By Megan Walsh

Participants from throughout Hofstra gathered into the student center cafeteria on Wednesday at 11 am to almost 1 pm for the chance to win a twenty-five dollar meal gift card to be used anywhere on campus explained Laura Musa, Marketing Manager for Lackmann Culinary Services as she supervised the proceedings of the Iron chef competition.

            In a competition of men verses women, the girls, Nasha Holguin, Tra’shon Pugh, Krystal Bailey and Arielle Hardrick made up the girls team while the men’s team consisted of Max Singer, Omar Peele, Nicholas Fils-Aime, and Owen Aquino.  However, in the end it was the girl’s team who won the twenty-five dollar meal cards by being awarded 104 of the possible 120 points by the judges, while the men only received a total of 87.5 points.

            The contestants signed up for the event through MISPO (Multicultural International Student Program Office) according to Musa.  She also states, “The students are given surprise ingredients and thirty minutes to make it.” Musa goes on to explain that this is only after chefs confer with students about what they may possibly create. 

            However, as Chef Kevin Kenny explained his job, “It is to guide along and keep them focused, but it’s a hundred percent their ideas.”

            As time went on it was also clear that the participants received multiple time alerts so that they would know exactly how much time they had left to cook. 

As competitor Krystal Bailey states, “I’ve cooked before, but not under this kind of pressure.” 

The women’s palate as explained by the team consisted of rice, beans, lemon chicken, fried plantains, and greens with mangos for decoration while the men’s meal had coconut, ginger chicken, beans and herbs, fried plantains and okra pancakes.

            “It feels nice to win,” says Nasha Holguin.  We had a good teamwork, a good chef to help us, and creativity.”

First Iron Chef competition at Hofstra. (Megan Walsh/The Hofstra Chronicle)