#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

#54: coconut (second edition) - March 2014

The second coconut cookoff was held at Tim D's lovely Vancouver special near Trout Lake, on the 24th of March. It was a strangely warm and sunny evening, and we all enjoyed the extra bit of daylight with our food and homebrew. Oh, & an advance warning: for some reason this cookoff had even more obscene dish names than usual.

COMPETITORS AND ENTRIES

Steph: "coc-balls" coconut milk/oil/flour/shreds in a macaroon, with a maple syrup glaze

Amanda: "cracked nuts & cunt cream" lime-baked coconut chips with coconut chipotle sour cream, served in a coconut husk*

Jen: "shrimpin' ain't easy" coconut-fried tempeh (in the style of coconut shrimp) with a celeriac rémoulade, topped with fried green onions & toasted coconut

Tim: "butter chk-AHHH" Indian-spiced coconut curry with pumpkin, chickpeas, & basil

Nina: "Hawaiian bacon dream" coconut bacon crust with a chocolate, peanut, & coconut oil filling

Selena: "Mount Chocula" chocolate coconut pudding with coconut whip, topped with toasted coconut & a maraschino cherry

Katie: "coconut let-him-cum pudding" spiced lemon coconut rice pudding topped with candied coconut flakes and lemon zest

Nik: "coconut Thai-scream" ginger, lemongrass, & kaffir lime coconut ice cream, with bird's eye chili syrup, ginger-candied coconut flakes, and mint leaves

Selena competed for the first time. Also in attendance were Dan, Sarah, Laryssa, and another Nick.
*Amanda regarded this as the worst thing she'd ever made, and served it anyway because it took so long to make. Many of us agreed, though we did admire her effort in splitting the coconut husks.

CATEGORIES AND WINNERS
seconds: Jen
presentation: Amanda
creativity: Nik
coconicity: Steph
overall favourite: Nik

overall winner: Nik

best name: (unscored category) Jen

#53: cooking with tea (second edition) - February 2014

The previous cookoff (cooking with booze) made us all nostalgic for the tea cookoff, so we decided to do that one again. This time it was held at Flatland (Laryssa/Hayley/Katie's) on the 17th of February. There were a few new faces, as well as several faces that hadn't been seen in awhile! We all admired the interior overhaul the girls had given the place after Katie moved in, and the wine, beer, & conversation flowed freely.

COMPETITORS AND ENTRIES

Amanda: "fuckin' breakfast" earl grey oatmeal with cinnamon-sugared almonds, earl grey poached pear, and sprinkled with lavender

Sarah: "sip it slow and pound it hard" genmai-cha miso broth with fried mochi, bean sprouts, carrots, & green onion

Laryssa: "dragonball tea" green tea-crusted tofu with stir-fried shiitakes & cabbage in a green tea sauce; green onion garnish

Jen: "round robin" coconut curried sweet potato soup with jasmine & lemon ginger teas

Katie: "nutty bush" chai quinoa balls with lemon, garlic, & chili peppers, on a bed of sprouts with green onion & celery

Maddie: "maté chocaroons, or, snapchat has failed me" double chocolate coconut macaroons with yerba maté & sea salt

Hayley G: "ca-CHOO!" matcha & white mulberry tea cashew cheesecake with lavender-infused chocolate and toasted salty sunflower seeds

Nik: "teacups" green tea & coconut butter tarts with a chai-infused graham crust

Katie, Maddie, & Nik competed for the first time. Also in attendance were Selena, Tim D, Dan, Nina, Cera, & Hayley W.

CATEGORIES & WINNERS
seconds: Jen
creativity: Katie
presentation: Amanda
tea-nacity: Amanda/Sarah
overall favourite: Amanda/Laryssa/Jen

overall winner: Amanda

best name: (unscored category) Laryssa

#52: cooking with booze (second edition) - January 2014

Liquor-off the second was held at Ravenclaw House (Malloreigh & Allie's) on the 13th of January. It was one of our biggest, thirteen entries! After a few small ones in a row, it was a little overwhelming; we didn't finish eating until almost 11pm! It was an incredible cookoff, and our five (!!!) year anniversary! It was also the first in a long, long while where everyone who attended was competing.

COMPETITORS AND ENTRIES

Anna: "Wiser's cornucopia" mushroom & bean chili with sundried & roasted tomatoes, infused with Wiser's rye whiskey and garnished with chives, sour cream, & 2 kinds of cheese

Malloreigh: "I love cooking with wine; sometimes I even put it in the food!" pea, mint, & cilantro flan with mashed cauliflower & sunchokes, cooked with white wine

Chris: "something something sausage in your mouth" fennel & red wine seitan sausage with pane bianca, homemade pickled onions, and a red wine miso sauce

Jen: "patatas Havanas" Catalana-style patatas bravas (fried potato wedges) tossed in dark Havana rum & crushed chilies, with a white wine aïoli

Sarah: "pockets of realization" gluten-free perogies filled with bourbon-infused coconut bacon and potato, served with an apple cider applesauce

Laryssa: "the stout & unsavoury shepherd" tempeh, mushroom & vegetable pot pie with gravy, made with stout in every element (including the crust)

Kristina: "go home prawns, you're drunk!" whiskey flambé 'prawns' with grits, jalapeño, tamari, & hot sauce garnish

Bronwen: "steak your claim" tofu steak cooked with Bulleit rye, with a whiskey brown sauce, mashed potatoes, and sautéed mushrooms & onions

Alex: "French twist" white wine macadamia nut cheese on crostini, with a shaved vegetable salad and olive oil & lemon balm garnish

Tim: "ice ice beerby" ice creams made with (from left to right) stout, nut brown ale, pale ale, & gluten-free chestnut ale; served with roasted pear & rum-soaked sour cherry

Ash: "roseberry sorbet" raspberry rosé wine sorbet in a sugar cone & garnished with cocoa nibs

Steph: "boozy bourbon baked berry brown betty" blackberries & strawberries soaked in bourbon, with a coconut flour & oat topping

Allie: "royal pink rumpage" royal gala apple crumble with Sailor Jerry spiced rum and oat-pumpkin seed topping, garnished with soy sour cream

Anna, Tim A. & Alex all competed for the first time.

CATEGORIES AND WINNERS
seconds: Jen
presentation: Alex
alcoholism (best use of ingredient): Tim
creativity: Jen
overall favourite: Chris/Jen/Bronwen

overall winner: Jen

best name: (unscored category) Tim

Because we didn't have any judges (non-competitors), we ran out of wine pretty quickly and actually went for a liquor store run during the break! That hasn't happened in a long time, & it's pretty ironic that it would happen at an alcohol-themed cookoff.