On Sept. 16 four teams competed in a  forty-five minute cooking journey of precision, innovation and technique all competing for the title of Top Cat.

Tukwut Life hosted their Top Cat event in the USU Amphitheater. The competition, a Top Chef spin-off, enabled students to express their artistic capability while working on a team to entertain the anxious audience.

Each team, ranging from three to five members, had to obtain a food handler’s card beforehand and wear gloves throughout the event to ensure proper sanitation and food safety.

In the beginning of the competition, each team had a time limit to choose what ingredients they would use for their dishes as they raced to the main table that was laid out with food; the choices ranged from an array of vegetables, meat, fruits and condiments.

CSUSM junior Darlene Nacional, who served as a judge, emphasized the importance of a school event that allowed for student creativity.

“It challenges the student to think in a different way than they’re used to. I like how it teaches a different skill that isn’t academic but is needed as a life skill, but most importantly it’s fun since it’s interactive,” said Nacional.

Hot N’ Ready demonstrated originality in the production of artistic work from combining the construction of a taco and a gyro to create what they called a “gyco”. Using Dijon mustard as a secret ingredient to marinade the chicken for the gycos, they pleased the palates of the judges as the dish was put to the to the test.

CSUSM senior Josh Foronda enjoyed his job as a student judge, as he was able to enjoy a food-rush and delve into a sensory evaluation of every bite he took from a dish.

“I thought of this event as new experience since I would be taking on a different perspective. It kind of event reminded me of man vs. food, but this time, I would be the guy eating all the food,” Foronda said.

The winning team, Buffet Boys, triumphed the competition and won the title for Top Cat with their chicken soft taco dish that impressed the judges with it’s robust flavors.

To learn more about any campus-wide upcoming events and student news, visit www.csusm.edu/tukwutlife