$10,000 raised for the Community Kitchen at Chefs’ Challenge

On Friday, Bloomington residents settled into the plush seats of the Buskirk-Chumley Theater for a celebration of culinary creation in support of fighting hunger in Monroe County.

The second annual Bloomin-gton Chefs’ Challenge, the city’s version of the show “Iron Chef” and a fund-raiser for the Community Kitchen of Monroe County, showcased three chefs in an hour-long cook-off to see who could create the best dish.

Alan Simmerman, prepared foods manager at Bloomingfoods and one of the three competing chefs, won the competition and went home with The Golden Spatula award. The Community Kitchen of Monroe County went home with about $10,000, which was $3,000 more than the kitchen raised last year, said Tim Clougher, the kitchen’s assistant director.

SLIDE SHOW: Bloomington Chef's Challenge

“I think it went very well,” Clougher said after the event. “People are really into the idea and being a part of it.”

The stage was elaborately set and the theater transformed into a television show environment. Appetizers such as deviled eggs, salmon pate and white bean dip – all created by a variety of local chefs – were passed around before the show. Three long folding tables stood at the front of the stage, which served as workstations for the chefs. Behind the tables, the pantry displayed an assortment of products and produce provided by Bloomingfoods and local farmers. The judges overlooked everything from their table at the back of the stage.

Food-related murals, created by Rhino’s Youth Center mural arts program, hung from the stage and added color. Attendees who purchased bistro seating tickets sat at five tables in the pit area of the theater. People in these seats got the chance to sample the chefs’ creations once they were finished.

The crowd mainly consisted of Bloomington residents and adults, something audience member and Bloomington resident Anthony Blondin would like to change. To see a younger crowd at the event would have been great, Blondin said.

Emcees Brad Wilhelm, David Coonce and Gregg “Rags” Raggo kept the audience entertained throughout the night with commentary and kicked off this year’s challenge. The secret ingredient was the mystery of the event, and it was revealed minutes before the first chef took the stage. This year, apples had to be incorporated in each chef’s dish. A brief history of apples was even shown to the crowd. Last year’s secret ingredient was sweet potatoes, said Wilhelm. After the ingredient was announced, an audience member excitedly yelled, “Let’s get it on.”

Jake Brenchley, last year’s winner, was the first to start off the competition. Brenchley, who was joined by his sous chef Drew Nickless, told the audience he usually incorporates fruit into his dishes, which are a fusion of French and South African cuisine. Ten minutes later, crowd favorite and “Audience Choice” winner chef Alan Booze started the competition, accompanied by his sous chef Rafael DeLeon. Alan Simmerman and his assistant Mike Clarke were last to start.

Each chef worked with pork in his main dish. The audience was told beforehand that apples usually go well with pork. There was shredding, slicing and dicing of apples on stage as each chef toiled away on his creation. Brenchley tackled two dishes in the one-hour time slot. He created a starter dish of tamarind shrimp over cantaloupe with an apple, mango and roasted corn salsa. Sliced apples topped this dish. Brenchley’s second dish consisted of pork tenderloin with sautéed shiitake mushrooms and apple slices, topped with a blue-cheese cream sauce.

“I liked the first chef a lot,” said audience member Geri Cowell, who sat in the bistro seating area. “I think this is a great way to raise money for the community kitchen.”

Chef Alan Booze created pork tenderloin topped with an apple rice pilaf and served with a house apple chutney, apples and zucchini. He also made apple and chicken quesadillas. Simmerman created the winning dish. He prepared a Creole-inspired dish of Pain Perdu, the French equivalent of our French toast. It consisted of blackened pork tenderloin, baby spinach salad drizzled with apple vinegar and basil oil, and sliced, pickled apples on top. The dish was served in an apple beurre blanc sauce, and the bread itself was filled with apples and raw milk cheddar cheese.