Allez cuisine! The sounds of flaming hot pans and sharp knives rang through the Campbell
Student Union last Wednesday as Chartwells, Buffalo State Dining foodservice group and
the hospitality department partnered for its annual Iron Chef Competition, inspired by
Food Network’s iconic show Iron Chef America.
The event featured four faculty competitors – Kristen Catalano, assistant director of
student life; Lisa Krieger, assistant vice president for finance and management; Timothy
Ecklund, associate vice president for campus life; and Tom Koller, senior associate director
of intercollegiate athletics. Ecklund returned to defend his 2012 title.
Hospitality majors Brandon Dunkley, Julia Stadelmaier and Maddie Coneys served as
Sous chefs for each of the competitors, along with associate director of resident life Curtis
Brickhouse.
With just one hour to cook, and hungry judges to feed, each competitor had to create one
dish centered on the secret ingredient – asparagus – selected by Manny Lezami, senior
director of foodservice at Buffalo State College.
“Asparagus is sustaining, fresh, seasonal… it also meets other dietary needs such as vegan,
celiac, you name it,” Lezama said.
Three judges were given the difficult task to determine whose cuisine will reign supreme:
Vice President of student affairs, Hal Payne, chef and restaurateur Paul Jenkins, and USG
president-elect Eric Sauerzopf.
Some of the judges were optimistic about their expectations.
“As the vice-president responsible for food service on campus, I know about tasting food,”
Payne said. “I’m impressed by the ingredients. I want to see the competitors keep it fresh
and well presented.”
On the other hand, Sauerzopf was reluctant to try the secret ingredient.
“I never liked asparagus,” he said. “My mother always forced me to eat it; it may bring back
bad memories. Hopefully the competitors impress me.”
To complete their dishes, the competitors chose accompanying ingredients: fresh,
seasonal vegetables, fruits, herbs, smoked Chile peppers, small heads of fennel bulb, plump
tomatoes and rustic fragments of French baguette.
Lots of accurate slicing, dicing, sautéing, and passion went into each of these competitor’s
culinary masterpieces.
Chef Catalano prepared a vegetable medley risotto with grilled asparagus. Chef Krieger
made a Tex-Mex inspired bell pepper bisque with chipotle lime shrimp on a baguette. Chef
Ecklund prepared a mushroom shrimp risotto with chipotle chicken taco, and Chef Koller
made a surf-n-turf alfredo.
After a close judgment period, the judges named Kreiger the 2013 Iron Chef. She and
her sous chef, Stadelmaier, won Food Network’s Bobby Flay grill set and a Bobby Flay
cookbook.
“I am really surprised. I had fun and I’m happy. Everything made tasted and looked good,”
Krieger said upon winning.
Lezama congratulated each competitor for their hard work and loyalty.
“The dishes were original and creative,” Jenkins said. “It was a tough choice.”
Thanks to the work of Marissa L. Dinello, marketing director for Chartwells at Buffalo State
College, and Lezama, the event is looking to continue and expand in the years to come.
Sauerzopf expressed a desire to maintain events like this moving forward.
“I would like to see events like this in the future,” he said. “(USG wants) to have a good
relationship with our foodservice… it’s important that we work together.”
Lazarus Lynch can be reached by email at lynchle01@mail.buffalostate.edu.