Ultimate Cook Off - Combined Youth Night.

Our Ward Youth decided they would like to invite another wards youth to join us for a night of cooking fun, so we created an Ultimate Cook-off.

We were catering for about 60 youth and we had a simple plan that was fairly easy to implement. 

The Plan: 

-The Youth would be divided into 6 groups (made up of ages etc and mixed from both wards)

- Each ward would provide at least 3 sets of each of the following : Electric frying pan, rice cooker, cutting boards, knives and other utensils, and bowls so that each group had the basic tools for them to cook.

- Each ward asked to supply 3 mystery bags of food each with one fruit, one meat, and one "interesting" ingrediant.  (Items could be canned or fresh) 

- We set up in the cultural Hall as the kitchen space at the chapel is not made for cooking.  We used one Long table per group.  Each table had an extension power cord and a multi plug connected to a power point. 

-PANTRY ITEMS- Because this challenge was about making do with what you have we provided basic pantry items for ALL teams to share:  Set up on one table, teams could take what they NEEDED to use.  Our items: OIL, Soy Sauce, Tomato Paste, Fresh herbs, variety of fresh Vege, cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, egg, Onions used in challenge, garlic, Milk powder, Butter and sugar. 

On the night to organize groups we gave out small wooden coloured craft pegs (we had 10 of each colour)  The peg represented which group/table you were assigned to.   This worked out to be a great way of dividing the youth and each team worked really well. 

THE SKILLS test :  (To win an advantage)   We started the night by letting the teams choose one player to represent their team in a round of elimination challenges.  

1: All 6 teams sent one player up to the front table to slice 1 whole onion finely each. Last two teams eliminated from challenge.

2: 4 remaining teams send a player each to separate egg white/ egg yolk.  Last team eliminated

3: 3 teams race to peel and orange with a knife - Last team eliminated

4: Last two teams compete by Eating 3 Large pickles each - First one WINS the advantage for their team. 

THE ADVANTAGE: This team got to choose between cooking in the hall with everyone else OR have the sole use of the kitchen AND they got to choose their mystery bag and give the other bags to all other teams AND choose to SWAP one mystery bag ITEM with another team. 

THE RULES: 

- 50 MINS to cook two dishes.  ONE MAIN and ONE dessert. 

-ONE of the dishes must contain RICE

- MUST use ALL 3 mystery bag ingredients in some way in one or both dishes

- Can use Pantry items
- Can only cook using electric Frying pan and Rice cooker.

Some of the Mystery Bag ingredients : Canned Pineapple, Canned Corn Beef, Jalepno Peppers, Tuscan seasoning, kiwifruit, beef strips, Spam, grapefruit, canned corn, canned mandarins, persimons, sausages, hot sauce.

The Youth had a great time and came up with some fantastic meals.   We had the two Bishops judge the food on presentation, taste and how well they used their mystery bag ingredients.

                       http://www.mormonnewsroom.org.nz/article/auckland-youth-cook-for-fun