Father/Daughter Top Chef Cook Off
By Darnetta Jones, Troop 55169, 4thEpiscopal District
Last year, during our annual leader’s meeting, Brownie Troop 55169 at DuPage AME Church in Lisle, Illinois, volunteered to host the Father/Daughter Dance. However, after giving it more thought, we decided that we didn’t want to limit our guest list but wanted to host an event that would be especially open to any of our girls who wanted to participate. So, on May 12, DuPage AME Church’s Brownie Troop 55169 kicked-off its inaugural “Top Chef 2018” competition event at Camp Greene Wood’s Odakota Lodge in Woodridge, Illinois.
There were 17 DuPage AME Church Girl Scouts and their favorite guy participating and demonstrating both culinary prowess and teamwork. The teams created and prepared a dish in 45 minutes with pre-selected meat, veggies, and spices.
They should did cook! At the start of the competition, the teams were assigned a table, given strict instructions, and told they’d be judged on taste, presentation, and teamwork. Ultimately, we had teams cooking indoors on butane burners, electrical griddles, and hot plates and more teams competing outdoors with open-pit fires using cast iron skillets and kabob skewers.
We also had three sets of volunteer judges for the indoor and outdoor competitions. There were three 45-minute rounds to accommodate all the teams. Awards were made for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place with trophies and gifts! Troop 55169 also prepared plates of spaghetti, grilled chicken, and tossed salad with a choice of cookies, water, or lemonade for only $2 to many spectators as an additional fundraiser.
Some feedback overheard from the dads, uncles, and brothers included, “I never knew 45 minutes was so fast!” “It’s really difficult to come up with a meal plan in such a short time!” “This was such a fun time with my (daughter(s), niece(s), cousin(s), family friend!” “I got this next year, I’m bringing my butane burners (or hot plates) because of all of the possible meals I could’ve made with the stuff in the box!” and “I can’t wait until next year!”
So, upon request from our favorite guys, Brownie Troop 55169 will hold its 2nd Annual “Top Chef 2019” competition, which we promise will be even more creative. They are ready and we are excited!
To learn more about Girl Scouts, email: Vivianne Frye-Perry at vfrye-perry@amescouts.org.For Boy Scouts, email: Clarence Crayton at ccrayton@amescouts.org.
