Gondwana Gold

I know I said I would post results of the Reunite Gondwanaland challenge on Earth Day - which is today.

I fully expected Bobby and Bill to come out with a tie - much as Bobby and Matt did.

But I have to be honest - Bill's "narrative" had me rolling on the floor, and since I'm leaving on a trip tomorrow (not following Bill's Gondwana route - staying on just one continent this time) and don't have the mental energy left to assign points and categories - I will just call this one.

Bill vs. Bobby C - round 1 goes to ....Bill
although Bobby's recipe is one I would more likely be able to make - and I really liked the volcanic plating!

Nice work, guys!

Reunite Gondwanaland

The Challenge: Reunite Gondwanaland

One of the most enduring features of our planet, Gondwana (or Gondwanaland) was a composite continent, made up of South America, Africa, Madagascar, Antarctica, India, other parts of South Asia, and Australia. At one time it even included Florida and most of Southern Europe.

Your mission is to “go around the world” in 72 hours, collect ingredients from the different continents and seas, and reunite Gondwanaland in your dishes. Plan, prepare, plate and present no later than midnight on Monday, April 20. Results of the judging to be posted on Earth Day.

Entries will be judged on plating (both porcelain and tectonic) and originality.

So grab your passports and weigh anchor, chefs, it’s time to set sail!

The challengers: Bobby C and Bill

P’s Porridge Potluck Pronouncement

From The Chairman (we know him as Bill):

Congratulations to BobbyC and Matt for their entries in the P’s Porridge Potluck Challenge. Both completed the task within the prescribed parameters, each with an original recipe.

The entries were evaluated in two parts. Primary Points were awarded objectively for meeting the prescribed project parameters. 10 Primary points were allotted for each of the five stages. Premium points were awarded based on purely subjective observations. There was no set limit on premium point allocation.

Since both entries met all prescribed project parameters, the full 10 points were earned for all five stages, or 50 Primary Points each.

Premium Points were also categorized by the five stages of the task.

Procurement

The project parameters required a minimum of 5 ingredients beginning with the letter ‘P’. One point each was awarded for each additional ‘P’ ingredient.

BobbyC augmented his primary pentad with potatoes, parsley and peanut-oil. But Matt took an early lead here with a plethora of prefatory P’s, and earned extra points with some peculiar and preposterous pronunciations, even resorting the Estonian ‘Pühvel’ to qualify his buffalo mozzarella.

Preparation

BobbyC earned points for originality with his delicious sounding Plum-Porter sauce. In Matt’s case, I’m not sure if the can of “preserved Progresso pulses” amounted to alliterative aforethought, but I liked it just the same, so points to Matt for that.

Plating

BobbyC gets premium points for a very attractive presentation with nice colors and nary a stray pistachio. This dish would not look out of place in a nice restaurant. Matt’s earned points for his mouthwatering ‘hungry-man’ portion. Forget the napkins; you’ll need a whole roll of paper towels for this sandwich.

Photography

Although rules for the photography stage only required photos of the plated product, premium points for photography were awarded both for preparation photos and the final “product” shot.

Overall, BobbyC’s photography earned more points for aesthetics. The composition is clean, the lighting is simple, but not harsh and the result looks very appetizing. The main technical issue is the shallow focus, particularly evident in the fuzzy fork in the final photo. I think this is an ideal excuse for BobbyC to invest in more toys tools, such as a bigger flash (to allow a smaller aperture) or a perspective control lens with tilt to finesse the plane of focus.

Although not as refined in the aesthetics department, Matt earned points for plenty of illustrative, step-by-step preparation photos. Clear and instructive as they were, Matt’s photos could benefit from an off-camera flash, and some attention to details such as background clutter.

Publishing

BobbyC scored points here for a particularly prompt posting. The speed at which he completed all phases of the challenge is even more impressive considering that he spent a good part of the challenge period in the car.
Matt also published his P’s Porridge post well before the Pluto Day deadline. But Matt appears to have taken a little extra time to round out his post with more preparation details and photos.

The Bottom Line

The final points tally is shown in the table below. This was a really good showing by both BobbyC and Matt. Both of these posts have made me very hungry. Any ideas for dinner?

(Click the image for an easier-to-read view)

Family Food Fight - Matt

pesto pepper pollo panini with portobello and pepper pico-pasta

What a challenge! As with BobbyC, we went in search of "P-foods" to come up with the "perfect permutation". It was too easy to get caught up in the challenge and get extravagant with the ingredients, but we decided to keep is simple, quick and cheap. The first "P" that came to mind was "pantry". We dove through the cupboards, fridge and freezer to find items we already had on hand. We kept it simple and quick by asking "What would we cook on a weeknight?"

pesto pepper pollo panini
(makes two sandwiches)

4 slices good Italian bread, sliced to fit your grilling device
1/2 lb. cooked chicken breast, shredded*
2 Tbsp. pesto (yup, I used prepared pesto... we'll have to plant a much larger basil crop this Spring)
1 large roasted red pepper, cut into slices (again, from a jar. Very good though!)
4-6 thick slices of fresh mozzarella (made from buffalo milk... hey, 'pühvel' is 'buffalo' in Estonian!)

* We saved some time and picked up a plain cooked rotisserie chicken from our local grocery store. There's enough meat for two meals, so half went into the freezer. The half we used for this recipe was kept warm in a small skillet with a dash of olive oil. I also added a wee bit of oregano and black pepper. I'm planning a series of 'what to do with a rotisserie chicken' posts, so stay tuned!

1. Fire up your panini press. No panini press? Okay, fire up your grill pan, or waffle iron or, in my case, my George Foreman grill (I knew there was a good use for this). Lube the plates up with a bit of cooking spray. If you are using a stovetop grill pan, heat up your cast iron skillet at the same time... you'll see why in a bit.

2. Lay out your bread slices, and spread the pesto evenly on one side of the bread.

3. Divide the chicken for two sandwiches, and layer on the mozzarella slices and roast pepper slices.

4. Cap each sandwich with the remaining slices, and press down slightly, so it fits in your grilling apparatus.

5. Once your grilling doo-hickey is ready, place one sandwich in it and close the lid. You'll want to weigh the top down a bit to compress the sandwich a bit, and to achieve those really cool grill marks. Most panini presses have lids that lock down, but I've found a few heavy cans work for George. If you're using a grill pan, place the sandwich in the middle of the pan, and place your hot cast iron skillet right on top. The heat and weight will achieve the same effect... okay, so the grill marks will only be on one side... so flip the sandwich over!

6. Grill your panini (I think at this point it can be referred to as "panini") for about 3-5 minutes, or until golden brown and delicious. Remove the panini to a cutting board and let it sit for 1 minute. This will give the cheese a chance to set up a bit, and keep your panini together. Serve and enjoy!

portobello and pepper pico-pasta

1-1/4 c. chicken broth
1 c. couscous, uncooked
1 med. portobello mushroom, diced
1/2 orange bell pepper, diced (red or yellow works as well... we had this leftover from salads a few night ago)
1 medium shallot, diced
1/2 c. fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. thyme
2 tsp. olive oil
kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp. peccorino romano, shredded or cubed

1. In a medium sauce pan over low heat, sweat the shallot, pepper and mushroom in the olive oil with a dash of salt. Stir occasionally to keep from burning.
2. Once the veggies have cooked down a bit (5-10 minutes, or so), add the oregano, parsley, thyme, and season with black pepper. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.3. Stir in the couscous, clamp on the lid and remove from the heat. Let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving. Top with Romano.

Oh, did I mention I also made dessert? I guess I'll save that "for another show."

Family Food Fight - Matt vs. BobbyC

P’s Porridge Potluck
An Alliterative Alimentary Adventure

P’s Porridge Potluck participants must promptly procure, prepare, plate, photograph and publish palatable and prepossessing pabulum pursuant to prescribed project parameters:

• Procure posthaste, a pentad of provisions pronounced* with a prefatory ‘P’.
• Prepare palatable pabulum produced primarily from the pentad of previously procured provisions.
• Plate pleasingly plentiful portions**.
• Photograph the plated product***.
• Publish**** punctually*****.

* Preposterous puns and peculiar pronunciations permitted with plausible pretext.
** Portions must be photogenically presented.
*** Preferably prior to pig-out.
*****Postings must possess: prolegomenous paragraphs, preliminary planning, prerequisite paraphernalia, preparation procedures, photographs and pertinent prose******.
***** Postulants must post professionally prepared pages for publication prior to the primordial picoseconds of Pluto Day (2/18/2009).
****** Premium points for poetic pentameter.

Matt and BobbyC are the two primary contestants, but if you care to play along please post your entry on your own blog and send us a link. (time parameters do not apply to external contestants)