Posted by: Colleen Kaminsky
Last night was one of the most excited and nervous I have felt in a long time! As a CPA, I am used to stressful deadlines, but I rarely fear the threat of personal injury. A paper cut is at the top of my danger list, and it can seriously ruin my day. But, staring through the glass wall into the beautiful commercial-grade kitchen at Cleveland's next hot spot, Pura Vida located in downtown's historic May Co. building, I realized that I would soon be surrounded by flames and sharp knives as I competed with my teammates against some of Cleveland's finest lawyers and professionals. I was a little intimidated to say the least.
The Food Fight was an event planned by Cleveland's Women in Law (WiL) to raise money for their community outreach program. Their aim is to change the lives of Cleveland's women in transition by sharing their experiences and helping them believe in and reach their true potential. Local firms donated money to have the opportunity to compete at this wonderful event.
The time and effort that went into organizing the WiL Food Fight must have been enormous. Twenty-four teams competed over three forty minute rounds in the kitchen. A cameraman followed around the competitors as they cooked, allowing the attendees to watch on screens and get a taste of the action. When you weren't watching the cooks sweat over the stove, you could bid on a bounty of amazing baskets at the silent auction, enjoy the delicious food being passed around, have a glass of wine and socialize with professionals that we see so often, but they were donned with aprons and smiles instead of suits and smart phones.
"Dinner by Zinner" didn't come away with any awards, but if there had be one for best team name, I think there was no competition! Brett Neate and I met days ahead of time to choose our recipe, our secret ingredient (panko crumbs) and divide our dish into manageable tasks. As soon as we entered the kitchen, we grabbed our ingredients and hunted for the tools we would need to use. We made salmon filets, stuffed with a cream cheese, spinach and nutmeg filling and topped it with a panko, asiago crust. The salmon was grilled (leaving a nice smokey flavor), broiled (making a wonderfully light and crispy crust) and finally baked (to finish cooking the fish and warm the filling to a creamy perfection!). We plated the filet over sautéed zucchini and summer squash, finishing it with a lemon butter sauce and a sprig of thyme.
As the last minutes were ticking by, we didn't think we would finish! It was a mad rush to put together our two plates and our chaffing dish. They would be presented to be considered for awards including best presentation, one for the VIP voters' choice and finally the judges' top pick. We managed to finish plating in the nick of time! As we emerged from the kitchen red hot and sweaty, relieved to have finished, and proud with our dishes in hand, we found out we had to personally present our dish to the celebrity judges and wait while they tasted and critiqued our work. Will the stress never end? Thankfully, we did a great job, and the judges were very complimentary. We didn't bring back the magnum bottle of wine awarded to the best dish, but now that Zinner has a taste for competition, we'll be back next year with a vengeance!
The best part of the experience was working with Brett. We trusted each other and worked well together in the heat of the moment. Feeling the sense of collective accomplishment was overwhelming, and I'm thrilled to have been a part of this event with him. What a rush!