who will be popped?

Before the Blog and Tweet Boston Kitchensurfing cooking competition on Thursday at WorkBar, I imagined that a Ted Allen-esque character would introduce the chefs and their ultimate cooking challenge: create an appetizer, entree, and dessert using popchips plus ingredients like ras el hanout, quahog clams, and green jello.

Alas, there was no “popping” block or fierce battles commentated by Jamie Bissonette, Tiffani Faison, or Joanne Chang, but there was some lively presentation by Aprons Off, Food is Love, and Perfect Bite.

While the Kitchensurfing chefs prepared their food on portable cooking stations, we sipped Polar Seltzer and Cran-Cods.

Polar Seltzer

Erin, Semirah, and Kerrie

Polar Seltzer and Cran-Cod

The Cooking Stations

We tried three dishes: a corn and cheddar soup, Vietnamese banh mi, and chicken and waffles. All chefs smoothly incorporated the popchips into their dishes so that they provided texture and complemented the flavors. The soup included popchips in the soup and as garnish. The banh mi had popchips in every single component: pork, mayo, pate, and baguette. The chicken and waffles used the popchips for breading and as the “waffle.” I found the chicken and waffles to be the most creative because of its riff on an old classic. I wanted to like the banh mi the most because of how much I love non-popchip banh mi, but I narrowly preferred the warmth and richness of corn & cheddar soup by Food is Love.

Corn and Cheddar Soup

Banh Mi

Chicken and Waffles

I’m looking forward to the popchips contest in which we create recipes using popchips (but in our own kitchens and not for lots of hungry bloggers!) by March 18. Readers will vote on the submissions and the winner will receive prizers form popchips and Kitchensurfing. There are so many possibilities for popchip use: binder for burgers, crumbs for breading, infusion in sauces, as a base for small appetizers, and many more!