allowing me to call them un-American graciously being a part of this challenge. Be sure to check out their amazing NHIE: Never Have I Ever – Tampa Edition BLOG online at: www.nhietampabay.com
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