University of Akron students will compete in the Vegan Iron Chef competition at Kent State University's Who's Your Mama Earth Day Festival, Sunday, April 22, at 1 p.m.
Three student teams from UA and three from KSU will have 45 minutes to prepare a three-course vegan meal. Judges will choose the top teams based on flavor, presentation, use of locally grown and/or organic food, originality and use of raw ingredients in their dishes.
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Visit UA's Hospitality Management Program to learn more about the opportunities offered to students.
"The challenge specific to this Iron Chef competition is to provide protein in a plant-based meal," says Chef Richard Alford, UA associate professor emeritus of hospitality management, who adds that the experience students gain from participating in the competition helps make them marketable in the hospitality industry.
For the past five years, UA students placed among the top three in the competition. This year, UA dietetics student Meghan Rice will rise to the occasion and prepare a tempeh dish as a protein source.
"The ability to take something delicious and prepare it in a way that provides nutrition and full flavor is the ultimate challenge for chefs today," Rice says. "I hope, with the help of my nutrition background and my two talented and creative teammates, to bring the best to the table."
Story by Theresa Augustin.
Media contact: Denise Henry, 330-972-6477 or henryd@uakron.edu.