Article written by Jessica Downey, UD Student Life Communications
University of Delaware students were in for a sweet surprise at Caesar Rodney Dining Hall last month.
The first Blue Hen Bake Off invited chefs from around campus to create 200 servings of delicious desserts in a competition inspired by the reality TV cooking show “Chopped.” The five participating teams had access to a shared pantry of baking ingredients, herbs, fruits and spices. At noon, their secret ingredients were revealed: lemons and blueberries in honor of the University colors.
“It couldn’t have worked out any better for us,” said winning Chef Carl Zampini, whose team’s lemon berry pavlova took the crown. “In my head, I wanted to do a meringue cup or cannoli or pound cake. Pavlovas and fresh berries always go together.”
Students taste tested and voted for their favorite selections, along with celebrity judges Dana Herbert of Desserts by Dana and “Cake Boss” Buddy Valastro. The two have worked together many times over the years; Herbert won Valastro’s TLC show “Cake Boss: The Next Great Baker” in 2010 and they both recently appeared on Hulu’s “Cookie, Cupcake, Cake” and “Cake Toppers.” Both have personal ties to UD; Herbert is a ’98 alumnus and Valastro’s daughter Sofia is currently a senior at UD.
Earlier in the day, Valastro also spoke with UD hospitality students as part of the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics Paul Wise Speaker Series.
“I know so many people who came when they heard they could meet the Cake Boss,” said sophomore plant science and sustainable food systems major Kayla De Brito. “They were like, ‘He’s my childhood.’ All of us were so giddy to take a picture with him. Bringing something nostalgic with good food to honor chefs and get a chance to see them at the top of their game, it makes me appreciate the food I eat here even more.”
Chef Stefanie Haines’ apple cake with lemon icing took second place and Chef Pam Pak’s lemon cheesecake beignet came in third, but all five dishes were within single digit votes from each other. Despite an initial setback, Zampini was pleased to pull out a victory, thanks to his student fans who attended Earth Day Fest a few days before in Russell Dining Hall.
“I didn’t expect to win,” Zampini said. “I wanted to win but I was so afraid my meringue wouldn’t harden. They usually take overnight and we had to rush it. I was stressed to the max, but it all came together. Earth Day was amazing. I met so many students when I worked at the burger bar and they came to support me. It was a great way to connect.”
Zampini’s student assistants — sophomore hospitality and event experience management major Alexandria Joiner and first-year management and marketing major Jessica Audette — said the bake off was a great learning experience.
“It’s important as a hospitality major to get experience in the field and kitchen,” Joiner said. “My dream job is to have my own bakery. That’s the goal.”
“When this listing first came out in the hospitality school, I knew I wanted to apply,” Audette said. “Coming here and seeing everything, it does get a little nerve-wracking, but once I met my team, we were really excited and my nerves kind of calmed.”
The Blue Hen Bake Off is another unique event from UD Dining, including Battle of the Bites in the fall and the Chicken Wing Takeover in the spring.
“This is cool because the students get a break from the monotony,” said event emcee Patrick McGrath, food production manager for Russell Dining Hall. “We’re trying to elevate from the day-to-day normal operations. It gets the chefs’ creative juices flowing and it adds a little flavor to the students’ day because they’re involved and their vote matters.”
Herbert said he’s impressed by how UD dining has evolved since his time as a student.
“I remember when lunch was just a burger and fries. Now, the amount of stations is like, wow. You can have pizza, pasta stations, you got the grill going. They have seafood on Friday. I’m like, seafood? Shrimp? Salmon? What the heck? They have really stepped up the food game here on campus.”