Top Chef V

This was our biggest, and possibly best, Top Chef event. People arrived in the mid-afternoon to start planning, shopping, and drinking. After throwing the ingredient submissions of bacon, chocolate, persimmon, egg, and pear into a hat, Judge Katie picked pear, the group divided into teams, brainstormed, shopped, and got to work.

See a bit of the action on YouTube

Team Awesome: Bill, Gabi, Rebecca, Keith, Rusty

Team Perineum: Chris, Doug, Jen, Katie, Robin

Judges: Sandy, Rich, Katie Wolfe

Videographer: Jessica

First Course: Pear Ceviche
- Scallop
- Shrimp
- Asian pears
- Cilantro- Tomato

Served with a pear liqueur shot

Second Course: Grilled Cheese with Pear served with Winter Squash Pear Soup

Sandwich
- Brioche
- grilled pear
- bleu cheese
- balsamic reduction

Soup
- Butternut squash
- Creme fraiche
- Bartlett pears

Third Course, Dessert: Vanilla and Spiced Pear Cupcake with Salted Caramel Frosting

Spiced pear cake recipe from BrokeAssGourmet (Gabi's fabulous website)

Frosting

- Buttercream recipe (see prior post)

- Homemade caramel sauce

The best news of all is that the judges loved every course. The other team rocked it with some great food as well: pear won-ton and swordfish, but a massive fail with baked pear drenched in balsamic vinegar. With my mother as a judge, no fruit dessert is going to beat a solid buttercream frosting!

So, the end result? My first win, ever! Team Awesome let me keep the trophy: