March 5, 2009 Issue
Clash In The Kitchen
Crippen’s Hosts First Preliminary Fire on the Rock Chef’s Challenge
Bill Greene and Michael Foreman Photos by Tom SantayWhen Crippen’s Country Inn & Restaurant owner Jimmy Crippen entered his kitchen to find a frozen pipe on Tuesday morning, the first installment of the 2009 Fire on the Rock Chef’s Challenge did not get off to a promising start.
“The first thing we do is walk in the kitchen and realize our pipes are frozen,” said Crippen, incredulously.
Chefs Michael Forman of Bistro Roca and Bill Greene of Artisinal arrived at noon to find a worried Crippen, a pipe spewing water and a plumber trying to address the problem. But for Foreman and Greene, their minds were focused on another liquid altogether—their secret ingredient; milk.
“Their jaws dropped to the floor,” said Crippen.
Over the last three years, the Fire On The Rock Chef’s Challenge has become one of the Blue Ridge Wine and Food Festival’s most popular events, both with spectators and chefs. So popular in fact that this year’s Chef’s Challenge will feature a series of preliminary rounds throughout the month of March at Crippen’s to determine the final eight contestants who will compete during the April festival. Last Tuesday’s culinary showdown between Greene and Foreman was this year’s first battle.
Bistro Roca team members Scott Glassgow and Seth Parker put the finishing touches on the evening’s second dish, a creamed earl grey smoked lamb finished with beet and marsala molasses. Photo by Ken Ketchie
Much like the popular TV show Iron Chef, the Fire on the Rock Chef’s Challenge tests chef’s skills by forcing them to cook on the fly using the same secret ingredient in each dish. In addition to using their basic culinary skills, each chef must artfully incorporate the secret ingredient to accentuate each of the three courses.
Armed with $100 worth of spices and two helpers each, Foreman and Greene began feverishly moving about the kitchen creating the dishes that would hopefully impress Crippen’s diners, who began arriving at 5:30 p.m. Crippen also made sure to confiscate the chef’s cell phones to ensure they wouldn’t solicit any outside help.
By the 7:00 p.m. start time, it was apparent to Crippen that he had underestimated the popularity of the event. Expecting around 40 diners, Crippen informed Foreman and Greene that 70 people were in the packed dining room awaiting their creations.
“They were really working like the dickens to get everything prepared in time,” said Crippen. “All in all, both teams sucked it up and moved forward, just like professionals do.”
Before servers began streaming to and from tables with the highly anticipated first dish, Crippen distributed scorecards, explained to the diners the rules of the evening and announced the secret ingredient. He also gave a crash course on how to be a professional food critic, providing thoughts for how diners should judge each of the six dishes they would receive throughout the dinner.
According to Crippen, one of the most important aspects for each Fire on the Rock Chef’s Challenge is making sure that diners don’t know which chef is preparing each dish. Instead of simply alternating, Crippen varied the dishes in a manner that wouldn’t easily reveal the identity of either chef.
“Nobody knew whose dish was whose,” said Crippen.
After hours of intense food preparation, Chef Michael Foreman, Scott Glassgow, Seth Parker, Brian Martin, Jay Nolan and Chef Bill Greene take a breather and while awaiting the results of the first Fire on the Rock Chef’s Challenge. Photo by Ken Ketchie
Throughout the evening, the chefs labored over three courses apiece, incorporating milk into each dish and doling out tapas-sized portions that were speedily served to the discriminating crowd.
With each successive dish, diners sampled, savored and scored, awarding the most points to the most deserving and delectable delights. When the steam cleared from the kitchen and diners’ forks rested on their empty plates, Crippen gathered scorecards and tabulated the final totals out of a possible perfect score of 6,000.
When Crippen returned, both chefs and their teams emerged from the kitchen for the reading of the scores. Crippen read over each dish, giving out individual scores leading up to the final announcement. With a total of 3,922 points, Greene emerged victorious, beating out Foreman’s score of 3,392. Both were showered with applause from the 70 appreciative and satiated diners.
According to diner Paula Horton, the entire Chef’s Challenge experience was thoroughly enjoyable and exceeded her expectations throughout.
“It was fabulous. I thought they did a wonderful job,” said Horton. “I thought it was very well put together; very well organized. The food was fabulous and diners really took it seriously.”
Chef Bill Greene, along with help from competitor Chef Michael Foreman and team member Brian Martin, give the night a sweet finish with rum glazed Hawaiian pineapple, vanilla bean ice cream, puff pastry and caramel. Photo by Ken Ketchie
Despite its auspicious beginnings, Crippen was pleased with the outcome of the evening and thrilled with the crowd. He also noted that publicity help from Tom Santay Productions helped fill the restaurant.
“We gave everybody a plug and did what we set out to do which is to promote the chefs in the area,” said Crippen. “All in all, it was a great experience. Everybody had fun.”
Along with Greene, the winner of each battle will advance and compete in the 2009 Fire On The Rock Chef’s Challenge during the Blue Ridge Wine and Food Festival, which will be held from Thursday to Sunday, April 16 to 19.
The six-course competition menu is $39 per guest and reservations must be made in advance. Beverages, tax and tip are not included. Call Crippen’s at 828-295-3487 or email reservations@crippens.com to secure a reservation. Crippen’s Country Inn & Restaurant is located at 239 Sunset Drive in Blowing Rock. For a complete list of Fire On The Rock Chef’s Challenge guidelines, click to www.crippens.com.
Fire on the Rock Chef’s Challenge Diner Ballot
Menu of the Evening
Dish #1: Roasted Cream of Butternut Squash Soup with Seared Diver Scallop, Prosciutto & Sage (Prepared by Chef Bill Greene) Received 1180 points
Dish #2: Pickled Tomato Concasse with Thyme-Goat Cheese Ice Cream and Creamed Earl Grey Smoked Lamb finished with Beet & Marsala Molasses (Prepared by Michael Foreman) Received 1105 points
Dish #3: Braised Leg of Lamb and Mushroom Cannelloni, Herb Bechamel, Piperade Sauce and Parmesan (Prepared by Chef Bill Greene) Received 1340 points
Dish #4: Potato & Gorgonzola Gnocchi in a Bittergreen, Prosciutto & Calamata Cream with Dressed Baby Greens (Prepared by Chef Michael Foreman) Received 1020 points
Dish #5: Carrot, Parsnip, Zucchini & Green Bean Carpaccio, Curried Scallop Stuffed Stuffed Pork Tenderloin Poached in Coconut Milk, Lime & Cilantro with a Carrot & Fennel Brulee Quinelle (Prepared by Chef Michael Foreman) Received 1295 points
Dish #6: Rum Glazed Hawaiian Pineapple, Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, Puff Pastry & Caramel (Prepared by Chef Bill Greene) Received 1472 points
Fire On The Rock Qualifying Rounds Schedule
More than a dozen of the area’s best chefs will battle head-to-head during six-round culinary clashes taking place at Crippen’s Country Inn & Restaurant during the month of March. Members of the public will decide which eight chefs advance to compete at the Fire On The Rock Chef’s Challenge during the 4th Annual Blue Ridge Wine and Food Festival in April.
March 10 Ciao Bella at the Meadowbrook Inn Chef Guy Thomas vs. Pssghetti’s Chef Jordan Allen
March 11 Canyons Chef Daniel Bock vs. Blowing Rock Country Club Chef Marietta DeBriere
March 17 Hound Ear’s Chef Dominic Gerarghty vs. Storie Street Grille Chef Andrew Long
March 18 The Table at Crestwood Chef Chuck Nelson vs. Casa Rustica’s Chef Sam Beasely
March 24 Glidewell’s Chef Will Burrell vs. Jackson Dining Room at Broyhill Chef Guy Brenaman
March 25 Crippen’s Chef James Welch vs. The Library at the Green Park Inn Chef Jamie Lyda
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