One of my favorite things about DC is that, with fairly minimal effort, you can be exposed to one of the widest range of cultures you can imagine in just one place. That’s because, in being the political center of the U.S., we have more than 175 embassies, ambassadors’ residences and foreign cultural centers. And thanks to Cultural Tourism DC, it’s pretty easy to find ways to get a taste and feel for the many countries represented.
That’s where the Embassy Chef Challenge comes in. The event, which is in its fifth year, brings together chefs from different embassies to participate in an Iron Chef style competition. While the main event is at a gala on March 14 (get your tickets here), it starts a month earlier in a closed-door competition which I was invited to attend. The chefs were given the same ingredients and two hours to prepare a main dish. And, of course, each chef added a twist that represented their home country’s flavor. Continue reading
