MEDIA ADVISORY
Feb. 3, 2015
Contact: Angela Croce, Program Manager, Office of College Career & Technical Education (CCTE), (619) 995-1253
11th Annual Teen Iron Chef Competition Heats Up
WHAT: Tofu? Tarragon? Wasabi? What is the secret ingredient? Find out when Supt. Cindy Marten reveals the ingredient at the 11th Annual Teen Iron Chef Competition. San Diego Unified School District Culinary Arts and Management students battle each other preparing a three-course meal incorporating the secret ingredient. Celebrity judges include Chef Bernard Guillas, Executive Chef, The Marine Room | La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club; Chef Ricardo Heredia, 2014 World Food Champion; Ken Irvine, Irvine Hospitality; and Chris Racan, UT, San Diego and Discover SD. The competition is supported by the San Diego County Chapter of the California Restaurant Association and based on the Iron Chef America Series on the Food Network.
WHO: Hoover, Madison, Morse, San Diego, and Scripps Ranch high school culinary arts students
San Diego Unified School District Office of College, Career and Technical Education
WHEN: Thursday, Feb. 5, 2015
3:30 p.m. – Students arrive to set up; introduction of judges; announcement of secret ingredient
3:40 p.m. – One-hour timed competition including all cutting, mixing and food preparation
5:00 p.m. – Plating and presentation to judges
5:10 p.m. – Judging occurs
6:00 p.m. – Announcement of winning team
WHERE: SDG&E Energy Innovation Center, 4760 Clairemont Mesa Boulevard (92117), (800) 613-8970, http://www.sdge.com/energy-innovation-center/contact-us . Media parking will be available in main lot.
VISUALS: High school students in the heat of competition cooking and serving meals, judges evaluating meals, winning team awards ceremony.
GUEST SPEAKERS/INTERVIEWS: Students, teachers, celebrity judges. Spanish speakers available.
BACKGROUND: Teen Iron Chef is in its tenth year and was the brain child of the College, Career & Technical Education teacher, Zhee Zhee Aguirre. Aguirre wanted her students to experience competitive cooking and based San Diego Unified’s competition on the Iron Chef America Series on the Food Network.
Students are able to work on their ideas, go shopping, portion their protein and measure any dry or liquid ingredients the day before the event. They are not allowed to do any actual cooking, pre-making dough, or premixing ingredients ahead of time. On the day of the competition, they will be presented with a secret ingredient that must be incorporated into at least one of their three courses. They are allowed to have their recipes or prep-list at the station during the competition.
To keep the competition fresh and to not give any team an advantage, the secret ingredient changed every year. Some of the secret ingredients from previous years include calamari, brie, balsamic vinegar, prosciutto, cantaloupe and tofu.
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