Iron Chef Lesotho

This past week has found me in stiff competition with a fellow volunteer who dared me to a competition of culinary intellect and know how. I, of course, stepped up to the challenge. This past week tensions have been rising during our stay for training in Maseru. We decided that Oscar (my competitor) and I would have to have a cook off. It started small but the competition became intense and more and more detailed as the week went on.
We had many a contribution through out the week in order to allow the following to have taken place. We were given R400 (about 40 American dollars), 1 hour to shop, two hours to cook and 30 people to feed. Our competition became so publicized that both of our bosses showed up to fill the place of special guest judges. We were to make both a main dish and a dessert and both must incorporate the secret ingredient and then each participant (aka the other volunteers) was given one vote. Each of the dishes were to be presented anonymously, the team’s secret name had to be extremely obscure in order to hide who’s name belong to who so that the competition was as anonymous as possible. Our team name was Ny Drankenwinkel (that’s Afrikaans for “sex alcohol shop”). I was head chef and had my friend Kristen was my sues chef. I don’t remember Oscar’s team name, but it was pretty obscure too and he had Maya as his sues chef. All of this was arranged and set up by the head rules supervisor, Trish, Andre, the event coordinator, and Kevin the M.C. for the night. Pictures and videos were done by Nick.
At one o’clock on Saturday the secret ingredient was revealed. There had been so much hype around the secret ingredient that I was really afraid it would be some sort of crazy local ingredient like sorghum or this processed meat product, polony. But thank my luck stars it wasn’t. The secret ingredient was sweet chili peppers, which had to be incorporated into both the main dish and dessert. I like a good challenge. So as me and Kristen were bulleting up to the grocery store we brainstormed ideas and came up with our menu. Our plan was to make sausage with sweet chili and peach chutney on a bed of parmesan risotto and then for dessert we were to make a sweet chili pepper infused dark chocolate fondue with fresh fruit, dried fruit, and cookies.
Upon entering the grocery store we were informed we had 45 minutes to get everything and then get in line. After that we had ten minutes in the alcohol shop to get any alcoholic ingredients that we would need. I must first give props to my incredible sues chef who did a wonderful job of keeping me well with in budget, making good quick decisions, keeping Diet Coke readily available and for being mellow which helped me more than anything because if any of you know me when I cook, I tend to go a little crazy so you can only imagine what I was like when not only my cooking reputation was at stake, but also my pride. During the whole competition everything was documented by our photographer and narrated by our M.C. We are compiling a video that I will post once completed.
We finally arrived back at our training center to cook it out. We got off to a slow start because Oscar’s original sues chef, Barb, cut her hand in the first five minutes of the competition which was further complicated by the fact that Oscar forgot his wine outside the wine shop which he set down while we were doing our pre cooking interviews for the documentary. Oscar also went over budget and had to give up two items from his groceries. Thank God for me, not only did we stay in the budget but didn’t forget any ingredients, which I must say put us at an advantage. Along with a sues chef we were allowed to used one item each from home, Oscar got knives in a care package from while at the training center, and I got Nutella from my wonderful sister Liz, so I opted to use that. Way to be big sister Liz, I dedicate my dessert to you.
Once our bumps were all sorted out we were in strict competition mode. Unfortunately for every one else in the kitchen that means me listening to cheesy pop music (thanks Danielle) and dancing and singing to it. So yeah me and Kristen were chopping, sautéing, mashing, and infusing whilst we rocked out to a little Rhianna and Shakira. I like to think it intimidated my competitor a little. Like I said before we were given two hours to cook, in which time Kristen and I were able to properly complete and assemble both the main dish and dessert. My personal critiques of the food, which were the main issues that everyone else had with the food was that I didn’t have enough chutney to give everyone a decent sample, but this was completely budgetary. Also my risotto was almost too salty, wasn’t quite too salty but it was almost there. And as you all can well assume, who know me at least, is that I basically rocked the dessert it was the deciding factor for most.
Once served and eaten the participants voted while the competitors waited in suspense for the winner to be revealed. During which time I went around to every one and tried to get out of them who they voted for, their opinions on both dishes and any critiques they were willing to offer. For the revealing ceremony we had a bon fire and a super special trophy for the winner. It was so very Season Two in Top Chef when they went to Hawaii, but this time we were in Africa, more specifically Lesotho, where the lack of culinary creativeness is limited to papa and greens sautéed with in an inch of their life. Once the votes were finally collected, counted, and the dishes were done, the winner was revealed. I won. I would like to thank my family for allowing me to experiment on them when I am at home and bored, my mom and Grandma Sally for teaching me how to cook when I was just old enough where grandma could trust me to make the fried zucchini on Saturdays at lunch time. I would like to give a shot out to Liz for providing the Nutella. Saint Louis University for the amazing culinary training I received while there. I would also like to thank those that were working in the background, mainly the rules supervisor, Trish, the event coordinator, Andre, Kevin the M.C. Nick the photographer, Oscar for providing me with a challenge, it was a pleasure to share a kitchen with him. And last but most certainly not least, Kristen, my sues chef, who I could not have done this without and who helped me keep a level head and a vodka tonic in hand, you are wonderful. While most people agreed that both main dishes were well done, mine was more innovative and the hook was my dessert, which, Oscar should not take shame in, I’m just really good at dessert. The best comment I got all night on my dish was “anybody can do spice, but complexity like yours takes finesse.” Thanks, that means a lot.
As I mentioned earlier there was a surprise trophy. You can now see me walking around Lesotho sporting a plastic silver chain necklace that says “Bling, Bling.” Yeah I rock it.
Well that was about it, it was probably one of the best times I’ve had in Lesotho thus far, a friendly competition centered on my most favorite thing in the world, food. I currently have no plans to remove the necklace from my body and a rematch has already been agreed upon. I say bring it. I then celebrated deep into the night, and almost missed my Sesotho class in the morning. Oh well.
As always, have a great week, I hope preparations for Christmas are all going well and that you are all staying sane. Feel free to shoot me an email anytime and don’t forget about the book drive if you have books you want to get off your hands. So in the spirit of my new favorite piece of gangsta jewelry Peace my brotha/sista!