Dinner guests compete with eats

Friendly food fights inspired by TV's 'Iron Chef'

Like their television counterparts, the Lander family treats the secret ingredient with reverence.

It is concealed under a domed basket as it is carried into the family's gorgeously appointed kitchen. With great dramatic flourish, it is revealed to their eager guests.

Josh Reynolds/AP

Eric Lander and his family regularly host "Iron Chef"-style dinner parties at their Cambridge, Mass., home.

Thus begins the cook-off, a reality television-inspired dinner party that pits guests against one another to create the most beautiful, original and best-tasting dish using the secret ingredient.

Welcome to "Iron Chef," the home edition.

Since it began airing on the Food Network in 1999, the chef-vs.-chef competitive cooking show has become a pop culture phenomenon. And now it is invading the home dinner party.

After years of watching Japanese-made "Iron Chef" and its U.S. spinoffs, "Iron Chef America" and "The Next Iron Chef," in which pros rapidly prepare meals based on a single ingredient, amateur cooks have started staging food battles in their own kitchens.

"It's done with great fanfare," Eric Lander says of the "Iron Chef"-style dinner parties he and his wife and three children regularly host at their Cambridge, Mass., home.

"There's no time for recipes," says Lander, a 50-year-old scientist who worked on the Human Genome Project. "You're jockeying for burners, negotiating over shrimp. You draw on what you know."

The parties are a great way to bring together friends who share a passion for fine food and competition, says David Cavuto, who adapted the rules of the show for use at dinner parties. He's been hosting them since 2001.

Secret ingredients at Cavuto's parties have included cranberries, shiitake mushrooms and onions.

"I was really surprised," says the 34-year-old engineer from Edison, N.J. "People were more enthusiastic about coming to a dinner party where they participated in this formal way."

Diners are always looking for ways to make their meals more engaging, says Mitchell Davis, vice president of the James Beard Foundation in New York.

"We've been trained to expect a certain level of excitement from our food," he says. "In some ways just sitting down to dinner isn't enough for people."

Mike Slagle, a 26-year-old leadership trainer who once challenged a coworker to an "Iron Chef" contest, was drawn by "the challenge of it, trying to prepare multiple things with (the) same basic ingredient in a short amount of time."

Participating in the competition was fun but stressful, says Michele Martin, whose recipe for potato cheesesteak bested Slagle's spinach and Kalamata olive lasagna with ricotta and goat cheese in the competition. (The secret ingedient was cheese.)

"It's really kind of intense," says Martin, 27, who lives in Columbus, Ohio.

For the Landers, the competition continues after the food has been prepared. In a nod to the original show, they require participants to offer grandiose descriptions of their entrees.

Past guests have conjured up stories about recipes passed on by lost loves from distant continents, and dishes designed to make you "proud to be an American," says Lander.

Harvey Golden, a Cincinnati-based personal chef, says he's been asked to plan and judge "Iron Chef" parties. He says those clients usually have honed their skills in cooking classes and are looking to put them to the test.

Just as Americans push themselves on the ball field or in the office, they want to challenge themselves in the kitchen, says Dana Cowin, editor-in-chief of Food & Wine magazine.

"It's part of the nature of Americans," she says. "It does make sense that we would take it in the kitchen."

And that's fine with Bruce Seidel, producer of "Iron Chef America" and a senior vice president at Food Network. He's thrilled that people are using the show as a model for entertaining at home.

In fact, the network even invites viewers to submit videos of their own competitions, and sometimes sends film crews out to capture them, posting the videos at www.howdoyouironchef.com.

"It's a canvas for people to grow their skills and show off," he said. "Food is a lifestyle."

Hatching a party plan

Some tips for planning your own "Iron Chef"-inspired dinner party:

-- Determine whether you have enough room in your kitchen to accommodate multiple teams cooking meals at the same time.

If not, consider a potluck or grilling competition.

-- Choose a secret ingredient. Pick something that lends itself to sweet and savory dishes. If you are hosting a potluck party, figure out how soon before the party you want to reveal the ingredient.

-- If you're hosting a cooking party, be sure to have a stocked pantry for guests to cook with.

-- Develop your judging criteria and make sure all contestants are aware of them.

-- Set a time limit. Though the television show pulls it off in an hour, you may need to allow your guests a bit longer.

-- Associated Press

Stock your pantry

If you're planning to host an "Iron Chef" dinner party, you'll need a well-stocked pantry. Harvey Golden, a Cincinnati-based personal chef who has been hired to run and judge these parties, suggests the following:

Dry goods

Cornstarch, flour, granulated sugar, white and brown rice, pasta, nuts, tea, baking powder, baking soda, chocolate chips, dark brown sugar, vanilla and honey.

Herbs and spices

Basil, bay leaves, bouillon (chicken and beef), chili powder, cinnamon, garlic, ginger, nutmeg, onion powder, oregano, paprika, parsley, black pepper, rosemary, sage, salt, celery seeds, chives, cloves, cumin, curry powder, dry mustard, poppy seeds, sesame seeds and thyme.

Condiments and miscellany

Canola oil, cooking spray, mustard, olive oil, soy sauce, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce.

Perishables

Milk, eggs, butter, margarine, cheese, sour cream, yogurt, fresh fruit and vegetables, garlic, onions, potatoes and salad ingredients.

-- Associated Press