Ohio State Students and Chefs Square Off in Culinary Battle

Ohio Union West Ballroom was the scene Tuesday, May 28, for the first-ever "Buckeye Chef" battle, modeled on the Food Network's popular "Iron Chef" show. Student chefs Nishanta Baruah, Megan Collins (OUAB President), Eddie Pauline (USG President), were pitted against Chef Chris Weldon , Assistant Director of Food Services at the Fawcett Center, and Chef Mark Newton, Coordinator of Food Services for Ohio State Food Services. Both sides were supplied with similar raw ingredients to create dishes that a panel of student judges evaluated for combination of flavor/taste, texture, presentation, aroma, creativity, and overall performance.

In the end, OSU Chef Weldon's tofu and shrimp creation won over the panel of judges to claim the 2002 Buckeye Chef crown.