JERSEY SHORE – Star Trek fans like to eat and unlike the fictional “replicators” seen in the various Star Trek TV series and films that manufacture food through matter manipulation, fans of the iconic science fiction saga cooked up a fun-filled feast.
Around 20 fans came out for the annual event organized by the USS Challenger, the Jersey Shore chapter of STARFLEET: The International Star Trek Fan Association.
The Intergalactic Food Festival featured entries and desserts that were out of this world, inspired by delicacies seen in Star Trek ranging from Romulan Ale (a blue citrus punch beverage with no alcohol) to Bajoran Leaf Wraps (ground chicken wrapped in lettuce), Bolian Berry pie (strawberry cheese cake with a pretzel crust) and much more.
The USS Challenger meets each first Sunday of the month at 1 p.m. at the Seaside Heights Community Center at 1000 Bay Boulevard but in April, members celebrate the coming of spring and the fictional “First Contact Day” during their meeting.
More specifically, on April 5, fans celebrate this pivotal Star Trek anniversary in that sci-fi saga’s dense mythology that altered the course of Earth’s inhabitants forever as depicted in the 1996 feature film “Star Trek: First Contact.”
It marks the historical moment on April 5, 2063 when humankind first encountered visitors of the Vulcan race after those logical pointed-eared aliens happen to detect Zefram Cochrane’s warp drive signature during his triumphant Phoenix 1 test flight. Sure 2063 is decades away but members of the Challenger and their guests from the USS Avenger – a STARFLEET chapter based in Middlesex County – didn’t want to wait.
Jon and Jennifer Kus are Challenger members from Howell and they brought some special brownies to the event. Their chocolate fudge brownies featured a powdered sugar etching of the faces of cast members from the Paramount Plus streaming series “Star Trek: Picard” which has had an exciting third season that reunited cast members from Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Emily Vosseller of Ortley Beach prepared the Bajoran Leaf Wraps and “Captain Kirk’s Italian Spaghetti” a reference to the film “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home” where Kirk and Spock visited a 20th century Italian restaurant during their adventure in securing two humpback whales to bring to the 23rd Century. She also made the Bolian Berry Pie which was among several desserts brought to the pot luck style event.
Challenger member Annie Brugmans of Lakewood provided some “Moonbase Alpha Mini Moon Pies” which were Oreo Cookie pies and was named after the 1970s science fiction TV series Space 1999 which took place on a moon base that had blown out of Earth’s orbit and ends up traveling through space.
Fellow Challenger member Bill Schmidt of Lakehurst cooked up some delicious smoked barbeque ribs that were quite a hit. Other members and guests brought food items that served several people.
It wasn’t all food however. In between bites, everyone enjoyed conversations about episodes of “Star Trek: Picard,” shared their hopes about the forthcoming Paramount Plus film “Star Trek: Section 31” and plans to see some upcoming films as a group such as “Guardians of the Galaxy Volume III.”
They also had a special guest speaker in the form of science fiction fan film producer/writer/director Terry Telic of Howell who went over his latest project with the Challenger crew and their guests.
For more information about the USS Challenger which marks its 35th year as an organization in July, visit usschallenger.org, e-mail beamaboard@aol.com or like them on Facebook USS Challenger. Also visit sfi.org for information about their parent organization which is the largest Star Trek Fan Association in the world with more than 200 chapters. The Challenger’s next meeting which is open to the public, is May 7 at 1 p.m. at the Seaside Heights Community Center.
