Cast Iron Chef

Tonight marked the historic fourth year of BCSR Iron Chef desert competition. As the cook the first year, I was inspired by one of the few t.v. shows I watch to give the boys a chance to try their hand at some culinary magic. As I have previously pointed out (you know you're a teen age boy if. . .) just a spoonful of competition makes almost anything go down amongst your average teen boy. So, to try to teach them some of the finer culinary arts. . . we devised a fool proof activity in which the campers divide into teams and are all given the same ingredients, an hour and a half, access to the kitchen and a challenge to create.

"Sunshine" sports a powdered sugar soul patch

While the first year started out a bit bumpy (ingredients included cherry frosting, green apple jell-o, gummy worms, and pineapple sherbet) each year has been increasingly better. As one might imagine turning a gaggle of boys loose with that much sugar and often little cooking sense, generally results in sweet, sweeter, and I'm going to puke sweetest (the first year there was the everything mixed together boiled and then blended into thick brown sludge sugar shake- I nearly vomited).

Nothing like a little indian techno and some freestyle rapping to get everybody in a party mood

Each year there is the crazy elaborate gingerbread/science fair diorama inspired creation (this year was a mountain of cake and whipped cream with caramel filled carved apples replete with mullets, mohawks and the Utah claw). But once in a while they really pull through and surprise you.

A rather delicious apple compote

Such as a flan cooked in a make shift dutch oven double boiler, apple turnovers drizzled in homemade caramel, and this year a pop tart-esque concoction comprised of a hard chocolate layer, mint pudding all wrapped in a pastry shell and topped with grated chocolate. Pretty darn gourmet for the teen squad cooking in the rec shed kitchen in the middle of a juniper forest.