Will Cantu's Cuisine Reign Supreme?

By Laura Oppenheimer in Arts & Entertainment on Dec 20, 2006 5:00PM

Almost a year ago, we wrote about what we imagined would be one of the most interesting battles of the year in kitchen stadium — an epic battle between Homaro Cantu of Moto and Iron Chef Moriomoto. We were excited about the battle, wondered when it would be on, and then promptly forgot about it. We were reminded about the battle via Hungry Magazine, who announced that the long awaited battle will be broadcast in January. The first airing is January 21, 2007, at 8 p.m.

We originally wrote "the exposure gained from participating on the show can do wonders for a chef new to fawning press like Cantu." We think at this point, Cantu is established — and famous enough — that the exposure and accolades he receives won't be anything more than he already gets from the food press.

There still isn't any word on what the secret ingredient is for their battle, though several comments from last January predicted the Cantu-Morimoto battle would be ... Iron Chef Battle Beets! Making five dishes out of beets could be a challenge, especially if you want to avoid making each dish the telltale pink.

In addition to the secret ingredient, both chefs in the battle are given $500 to buy a range of "extra" ingredients (in addition to the well-stocked existing pantries) and are allowed to bring in any kitchen equipment they would like. This story lists some other interesting tidbits about "Iron Chef America." For example, each chef is given a list of five possible secret ingredients and can create a separate grocery list for each item. So that is how the magic happens....

Since each chef can bring in their own equipment, we wonder what newfangled devices Cantu brought in. An edible paper printer? A liquid nitrogen bath? We hope Cantu's cuisine reigns supreme, but we guess we'll have to watch just like everyone else to find out.

Image by Tuan Bui at Hungry Magazine.