We approached this Sunday’s cooking challenge a little differently. We invited a panel of Judges (Uncle Nick, Gram and Aunt Aurora) to decide the winner of ... Chicken Challenge!

Cass, Mom & I each presented a chicken entreé to our judges who, on full bellies, decided the Chicken King!

I was first, and let the panel of judges decide...
"which is first? the chicken or the egg?"

I plated a bowl of Stracciatelli Soup (a traditional Italian, egg & spinach soup with mini-chicken meatballs) along with fresh pasta tossed with a pesto crudo and topped with a chicken roulade stuffed with parmesean, spinach and tomato confeit.

Mom was next, and delivered an architectural masterpiece — A Chicken Napoleon (layers of chicken, spinach, artichokes, cheeses and a bechamel sauce separated by pasta wraps and accompanied by roasted cherry tomatoes, portobella mushrooms and peas।

Last, but definitely not least, was Cassie’s Chicken Teriyaki. Cass's homemade teriyaki marinaded chicken was served with a fresh vegetable Asian salad and carmelized baked pineapple.

We enjoyed all the dishes, and the judges voted ....

... me THE WINNER this week.

Battle "grilled"

The theme tonight was “grilled” and the “food fight” was between me, cassie and nana.

The categories were the usual first course & main course, and for the first-time ever, the third course was a “wild card option” of appetizer or dessert.

Mom picked the wild card and did both. A whole wheat pizzette stuffed with ricotta and bacon, topped with montrey jack cheese, chorizo and grilled onion was her appetizer. For dessert, she presented honey-grilled pineapple slices with peaches and a spicy Thai-chile peanut sauce.

I selected first course and presented a sweet/tart grilled duo. Sweet - a sweet sherry, buere blanc seared scallop and roasted corn salad. Tart - a cedar plank, grilled calamari steak over oregano-lemon dressed european greens.

Cassie got main course and she prepared a kabob duo accompanied by roasted tomato salad and baby roasted Peruvian potatoes. The first kabob was a standard beef with portobellos and zucchini and the second was a cassie’s re-invention of ‘pork chops with apple sauce’