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This is How Chefs and Cooks Feed our Heroes.Chefs and Cooks of NEW YORKFirefighter John Sierp of Ladder 169 in Brooklyn, N.Y., proved to all Chefs and Cooks on Nov. 7 that he was the "Hottest Chef in New York" at the fourth annual Iron Skillet CookOff fund-raiser, sponsored by World Cares Center Inc.
Held at Strata Restaurant here, the benefit drew nearly 500 guests and raised more than $100,000 for WCC's signature programs: September Space Community Centers and Disaster Preparation and Trauma Mitigation. WCC was founded in New York after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and provides education and support services in disaster preparation and trauma relief for workers, volunteers and affected communities. Several on-site companies were involved in providing food and services to workers involved in the recovery efforts at Ground Zero. In the cookoff, New York City firefighters from each borough competed against some of New York's renowned cooks, including Johan Svensson of Riingo, Alexandra Guarnaschelli of Butter, Carlos Avila of Carl Vincent, and Sasha Lyon of Sasha. Sierp won the contest with his Italian dish, rigatoni with crab bruschetta. The cooks were judged by several celebrity personalities including Anthony Galde from the cast of the Broadway musical "Wicked"; CBS "Survivor" winner and fireman Tom Westman; and Wendy "The Snapple Lady" Kaufman. Second place went to Manhattan firefighter Michael Irwin of Engine 95, who made jumbo shrimp bisque with sherry and cream sauce. Third place was awarded to Riingo's executive chef Johan Svensson, with his own variation of the same dish. "Like our organization, the Iron Skillet Cook Off has grown from a grassroots effort to a New York standard thanks to a wonderful group of volunteers and supporters who help us to fulfill our larger mission while helping us put on this great event each year," said Lisa Orloff, WCC's founder and executive director.
Dishes were rated on presentation, table display, technical skills, taste and seasoning, team organization, originality and creativity, and utilization of ingredients made from chefs and cooks of New York.
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