PULLMAN, Wash. — Crimson Cooks, a four-member Washington State University student team, will compete against gold-medal winning professional chef Jamie Callison in the finals of Iron Chef Wazzu during WSU 2006 Mom’s Weekend.
The cooking contest will be held at 3 p.m., April 8, in the university’s Food Science and Human Nutrition kitchen, FSHN Building, Room 103/155. The event is open to the public at no charge.
Callison, a Certified Executive Chef and a member of the American Academy of Chefs, is manager/chef of WSU’s Stephenson Dining Center. At WSU since 2005, he has been in the food service industry for 25 years, 17 of those as a chef. In the competition, he will have two assistants: Tobin Dubuc, Lynden; and Justin Ulbright, Graham.
Members of Crimson Cooks are leader Jason Dobry, Olympia; Matt Hedlund, Arlington; Sara Dobry, Killen, Texas; and Jeff Mays, Marysville. Crimson Cooks defeated two other student teams in the kitchen during semi-final competition Feb. 24.
Iron Chef Wazzu was created by the university’s Food Science Club to involve students with food, promote interest in food science professions and promote the club, said Tinyee Hoang, club vice president. “It helps get students more socially active and makes food science better known to the rest of the university,” he said. Kyoung Craddock, Iron Chef Wazzu committee co-chair, hopes the competition will become an annual event.
The first runner-up team in the semi-finals was Writing Center Cuisine. It includes leader Tim Hetland, Kent; Nick Pistsilionis, Kenai, Alaska; Devlin Montfort, Champagne, France; and Chris Wooley, Okanogan. Second runner-up team was Dirty Cougs. Its members are Vanessa Soria, Tacoma; Holly Fitzgerald, Spokane; Shannon Anderson and Karen Pielow, both of Silverdale.
Competitors in Iron Chef Wazzu do not learn their cooking ingredients until 10 minutes before the culinary challenge begins. They have an hour to prepare three dishes.
Competition judges include Marsha Appel, secretary senior, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition; Doug Murray, Compton Union Building assistant director/executive chef; and Richard Zack, chair, WSU Department of Entomology, all at WSU.
For more information about Iron Chef Wazzu and the WSU Food Science Club, which is a member of the Institute of Food Technologists Student Association, contact the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at (509) 335-3843. The department is part of the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences.
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