#61: Thanksgiving - October 2014

Our Thanksgiving cookoff was held on the 23rd of October at Blühaus. This was a rather unique cookoff for two reasons: first, dishes were assigned via random draw, and second, the food was eaten together instead of being served individually. We chose the most traditional dishes for the people we were certain would attend, and last minute competitors were given a choice of a few other things that are often seen at Thanksgiving dinners (this is how we ended up with two kinds of yams).

COMPETITORS AND ENTRIES

Allie S: protein centerpiece– rosemary rubbed seitan with bourbon caramelized shallots, roasted pears, and parsnips

Liang: potatoes– potato & spinach balls with green onion

Allie H: stuffing– walnut bread with carrots, celery, roasted pumpkin seesds, & cranberries

Malloreigh: brussels sprouts– roasted sprouts with pomegranate molasses, mint, and pomegranate seeds


Jen: sauces– mushroom gravy with rosemary & sage; cranberry blood orange fig sauce


Ash: pie– pumpkin apple pie with ice cream and pumpkin seed brittle

Jeff: yams– candied yams with cinnamon pecan butter

Chris: terrine– roasted yams, onions, & apples with tarragon mustard

CATEGORIES AND WINNERS
We opted to leave out the presentation and perceived effort categories because some dishes by default have an advantage or disadvantage.
seconds: Allie S/Allie H/Chris
compatibility: Jen
creativity: Ash
best use of theme: Allie H/Malloreigh
overall favourite: Chris

overall winner: Chris

#60: soup - September 2014

Our soup cookoff was held at Ravenclaw House (Mal & Allie's) on the 17th of September. We had several newcomers, which was welcome! The photos are iphone-quality, unfortunately, because I forgot my camera.

COMPETITORS AND ENTRIES

Allie: "bowling for soup" cashew cream of mushroom with rosemary & thyme

Liang: "heart and soul" curried coconut cream & cauliflower with red pepper and lime

Malloreigh: "faux" homemade 'beef' broth with noodles, shredded carrot & daikon, fried tofu, bean sprouts, lime, & basil

Ash: "boysenborscht" homegrown beets & beet greens with capers and a horseradish-dill sour cream

Angelique: "pho shizzle, miso horny for your noodle soup" rice noodles in miso broth with enoki mushrooms, anise, cinnamon, & lime

Jen: "Wu-Tang dynasty" hot & sour broth with tofu, wood ear mushrooms, cabbage, & crispy chow mein noodles

Michelle: "yoga soup" noodles in broth with fried tofu, broccoli, sesame oil & seeds, and rice cake

Michelle competed for the first time. Also in attendance were her partner Jill, Jeff Z, Danger Mike, Allie S, and Maddie G.

CATEGORIES AND WINNERS

seconds: Allie
presentation: Malloreigh/Angelique
creativity: Angelique
texture/mouthfeel: Allie
perceived effort: Ash
overall favourite: Allie

overall winner: Allie

best name: (unscored category) Allie

#59: the A-team - August 2014

Our A-team (foods that start with A) cookoff was held on the 17th of August at the Adult Dream House (Ash's). It was a lovely evening and some of us were having a rough day thanks to a party there the previous night, so it was a quiet affair on the back porch among their tomato plants, watching the sun sink behind the trees.

COMPETITORS AND ENTRIES

Jen: "why is there hair?!" poached artichoke stuffed with lemony herb & garlic peas, served with tarragon aïoli

Ash: "Ash's alliterative antipasto" aubergine & artichoke antipasto scented with anise, on top of an agave-roasted apricot and an arrowroot biscuit

Allie H: "Allie's avocado afries avec aïoli" deep-fried avocado with sriracha aïoli

Malloreigh: "gesundheit!" apple aloo gobi with asparagus achar, amchur, & almond arugula raita

Allie S: "triple-A all-star" agnolotti with almonds, arugula, & grilled apricot

Liang: "salad" greens & mushrooms with apricot, tamari almonds, & spicy sesame-ginger garlic dressing

Also in attendance was a houseguest of Ash's whose name I've forgotten.

CATEGORIES AND WINNERS
seconds: Allie H
presentation: Jen
creativity: Ash
A-ness: Malloreigh
perceived effort: Allie S
overall favourite: Allie H

overall winner: Ash

best name: (unscored category) Ash

And now, portraits of people looking serious while holding their faces.

#58: South Asian food - July 2014

The Southeast Asian cookoff was held on the 14th of July in the common room of Liang's co-op in Olympic Village. It was an extremely hot day so very few of us opted for dishes we'd need to turn on the stove for. We drank grapefruit beer and white wine, explored the rooftop garden, and played a game of Balderdash with a dictionary in between servings.

COMPETITORS AND ENTRIES

Liang: "spring summer fall roll" rice wraps with oyster mushroom, mango, baby arugula, garlic chives, & bell peppers; served with a sweet chili peanut sauce and sesame-soy scallion sauce (not pictured)

Bronwen: "it's too damn hot" pakoras with mango, peas, & chilies; served with avocado and a young coconut chutney

Malloreigh: "hold me, kiss me, bahn mi" Vietnamese sandwich with hot pepper, pickled carrot & daikon, fried tofu, sriracha mayo, lettuce, & cucumber

Allie H: "tom OMG yummm!" tom yum soup-inspired cocktail of vodka, Malibu, lychee, chilies, & lemongrass; garnished with lime leaves

Jen: "white on rice" coconut, mango, & vanilla bean rice pudding with toasted sweet chili pistachios and lime zest

Allie S: "mango bazango" soft Phillipine rice cake coated in sesame seed & coconut, with coconut caramel, mango-lime rum sorbet, mango slices, and caramelized lime rind

Ash: "Carl Sago" mango & coconut milk tapioca pudding with mint & lime topping

Allie S competed for the first time. This was also our first cookoff in awhile without any non-competitors!

CATEGORIES AND WINNERS
seconds: Bronwen
presentation: Allie S
creativity: Allie H
best use of theme: Liang
perceived effort: Allie S
overall favourite: Liang/Bronwen/Malloreigh

overall winner: Allie S

best name: (unscored category) Malloreigh/Jen

#57: Middle Eastern & North African food - June 2014

The MENA cookoff was held at Ravenclaw House on the 16th of June, on a beautiful evening which made us all feel very ready for summer. Lots of entries, lots of wine — I don't think we finished serving until after 10!

COMPETITORS AND ENTRIES

Malloreigh:"love shakshuka, baby" Tunisian/Israeli tomato & pepper stew with poached egg-style tofu, served with zaatar manouche (recipe here)

Jen: "ceci n'est pas une aubergine" Moroccan lentil & vegetable stew with roasted eggplant, lemon yogurt, and homemade harissa

Ash: "SALAD" greens, carrots, & dates in chermoula dressing, with avocado and a sweet potato & ginger pancake

Nik: "moussaka" roasted eggplant & tomato casserole with a silken tofu béchamel

Chris: "and later, I wore it as a hat" Moroccan couscous tagine, served with Tunisian cucumber salad & sweet and spicy sauces (not pictured)
Sarah: "the hungry horseman's hallucination" chickpea socca filled with Afghan rice, saffron butternut squash, & mango; served with mint sour cream

Liang: "princess of Persia" crispy roasted eggplant with mint and pomegranate seeds in a pomegranate-lavender oil dressing (base recipe here, used with slight alterations)

Kristina: "couscous caboose" couscous & silken tofu square with cardamom, cranberry, & mandarin syrup

Liang competed for the first time. Also in attendance were Liang's partner Ryan, and two other people I can't remember (please let me know if you do).

CATEGORIES AND WINNERS

seconds: Liang
presentation: Liang
creativity: Kristina
authenticity: Malloreigh
perceived effort: Chris
overall favourite: Malloreigh

overall winner: Liang (bringing the beginner's luck!)

best name: (unscored category) Malloreigh

#56: nuts - May 2014

Our first-ever nut theme was held at Blühaus (due to a scheduling error) on the 12th of May. Although there was plenty of food, there was only one savoury dish so we felt a little sugar overloaded and had to order sushi after. This was also the first occasion of our new voting category for 'perceived effort' — we felt that when it's obvious someone put a lot of work into a dish, it deserves credit regardless of whether it does well in other categories.

COMPETITORS AND ENTRIES

Chris: "patétoes" deep-fried purple potato topped with tofu-walnut paté, cashew mayo, & parsley pesto, with a peppadew sauce drizzle

Kristina: "cold feet, warm heart" cherry vanilla almond ice cream pops dipped in cinnamon chili chocolate, with almond dust & sea salt

Maddie: "aww nuts!" homemade almond milk with carob & cardamom, cinnamon stick garnish

Jen: "mac daddy misu" macadamia & cashew cream tiramisu with homemade almond ladyfingers dipped in espresso & brandy, topped with cocoa powder & shaved dark chocolate

Malloreigh: "triple nut freeze" hazelnut banana ice cream with a macadamia lace cookie in a lavender almond caramel sauce

Also in attendance were Steph, Jen's sister Alice, and one other person whom I can't seem to remember (please tell me if you know!)

CATEGORIES AND WINNERS
second: Chris
presentation: Chris
nuttiness: Malloreigh
perceived effort: Jen
creativity: Chris
overall favourite: Malloreigh

overall winner: Jen

best name: (unscored category) Maddie

#55: brine - April 2014

We decided doing a cookoff solely of olives OR pickles was too narrow, so we went either/or with a brine theme. It was held on the 16th of April at Blühaus, and although there were only a few entries, everyone left satisfied.

COMPETITORS AND ENTRIES

Laryssa: "the flaccid shaft" deep-fried spring rolls filled with homemade pickled vegetables & mushrooms fried in brine reduction, served with a pickled garlic plum sauce

Jen: "Grecian heart attack" veggie patty with lentils & kalamata olives, served on a homemade rosemary bun with fixings, topped with a beer-battered dill pickle

Ash: "3:10 to Lima" pickled lima beans with a coconut & oyster mushroom ceviche, served on tortilla chips

Amanda: "olive your balls" Silician sun-dried olive & dark chocolate truffles, rolled in cocoa powder

Also in attendance were Katie, Sarah C, and a friend named Rebecca.

CATEGORIES AND WINNERS

seconds: Laryssa
presentation: Jen
creativity: Ash/Amanda
brinicity: Laryssa
overall favourite: Laryssa/Jen

overall winner: Laryssa/Jen

best name: (unscored category) Laryssa/Ash/Amanda