Late last week, San Francisco Police Department officers and other first responded got together for an "earthquake food" cook off.

Many people don't keep a full stocked pantry; the purpose of the contest was to take everyday, humble food items and transform them into a gourmet meal.

The ingredient list was simple and included things like Spam, Ramen noodles and a variety of canned vegetables.  These types of things are often considered to be bottom shelf, if not downright boring.  They're things that have probably been stashed away for quite some time because families tend not to cook with them.

That could change, however, should an earthquake strike.

The event was sponsored by the Salvation Army; they hope these types of contests will encourage people to keep their pantries stocked with a few extra items because you never know if some of these nonperishable foodstuffs could come in handy.

At the end of the Friday event, the San Francisco Police Department emerged as the victor.  They prepared chicken adobo, braised Spam, sauteed chicken and stir fry noodles.

Read the full story here: San Francisco First Responders compete in cooking contest with quake-limited ingredients