Battle Cereal

The third battle pitted Becky and Sherri against Lauri and Jessica in a match based on cereal.


Lauri and Jessica, Dish #1: Macaroni and cheese topped with buttery corn flakes

A southern fave, this dish was rich and hearty. A good start to the day!















Dish #2 All Bran cereal "pizzette" topped with a mushroom-tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, and fresh basil

This one was quite creative: The bran cereal was mixed into the crust to create a surprising nuttiness.












Dish #3: Cinnamon Toast Crunch churros with cinnamon whipped cream
















Dish #4: Mexican-style hot cocoa, infused with Cocoa Krispies and topped with cayenne whipped cream and Lucky Charm marshmallows

The hot cocoa had a hint of cinnamon and hot pepper—but the real stars were the colorful marshmallows.










Becky and Sherri, Dish #1: Oatmeal blinis topped with creme fraîche, chives, and salmon roe

Becky and Sherri, having done well with themes in the past, decided to make their dishes each correspond to courses in a meal. This one, the amuse bouche, was served with a flute of Veuve Clicquot Champagne—a tribute to the fact that the battle was being held New Year's Eve weekend.








Dish #2: Salad topped with goat cheese-filled Honeycomb croutons, dressed with a honey-lavender vinaigrette

The croutons in the appetizer salad were fried, so they were both crisp and creamy, but judges complained that the greens were under dressed, and they would have liked to taste more vinaigrette.











Dish #3: Buttermilk-marinated, cornflake-crusted, oven-fried chicken. Served with cheddar-sausage grits.


The entree was, unfortunately, eaten before pictures were taken. This back-up plate was prepared with leftovers, and is unfortunately, not so camera-ready. Note to selves: Must shoot food before the judges dig in! Also, the judges missed the description as "oven" fried, so even as they raved over the grits, they were confounded by the texture of the chicken's crust.








Dish #4: Peppermint Rice Crispies treats, served with Cocoa Crispies-infused chocolate milk and ricotta ice cream topped with Froot Loops fairy dust

Yes, the "fairy dust" was made of microplaned pink Froot Loops, in what is now becoming a signature technique of this team.

In the end, Battle Cereal was another fun match—and Becky and Sherri won again!