As part of our two week mini-moon, we attended a cooking class with a twist. Iron Chef! Stir to Learn, in Denver, offers a bunch of different cooking classes, including an Iron Chef Date Night.

I was ridiculously excited for this date and when we arrived, the bartender set us up with a glass of wine to sip while we got to know the other challengers.

Once the cooking staff was ready, the owner/founder, Katy, explained the rules:

• each team has to have a protein, starch, and veggie,
• you have to cook a main dish and an appetizer or dessert,
• judging is on 3 criteria: teamwork, use of the ingredient, and overall taste,
• time limit was an hour and a half to cook, 15 minutes to plan,
• the three cooks milling around would be there to help us in any way,
• the secret ingredient: EGGS!

Our team of 6 got to thinking once the eggs were uncovered and settled on pork (our given protein) pot pie with potatoes, asparagus, mushrooms, green chiles, and gouda. For dessert, a sweet scone with sautéed apples and homemade whipped cream. The eggs would be used as a brush.

For the next hour and a half, our cooking station was a laughing, chopping, sauté-ing, wine-refilling frenzy! Rob and I had a serious blast with the other couples.

The cooks were there to answer questions, do the dishes (score!), and joke around with. I was nervous it would be a serious, competitive atmosphere, but it was just fun.

With the meals done, we loaded up a plate with both teams dishes and headed upstairs to the loft where there were candles and tables set up. It was such a relaxed, romantic setting.

The cooks/judges voted and the other team won the Iron Chef title with their egg-topped tostada (insanely good), frittata, and cinnamon crumble. Our team won the teamwork points, which we were very excited about!

The night was a blast. Katy did an amazing job and I am looking forward to doing another class!

RQ: Have you ever taken a cooking class? How would you do in an Iron Chef setting?

Brooke Selb

I’m Brooke Selb, a Personal Trainer and Health Coach specializing in helping busy moms and moms to be to easily juggle mom life with family friendly recipes, and easy exercise routines to help you achieve your fitness goals that fit in with your already busy life with sound nutritional advice.