Royal Purple

Issue date: 3/19/08 Section: Arts & Entertainment

Media Credit: Joy Kowald Iron Chef Dessert Challenge winner Maita Trahms, freshman, participates in a cook-off to end the challenge. Trahms won with a mint brownie swirl cheesecake.

Tuesday night held the final installment of the Iron Chef of Whitewater Dessert Challenge, sponsored by the Residence Hall Association. Starting at 7 p.m. in the UC's Hamilton Center, 11 students challenged each other for first place, each bringing their own delicatessen to the table.

From the classic chocolate chip cookies to the equally delicious cheesecakes, the judge's panel tasted them all. The judges, consisted of four members, Kate Burrow, Wellers/Knilans hall director, Kim Simes, student services specialist for First Year Experience, Luis Benevoglienti, Lee/Fricker hall director, and Chris Hollar, Arey/Benson hall director.

In the end, amateur chef, freshman Maita Trahms, won with a mint brownie swirl cheesecake topped with chocolate.

"As a high school senior I went part- time to a college in Minnesota and took cooking classes," Trahms said.

Trahms' prize was a 30-piece set of kitchen utensils and a plaque with a blue spatula centered in the middle. Trahms said that she found out about the competition through campus advertisements. Now that she has her new set, Trahms said nothing will stop her from cooking even more.

Second place went to freshman Liza Hoyer, who baked Oreo mousse cups. Third place went to senior Laura Harman Oie, who baked a reduced calorie and carbs raspberry citrus white chocolate cheesecake. Hoyer was awarded a red spatula and a micro pasta and rice set, and Harman Oie was awarded a green spatula plaque and a cheese grinder.

A game was held after the audience members took a short break to taste the many different desserts. Under each seat was a small paper cup, commonly used to hold cupcakes. While many of the cups had a frowning face drawn on it, a few had a smiling face drawn on the bottom.

Numerous audience members, realizing they had received the 'happy-face' paper cup, and ran onto the stage to receive a gift.

After another short break, the Chartwells chef, Kerry Doll, took the stage with Thrams and faced off in a cook-off using ingredients that the professional chef had picked out - rice crispy treats, chocolate, vanilla, fruits, nuts, and many other types of sweet toppings that could enhance the two contesting cooks' desserts.

Continued...

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