In Coming Food Fight, Someone Will Eat His Words

University of Cincinnati Dean Richard Newrock of the College of Applied Science plans to turn the tables on long-time CAS “chef” Muthar Al-Ubaidi, professor and department head of mechanical engineering technology.  Come high noon on Friday, Feb. 11 at the college, the rivals will both serve their culinary specialties – enough to feed the multitudes of invited CAS faculty and staff  – and the question of the best college cook will be decided by chef Jean-Robert de Cavel of the downtown restaurant, Jean-Robert at Pigall’s,  and by maitre d’ Richard Brown, also of that restaurant.

Newrock predicts his victory will be a simple matter of course (or courses) in a stream of trash talk directed at his rival:  “Muthar’s…cooking team is a bunch of losers.  I’ll overcome the challenge of working in a strange kitchen and of assembling a ‘rookie’ team.  It’s a team of winners.  Nothing can help him.  He’s toast.  Actually, he probably can’t toast bread either.”

However, Al-Ubaidi vows to cook better than ever, accompanied by a loyal following of Middle Eastern food buffs as his fan base.  He’s been serving Middle Eastern lunches to the college since 1986 and is making plans for the biggest and best Middle Eastern meal ever.

“This is the price I pay for being a nice guy,” Al-Ubaidi claims.  “I was just innocently minding my own business, talking to the dean about cooking, and the next thing I know, he challenged me, and I’m in this cook-off.  It’s all his doing, and he’s even getting

his

friends to be the judges!”  In the next breath however, Al-Ubaidi is egging on his opponent, “But it’s no problem.  He’s a loser.  He’s going to lose and lose big.  I have secret weapons of delightful food that he just won’t be able to cope with.” 

The competing chefs will both cook for days leading up to the Feb. 11 lunch, which is set for noon.  And no matter which CAS chef is eventually declared the champ, all the CAS lunch-time diners will certainly win out, given the fare that will be served that day.  Some of the dishes prepared for the big day, all made from scratch, are: 

Served by Richard Newrock:

• Smoky Pork Shau Mai

• Strange-Flavored Eggplant

• Red Pepper Soup

• Cold-Poached Salmon and Herbed Mayonnaise

• Chicken Ballotine

• Roast Filet with various sauces

• Spumone

• Chocolate Truffles

Served by Muthar Al-Ubaidi
• Grape Leaves stuffed with beef, rice, tomatoes and onions
• Tabouli (a mixture of wheat, parsley, tomato and cucumber)
• Hummus (pureed chickpeas mixed with lemon, tahini sauce and spices)
• Falafel (chickpeas, fava beans, tahini sauce, onion, red pepper, garlic and spices)
• Kofta (meat balls in a special sauce)
• Kibbie (a wheat shell stuffed with onion and pine nuts)
• Baklava (a baked dough filled with walnuts and topped with syrup)
• Kanafa (a dessert of shredded wheat topped with cream and syrup)
• Eggplant dish (eggplant, beef, onions and spices)