Groups Clash in ‘Iron Chef’ Cook-Off

What’s harder: cooking a meal where every dish must include onion, or trying to convince Annenberg mainstay and campus celebrity Domna Antoniu that it actually tastes good?

Defending champion Harvard RAZA did both, once again claiming the title of “Iron Chef” in the Harvard-Radcliffe Chinese Students Association (HRCSA)’s third annual cook-off on Saturday night in a packed Winthrop House Junior Common Room.

Returning competitors Fuerza Latina, HRCSA, and RAZA were joined by rookies from the Black Students Association (BSA) and the Italian American Association as they sought to impress the palates of Antoniu and three other judges.

The panel included Winthrop House Master and Kaneb Professor of National Security and Military Affairs Stephen P. Rosen ’74, Harvard University Police Department Sergeant Kevin P. Bryant, and Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology David R. Liu ’94.

“I was invited because I’m an expert on eating,” said Liu, who teaches Life Sciences 1a, “An Integrated Introduction to the Life Sciences: Chemistry, Molecular Biology, and Cell Biology.”

“We mostly chose the judges because of their popularity among students,” said Chen Li ’09, publicity co-chair for HRCSA.

The night kicked off with a HRCSA-produced video that featured the theme song from the popular TV show “Iron Chef,” as well as footage of the teams cooking, which was done in advance.

Fuerza Latina’s team with Latin American cuisine was first up in front of the judges. The team served popcorn with their Ecuadorian Ceviche, a seafood salad, earning praise from Rosen for their originality. But Bryant, said with an arched eyebrow, “The consistency of the shrimp is questionable.”

The cooks from BSA appeared less nervous than the other competitors—on the video they were singing and dancing to the radio while cooking earlier in the day. Antoniu, who put on her glasses and assumed her famous “how could you forget your ID card?” look, elicited laughter from the audience as she kept murmuring, “The crackers are good, but I don’t like the spice.”

Alan Ramos ’09, head cook for RAZA, introduced his delicate arrangement of a three-part Mexican appetizer, receiving enthusiastic praise for the dish’s mix of flavor with lemon and onion.

“This tastes as if it’s from one of the best restaurants in town. I’m desperately trying to finish,” Liu said to a chorus of cheers from the audience.

Next up, the Italian team presented their elegantly arranged filet mignon on butternut squash risotto and three-onion tart with fontina, an Italian cheese. According to their head chef Alison E. Occhialini ’10, who has experience cooking since middle school, these dishes represent Italian comfort food.

“We wanted to stray away from your usual pasta,” she said.

The judges seemed to agree with this decision.

Antoniu smiled for the first time and called the meat “just right” and Rosen called it the “best beef so far.”

Host team HRCSA prepared pearl balls and beef stir-fry, earning praise from Bryant for the dish’s presentation.

According to Eva M. Luo ’08, co-president of HRCSA, the event was a huge success.

“The turnout this year was much greater than last year, probably because of the increased diversity among the competing teams,” she said.

“The event definitely got bigger and more professional this year, and plus the presence of Domna probably attracted a lot of people,” said Elissa Leechawengwongs ’09, who came to watch and sample the food.

Rosen, a self-proclaimed “advanced amateur” at cooking, said this kind of event was a welcome distraction from Harvard’s academic life.

“Cooking is fun, writing books takes a long time, but when you cook something, you get to eat it right away,” he said.