University Park

Second annual 'Iron Chef' contest set for March 27

A group of Penn State students are sponsoring an "Iron Chef" contest that will benefit the State College Area Food Bank. Hosted by the Nutrition Graduate Student Association (NGSA), the second annual "Iron Chef" fundraising event pits 12 teams of students, faculty and staff in the College of Health and Human Development against each other in a culinary battle. The twist, true to the popular Food Network show "Iron Chef," is that each team will have to incorporate a secret ingredient into their meals. Two prizes will be awarded, one for most money raised, and one for best overall dish.  The event, which begins at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 27, is free and open to the public.

Each team will cook its meal in the Foods Lab, 7 Henderson Building on Penn State's University Park campus. Meals will be judged in the Hintz Family Student Center (10 Henderson Building) by a panel of judges that includes Nan Crouter, dean of the College of Health and Human Development; Linda Tataliba, director of the State College Area Food Bank; and Kit Stanton, assistant in the Foods Lab.

“This year, we will have a live video feed from the kitchen to the Hintz Family Student Center, so spectators can ‘watch’ the competition like the real TV show,” said Kristina Harris, graduate student in nutrition and president of the NGSA.

The event also will include trivia games; a raffle; and information about the competition’s secret ingredient, the Food Bank, and the competitors.

“The competition was very successful last year, both in terms of how much money we raised and how much fun participants and audience members had—we expect this year’s competition to be even better,” said Harris. “All of the event’s proceeds will be donated to the State College Area Food Bank, so it’s a great way for the audience and the competing cooks to have fun while helping out in the community.”

For more information and photos of the 2009 Iron Chef fundraiser, see http://live.psu.edu/story/38865.

Participants from the 2009 'Iron Chef' fundraising event grab their secret ingredients (root vegetables) as the competition begins. For additional photos of the 2009 event, click on image above. Credit: College of Health and Human DevelopmentAll Rights Reserved.

Last Updated November 18, 2010

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