Helping others never tasted so sweet.
Albuquerque’s first local cooking tournament came to a conclusion Thursday night when judges announced the season one tournament winner during the championship round at Pueblo Harvest Cafe.
505 Food Fight is an after-hours tournament in which local chefs create dishes out of mystery ingredients presented to them the night of the competition. Those dishes are then judged for presentation, creativity and flavor.
Chefs Rafael Zamora of Vintage 423, Sean Staggs of Los Poblanos and Colin Shane of Arroyo Vino in Santa Fe sliced and diced their way through two preliminary rounds in 2015 to compete in the championship.
The chefs were each provided five ingredients after Shane won a 15-minute “Quick Fire” round to determine which cut of a butchered pig each contestant would get to work with. The chefs were then given 90 minutes to create multiple dishes using the ingredients, one of which had to be a dessert entry.
After a grueling night of flames and furious cooking, the judges deliberated over each of the chefs’ creations and finally announced Shane the winner.
“I think it’s super special that there are people in New Mexico trying to create camaraderie in the food scene instead of just competitiveness,” Shane said. “Everyone should be working together to elevate the food scene instead of trying to one-up each other.”
He said another great part about 505 Food Fights was having all the chefs cook for a good cause. Each round of the tournament, which began in July 2015, cost $10 for admission. The proceeds of each event were then donated to a different local charity.
The charity that benefited from the championship was El Ranchito de los Niños, a not-for-profit organization that provides orphaned children, mainly siblings, with a long-term (and sometimes permanent) home as an alternative to foster care.
David Ruiz, the creator of 505 Food Fights, said this season raised over $13,000 for New Mexico charities.
“We want people to come out and support them, (but) you’re not just helping out yourself and the chefs,” Ruiz said. “You’re also helping out kids and animals and people in need.”
All of the 505 Food Fight proceeds have gone to local charities, including Watermelon Ranch and The American Cancer Society.
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While everyone said they were happy to cook for a good cause, Shane and Ruiz agreed that the best part was meeting all of the people involved in the local food scene and creating a sense of friendship and community among everyone.
Jennifer Minnich, a spectator at the tournament and a local food enthusiast, said she would definitely recommend next season’s tournament to people interested.
“It’s fun, it’s inexpensive, (and) it’s for a good cause. There’s no reason not to,” Minnich said.
Ruiz confirmed there will be a second season of 505 Food Fight this year. The first round is scheduled for April 7.
Skylar Griego is a culture reporter at the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @TDLBooks.
