By: Marissa Spencer
In anticipation of the release for 107.7 The Bronc’s Rider Student Top Chef and Dessert Wars Cookbooks, Beyond the Mic had the chance to sit down and chat with station alumna, Bianca Bracey ‘24 who cultivated each page of The Bronc’s all-new recipe bible. Bracey worked tediously to bring culinary artists like you, not only the winners of each Rider Student Top Chef and Dessert Wars competition but a plethora of tasty honorable mentions as well, from years past and kitchens present.
For 10 years now, 107.7 The Bronc has sought out the top culinary talents of the Rider community. We knew we couldn’t allow our 10th anniversary to pass us by half-baked. Therefore we have a lot of goodness in store. Not only are we celebrating with The Bronc’s “Anything Goes” competition that includes every genre of food for our student chefs to tackle, but we’ve also prepped for our first-ever cookbook release!
You can purchase The Rider Student Top Chef Cookbook for $14.95 or The Dessert Wars Cookbook for the same price. However, for the real foodies out there, we’re doing a huge deal. For $24.95, both eCookbooks can be brought to your kitchen table! “Throughout the years many students entered their tastiest recipes and this is our way to share all their creations. Celebrating our 10th anniversary everyone will be able to try all the recipes from the beginning of Top Chef,” said the book’s creator, Bianca Bracey.
With a deal like this, it was imperative to know which cookbook is Bracey’s favorite of the two, “That’s like asking which is your favorite kid.” she exclaimed. “My favorite is Dessert Wars. I like that one more just because I have a sweet tooth and I am not the best baker, so it encourages me to step out of my comfort zone.” You can step out of your comfort zone in the kitchen, like Bianca, whether it is making desserts or creating dinners, for just $14.95, or if you’re up for the ultimate challenge both editions can be purchased for $24.95!
“I am so excited to see everyone’s creation of the meals they make…I would love to see if people put their own spin on it.” Bracey would adore it if the eager chefs of our Rider community would post their culinary creations to social media and tag @1077thebronc. “Seeing how people were so passionate about their meals and being able to capture their feelings through a photo meant a lot to me and I am happy to share that experience with them,” she said.
As a deliciously seasoned staff member of the station, Bracey has attended two Top Chef events. With her favorite competition being, “Rider Student Top Chef: Oodles of Noodles,” she had a lot to say about the event’s positive impact, “From the digital artwork to seeing the chefs light up with joy as they share their recipes really made me feel so happy to be apart of the experience. I also took photos and was a broadcaster that night so I was able to share my experience with everyone who was listening.” That’s right every single Rider Student Top Chef event is broadcasted live. You can catch the most delicious event yet in honor of the competition’s 10th anniversary on Thursday, December 5, 2024, either in person at Daly Dining Hall or live on the air on 107.7 The Bronc WRRC-FM!
“It was so sweet seeing how excited everyone was for the students to try their meals. I love seeing how packed the event turned out. Students love feeling involved, so hearing students talk about which meal is their favorite or which meal they would like to get more of makes me smile because that is our goal.”
“I am excited to be able to give back to my radio family. All proceeds go to the station and it makes me happy considering how the station has and continues to support me,” Bracey summarized. Funds from the sale of The Rider Student Top Chef and Dessert Wars cookbooks will help elevate our station equipment and heighten the student experience to create the best programming possible with content that will make our award-winning college radio station one of the best in the nation!