Gleaners 12th Annual Iron Chef Competition Returns!

Allez Cuisine! The 12th Annual Iron Chef Competition to benefit Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan is back! 2015 Iron Chef Champion Chef Eirik Kauserud of La Vita Bistro in Pinckney will defend his title against Chef Jeffrey Bane, Dean of Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management at Cleary University in Howell. Last year, over 600 guests helped Gleaners’ Iron Chef Competition raise over $100,000, enough to provide over 300,000 meals.

The pair of chefs will be facing off in the transformed Bordine’s Nursery (MAP) “Kitchen Stadium” and each will be tasked with creating an appetizer, entrée and dessert course for a panel of celebrity judges. The biggest challenge? Both Chef Eirik and Chef Jeffrey will be forced to utilize the Iron Chef secret ingredient in each of their dishes!

In addition to the heated (literally) competition, guests will enjoy an incredible selection of hors d’oeuvres, desserts and beverages from local purveyors. An assortment of silent auction items will provide an opportunity for attendees to take home more than a full stomach.

Returning for its third year, the Iron Chef Mixology Competition will match-up new contenders Toni Oomranky of 2Fogs Pub in Howell and Jon Foley of The Laundry in Fenton. The Mixology Competition is a furious five-minute face-off as the cocktail connoisseurs strive to create an award-worthy beverage infused with a secret ingredient.

Guests quickly learn it’s much more than a spectator sport; patrons will have a chance to bid for a Judge’s seat at Iron Chef 2017 for both competitions. Three lucky patrons can get a seat at the table by entering the Tasting Chance with a nominal donation; one winner for each category will sample the competitors’ creations during the battle from a seat at the judges table for both competitions.

Play-by-play and color commentary will be provided by WDIV Local 4 News Anchor Steve Garagiola and Detroit News Columnist Neal Rubin. The pair of media mavens have now graciously hosted Gleaners’ Iron Chef Competition for twelve consecutive years!

Gleaners 12th Annual Iron Chef Competition Judges include: Kate Lawson, Food Writer; Chef Tom Lin, Food Network Cutthroat Kitchen; Renee Chodkowski, Host of WHMI 93.5’s “The Great Foodini” and Cheryl Cleyman of Howell, 2015 Guest Judge winning bidder.

Tickets are $50 and can be purchased at www.ironchefevent.com, or these locations:

· Gleaners Livingston Distribution Center, 5924 Sterling Drive, Howell 48843

· Bordine’s Nursery, 6347 Grand River Ave., Brighton 48114