Ryan Van Velzer

The Republic | azcentral.com

September is National Preparedness Month and Arizona Division of Emergency Management wants you to test your culinary skills against the inner workings of your pantry.

Now in its fourth year, the Emergency Kit Cook-Off encourages residents to dust off their 72-hour emergency-supply kit and craft a tasty recipe using any of this year's five main ingredients: chickpeas, almond milk, Ramen noodles, canned pumpkin and dark chocolate.

Winners will have their recipe enshrined in the glory of the Emergency Kit Cook-Off website (at least until the world ends) and will receive a cooking apron with the organization's logo. Those interested can submit their recipes on the website until Sept. 30.

So, shelter-in-place, light a few candles and enjoy a restaurant-quality three-course meal using only dry and canned goods.

Here's a sample menu using a selection of the more than 60 recipes already available on the website:

— Appetizer: "Nuclear Reactor Chicken Tortilla Soup" made with canned chicken and tomatoes.

— Entrée: "Curried Tuna Burger with Island Brown Rice" made with coconut water, curry powder and tuna.

— Dessert: Peach trifle made with canned peaches, crushed graham cracker and powdered meringue.

The trifle and the burger are sample recipes crafted by Chef Jon-Paul Hutchins, lead chef instructor at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Scottsdale, who has been involved in the Emergency Cook-Off since its inception in 2011.

"You can live off bags of jerky if you like," Hutchins said. "Honestly, if your power is out, the focal point is going to be on the food. You're not going to have TV, the iPods are going to only last for so long, so the food is the focal point, and it should be exciting."

The idea behind the cookoff is that people should have at least three days' worth of non-perishable food and water prepared for emergency situations, Hutchins said. But having the food isn't enough, people need to continually use and restock supplies as the food expires, he said.

Ethan Riley, public information officer for the Arizona Division of Emergency Management, said the Emergency Kit Cook-Off helps raise awareness about the need for residents to prepare for emergency situations.

"Instead of using scare tactics to get people to think about preparedness, we're taking a more-playful approach," Riley said. "It's a fun way for people to exercise their kits."