Assignment: Street Food War!

GOURMET FOODS
2025-12-01T16:30:11Z

Due: Mar 11 by 11:59pm

The Competition will be on March 11

This is a group project. We will split the class into teams and you will work together to decide on what you are doing. Students who do not participate will receive a zero.

Your teams will be battling head to head in a "Street Food" inspired food war. Over the next few weeks, your teams will be creating a dish based on a famous street food, but reimagined into a dish that could be served at a high-quality restaurant (something between high-end fine dining and a casual restaurant). You will decide on a street food item to be inspired by and transform it into something new and exciting, while still capturing the essence of the original dish. You MUST make something delicious but you will also be graded on creativity.

RULES (subject to change):

You must choose cooking techniques that are possible in our classroom kitchen (I can't buy new equipment).

You're going to make 3 portions (plates) on the day of the competition.

Other than that cook whatever you want.

GRADING (120 points total):

The winning team will get an extra 10 points added to their overall score

The grading Criteria will be 40 points for your preparation and 40 points for the judges tasting and 40 points for individual participation in the project

Presentation of idea/name of dish: 10 points

How well you can explain your dish and the idea behind it. Is your dish clearly inspired by a street food item?

Selection of ingredients and cooking techniques: 10 points

Do your cooking techniques work well with each ingredient?

Are your ingredients authentic to the original dish?

Ordering/Prep Lists: 10 points

You will write order lists telling me EXACTLY what ingredients you need. You will write prep lists telling me EXACTLY what prep needs to be done and in what order. I will help guide you with this as well.

Mise En Place List: 10 points

You will write a list of all the equipment you need to cook your dish and what you need it for. You will be graded on the accuracy of this list. If I have to use equipment that is not on your list, I will deduct points.

Flavor: 10 points

Judge will determine the overall deliciousness of your dish.

Creativity: 10 points

Judge will determine how creative your take on the original street food item is.

Authenticity: 10 points

Judge will determine if your dish is truly inspired by the essence of the original street food item.

Presentation: 10 points

Judge will determine how aesthetically you present your dish.

Things to consider:

You are in charge of distributing tasks between your team. One person can do all the work, or you can distribute it evenly into teams. This is how it works in the "business world". Make the best decision for your team.

You are in charge of your own schedule. You decide what days you cook. You may create any type of communication between your teammates to keep the conversation going outside of school. It's 100% up to you.

You will be graded honestly. I won't be overly critical or overly lenient. If you put in the work, you will do fine. If you don't get your work done, it will negatively affect your whole team. This is the reality of the restaurant business. You're only as good as the dish you put up. Do your best.

I will ensure that the judges are not-overly critical as well. You will be graded fairly throughout the whole process.

We have time constraints in our class. We won't be able to spend 7 hours cooking on the day of the competition. You may not want to over-complicate your techniques. Communicate your ideas with me and I will give you honest feedback.

Each team will be allowed to ask me for specific ideas (about how to improve the dish itself) 3 times throughout the whole planning process. Use them wisely.

Don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions/comments/concerns. This project is about your own personal style. I'm open to your suggestions and will answer every question you have.

"A recipe has no soul. You, as the cook, must bring soul to the recipe." - Thomas Keller

The Competition will be on March 11

This is a group project. We will split the class into teams and you will work together to decide on what you are doing. Students who do not participate will receive a zero.

Your teams will be battling head to head in a "Street Food" inspired food war. Over the next few weeks, your teams will be creating a dish based on a famous street food, but reimagined into a dish that could be served at a high-quality restaurant (something between high-end fine dining and a casual restaurant). You will decide on a street food item to be inspired by and transform it into something new and exciting, while still capturing the essence of the original dish. You MUST make something delicious but you will also be graded on creativity.

RULES (subject to change):

You must choose cooking techniques that are possible in our classroom kitchen (I can't buy new equipment).

You're going to make 3 portions (plates) on the day of the competition.

Other than that cook whatever you want.

GRADING (120 points total):

The winning team will get an extra 10 points added to their overall score

The grading Criteria will be 40 points for your preparation and 40 points for the judges tasting and 40 points for individual participation in the project

Presentation of idea/name of dish: 10 points

How well you can explain your dish and the idea behind it. Is your dish clearly inspired by a street food item?

Selection of ingredients and cooking techniques: 10 points

Do your cooking techniques work well with each ingredient?

Are your ingredients authentic to the original dish?

Ordering/Prep Lists: 10 points

You will write order lists telling me EXACTLY what ingredients you need. You will write prep lists telling me EXACTLY what prep needs to be done and in what order. I will help guide you with this as well.

Mise En Place List: 10 points

You will write a list of all the equipment you need to cook your dish and what you need it for. You will be graded on the accuracy of this list. If I have to use equipment that is not on your list, I will deduct points.

Flavor: 10 points

Judge will determine the overall deliciousness of your dish.

Creativity: 10 points

Judge will determine how creative your take on the original street food item is.

Authenticity: 10 points

Judge will determine if your dish is truly inspired by the essence of the original street food item.

Presentation: 10 points

Judge will determine how aesthetically you present your dish.

Things to consider:

You are in charge of distributing tasks between your team. One person can do all the work, or you can distribute it evenly into teams. This is how it works in the "business world". Make the best decision for your team.

You are in charge of your own schedule. You decide what days you cook. You may create any type of communication between your teammates to keep the conversation going outside of school. It's 100% up to you.

You will be graded honestly. I won't be overly critical or overly lenient. If you put in the work, you will do fine. If you don't get your work done, it will negatively affect your whole team. This is the reality of the restaurant business. You're only as good as the dish you put up. Do your best.

I will ensure that the judges are not-overly critical as well. You will be graded fairly throughout the whole process.

We have time constraints in our class. We won't be able to spend 7 hours cooking on the day of the competition. You may not want to over-complicate your techniques. Communicate your ideas with me and I will give you honest feedback.

Each team will be allowed to ask me for specific ideas (about how to improve the dish itself) 3 times throughout the whole planning process. Use them wisely.

Don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions/comments/concerns. This project is about your own personal style. I'm open to your suggestions and will answer every question you have.

"A recipe has no soul. You, as the cook, must bring soul to the recipe." - Thomas Keller