On Saturday, some of Northwestern’s most charitable dancers are packing their knives and going to Evanston’s Now We’re Cookin’ culinary school to compete in a Bravo-style Top Chef competition to help raise funds for Dance Marathon.

Fourteen teams of two-to-four people will each have $25 to spend on ingredients at Whole Foods Market and 45 minutes to cook and compete for gift certificates to Evanston restaurants. Contestants can choose to make either an appetizer, entrée or dessert to serve two, but the recipe must include the “secret” ingredient, honey – in honor of DM’s beneficiary this year, Bear Necessities. Dishes will be evaluated on “plating, palate and performance” by judges including campus celebs President Henry Bienen and ASG President Jonathan Webber. A former pastry chef from Trio Atelier, a renowed Evanston eatery that closed in 2006, will also participate.

To help prepare the contestants, we asked another Trio alum and Chicago native, Dale Levitski, best known for being one of the final three in the last season of Top Chef, what he would do to impress.”Stay relaxed,” he says. “Forty-five minutes is not a lot of time so keep your dishes easy and simple! Get your timing and game plan in order as quickly as possible.”

The secret ingredient, he advises, can make things a little stickier. “When using

honey keep in mind that it can overpower everything if you use too much,” he says. “Honey will compliment the flavors of most fruits, poultry, cheese, and some fish. Dried fruits and nuts work very well.”

Honey will also pair beautifully with pork and root vegetables (“Carrots – hint”), but “stay away from green veggies,” he says. “Dessert should be easy!”

Levitski plans to open a new restaurant called Town and Country at Monroe and Canal Streets in the West Loop next fall. In the meantime, snack on some Whole Foods goodies at Saturday’s competition, which begins at 5 p.m. The $5 admission fee should get you much more than samples of guacamole and orange slices.