Greatness at GoogaMooga

UrBARN-The Great Googa Mooga

It never fails -- the over thinking, gross preparing and profuse sweating before super important events. I'm still learning how to entertain a live audience.

Despite all the toilet bowl chit chatting about The Great Googa Mooga Festival, Just Food's UrBARN stage did a superb job linking yesterday's festival goers with their mission. Just Food connects communities and local farmers with the resources and support they need to make fresh, locally grown food accessible to all New Yorkers. The unique structure or "barn" was home to The Great CSA Smackdown. Two star chefs, Cathy Erway and Andrea Beaman had twenty minutes to plan and prepare a dish using secret ingredients from a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) share. My job was to engage the crowd, keep the competition moving, introduce the judges and give folks nuggets about Just Food. Almost twenty-four hours later, my inner Alton Brown is frustrated about not revising the chef biographies (always make things your own), mispronouncing Andrea, and forgetting two judge's name. Please charge it to my head not my heart.

How does one polish something rough around the edges? Should a person keep cooking after cutting a finger? Is it fine to switch an entree ingredient five minutes before eating time? There are multiple answers to the above questions and a million routes to Nethermead at Prospect Park. I'm definite about one thing -- the long line to greatness. Along the way, organizations give you exciting opportunities and the goal is to chef it up.

Check out all things Just Food and their upcoming inaugural city-wide Great CSA Smackdown here.

Pre-Smackdown

Jessica Gaffney-Just Food

"Barn"

Andrea, Cathy and Sous Chefs

Andrea (middle)

Cathy

Jacque Berger-Just Food

Toya Williford-Brooklyn Community Foundation (judge)

Ben Hudson-BK Brewery & Maggie Kindschuh-Momofuku Milk Bar (judges)

The Crowd

Plating

Announcing the Winner-Congrats Andrea!

All Photo Credits :: Adrian A Franks

Comments

[Knightshade]

Love post. Your doing a good job, stop beating yourself down. Googa Mooga was s shit show. Keep giving the people the hotness with the Flavor Route