The Hungry Howley Cook-Off Challenge!!

Yes, that's right.  My husband and I have decided to save a buck and stop stuffing our faces at restaurants, and start cooking at home.  Now normally, most wives don't have to fight with their husband about who gets to cook.  However, in my home, since we both love to cook, and have very different tastes and cooking styles (I prefer Italian food, summery dishes, and spice!) and he prefers BBQ, stick-to-your-ribs, waist expanding foods that taste great but are not diet friendly.  So, in the spirit of competition, we decided to have a cook off.  This will determine nothing more than who gets the final say on which spice to add when dually cooking dinner- which happens a lot.  We have cleverly named it the Hungry Howley Cook-Off.  Ok...not so clever.

The premise will loosley follow Food Network's Chopped.  We haven't completely decided on the rules yet, but as they stand now, there will be 3 rounds:  Appetizer, Entree and Dessert.  For each round, each of us will have 3 "Must Use" ingredients.  One has been decided by the other competitor, and must be used in some way, in each of the 3 rounds.  My ingredient, chosen by Evan, to be used in each round is carrots.  For Evan, I chose Hershey's chocolate.  Hmm...challenging!

Our second ingredients will vary for each course.  We will both be expected to use the same two ingredients for each course.  For example, we decided that of our remaining 2 ingredients for the dessert course, one will be coffee.  Of our two remaining ingredients for the entree course, one will be red wine.  We plan to finalize the ingredients tonight, make a quick shopping run tomorrow night when we get home from work, then spend 2 hours total cooking to serve a meal at 8pm and judge each others creations!

RULES:
Every competition needs rules.

1. No cream sauces (in the name of health!)
2. No fried foods (we want to live past 30)
3. Judge honestly
4. The secret must use ingredient may not be used as garnish, but must be used as a main element of the dish.
5. No part of the meal may be created ahead of time, except the dessert course.
6. When the timer goes off, hands go up.  (The competitor who fails to finish on time is resigned to pouring their challenger the first glass of the wine of the evening)


So there are our loosely concieved plans for our first ever cook off competition set to take place tomorrow night.  Pictures will be included with the update, as will the winner of the competition with the title of Hungry Howley Cook-Off Challenge Champion!!  (HHCCC for short.)  

Stay tuned....