top chef comes to…TPN?

Ian, Kat & Dave working hard

Oh yes it has! Twice. Well, not the actual show, but TPN’s own version. In our version, its not every man/woman for himself/herself, but each TEAM for itself. We divide the participants into 2 teams; they create their menu,  decorate and set the table; some wear team uniforms, provide menus and even supply after dinner cigars. We aren’t playing around. This is serious business.

Rachael, who introduced this idea shortly after she started at TPN, had this to say when asked about her inspiration, “We introduced TPN Top Chef during XM week, a week long experiential education event. What better event than Top Chef to experience all the senses? The truth is I had more than XM in mind when developing the program. I saw a need to bring people together for some straight up fun…and I wanted to make some friends. The fact that there so many incredible cooks here, a giant kitchen and a culture that supports this kind of event made it all the better!”

a winning team

The rules are that chefs must share the kitchen and work within a limited budget. This means putting tape down the center line of the island table, pre-scheduling the stove and dividing the fridge in half. Sometimes the teams don’t play fair, and that’s where I come in. As the “restaurant owner”, my general duties are to keep the peace, supply the alcohol and taste test all food before it reaches the guests. It’s a pretty good gig. )

Cheese & Fig with Balsamic Dressing

We’re planning to roll out the next Top Chef soon, and to help us the bide the time, we’re launching employee run cooking lessons. The first class teaches “How to Make Pho”. Mmmmm…