Do you think your favorite home recipe is creative and delectable enough to win over the taste buds of the Fordham community?
Fordham’s Hospitality Services invites you to prove it by entering its culinary competition this fall.
Open to students, parents, alumni, faculty and staff, the competition continues a tradition begun last year with the search for Fordham’s signature dessert.
The dessert title was given to the Maroon Velvet Cake recipe submitted by Rick Manista, then a senior at Fordham College at Lincoln Center. Since then, the cake has been a “very popular dessert at a lot of University events,” said Brian Poteat, general manager of Food Services.
This year, the search is on for the best non-dessert recipe, which opens the field to entrees, salads, sandwiches—anything that falls under the category of “family traditional food,” Poteat said.
“We started with the dessert competition, which was so successful and so much fun, we said, ‘Why don’t we try to build on it and try something new?’ So we took it a step farther,” he continued.
Six finalists with the best recipes will be selected to work with the Fordham team of culinary experts to prepare 200 tasting portions in The Marketplace on Nov. 6, when the final judging will take place.
As part of Family Weekend, the tasting event will bring together parents and other family members with students, staff, faculty and alumni to sample each dish and choose the winner.
While participants will be asked to provide detailed step-by-step instructions for their original recipes, the culinary team also wants to learn the history of the dish and why it’s a special recipe.
Some of last year’s entries included details about recipes in family histories, how they were related to Fordham and even how they were associated with the Jesuits, Poteat said.
“We received some very funny and fascinating stories,” he said. This year, Poteat is hoping for more of the same.
The winner of “So You Think You Can Cook?” will receive an assortment of Fordham merchandise. He or she also will be featured in Fordham online and print media, and will be photographed with Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham, and Michael DeMartino, executive chef.
The winning recipe may even be added to the Food Services menu cycle and become part of Fordham’s culinary history, Poteat said.
Poteat hopes the culinary competition tradition at Fordham will continue to evolve, adding, “Next year might be a favorite party appetizer.”
