Iron Chef Greenland: Battle Cranberries

As I've mentioned, Jeff is Greg's brother and Cori is Jeff's wife. Jeff and Greg are practically twins. Luckily, Cori and I are as well. There are times when Cori and I will finish each other's sentences or get on email to send each other the same internet link. Jeff and Greg thinks it's creepy since we're not related, but Jeff and Greg are so alike that it's no surprise they picked women who are similar.

Anyway, Jeff and Cori were watching Iron Chef once when Jeff told her he is a better baker than she is. Cori adamantly agreed, of course, and Iron Chef Greenland emerged.

Cori asked me to be her sous chef and Jeff has Greg to be his sous chef. Jessica and John and Kim were judges and Jessica and John chose the secret ingredient: cranberries. Now, let me explain that I don't actually like cranberries. This all took place the Saturday after Christmas when Cori and Jeff had been snowed in at our place. Jessica called us at 11 a.m. with the secret ingredient and the boys and Kim took off to Dad's kitchen. Cori and I stayed here and cooked until 2:30, at which point the boys called to request a time extension. We were supposed to be at Jessica's house at 3. Cori and I granted their time extension since we needed it, too. We made a chocolate cake and had to first put it in the snow to cool and then the entire middle of the cake fell out of it! That's what we get for hurrying. Then the pie shell for our tart fell apart and I had to piece it back together. Even though our concoctions clearly tasted better, somehow the boys won by two points. There, Jeff, you are the better baker. Even though the pudding thing the boys made barely required baking...their pie was rather well done.

Cori and I made the chocolate cake on the far left. It was chocolate cake with chocolate-cranberry mousse in the middle (to cover our fallen cake) with chocolate buttercream icing, then with white chocolate, cranberry, and macadamia nut crumble on the sides (Thanks LaDonna!). We also made the apple-cranberry tart on the far right. Greg and Jeff made the cranberry custard pie in front and the cranberry pudding and brownie layered dessert in back.

Greg and I are thinking about doing a Throwdown now. If you've ever seen Throwdown with Bobby Flay, then you know that Bobby Flay finds the person who makes one specific dish the BEST in the country. It could be chicken and gravy, red velvet cake, cheesecake, gingerbread houses, cupcakes, waffles, etc. Then he comes up with a recipe of his own for the dish and surprises the person with a throwdown. Judges do a blind taste test and choose whose is flat-out better. Greg and I are still trying to think of what dish to do, any suggestions? It could be something neither of us have ever made or both of us are great at making. Just has to be fun.