“Blind Kitchen New Orleans” is a quirky food competition series, local chefs recreate each other’s signature dish, but they can only determine what the dish is using their senses of taste, touch, and smell. Each chef is blindfolded during a down-and-dirty guessing phase and when the masks come off, the heat is on, with both chefs cooking what they believe is their opponent’s creation. The chefs are competing for bragging rights and a trophy from artist Rev. Varg Vargas at Deurty Boys.
In this episode, Daren Porretto, chef de cuisine of Saint John, and Amy Mehrtens, executive chef at Copper Vine, face off to see who can recreate each other’s signature dish.
Each recreated meal will be judged on:
- Percentage of correct ingredients
- Similarities in flavor and plating
- Re-creation as a stand-alone dish
Chef Daren Porretto: Tuna Tartare
Born and raised in New Orleans, he is totally immersed in the culture, diversity, and cuisine. Literally, there is no other place that he would rather be from. His roots lie in Italian Creole, a style he learned from his grandmother.
Mystery Dish: Tuna Tartare
Ahi tuna, Avocado, Seaweed, Wonton, Sesame Seed Oil, Ginger
Chef Amy Mehrtens: Okonomiyaki
The love of cooking for Amy Mehrtens originated from her mother, who passed it on to her four children. As an Army brat she has traveled all over the world and have seen and tried many things but the one thing that has stayed consistent with her is food. Her happy place is cooking and there’s nothing else that she would rather be doing.
Mystery Dish: Cabbage Pancakes
Cabbage, Bean Sprouts, Shrimp, Eggs, Linguini, Pork.
Meet The Judge: Rev Varg Vargas
Artist at the Deurty Boys gallery, he creates folk art from salvaged wood and found objects.
Want to see who wins?
Watch this episode of“Blind Kitchen: All’s Fair in Love and War,” now streaming on the Very Local app.
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