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At this year’s American Culinary Federation conference and competition, held on campus last week, Skidmore’s dining services earned the sole gold medal, besting the staffs from 10 other northeastern colleges and universities. 

The four-person teams used identical baskets of ingredients along with a shared table of staples and spices. They faced tight time limits. Without using broilers or fryers, they had to produce a salad or appetizer, a soup or dessert, an entrée, and also a buffet platter. The dishes were to be stylish but practical, nutritionally balanced, with complementary flavors and textures and good eye appeal. Oh, and don’t forget sanitary and efficient techniques. The judges—highly credentialed and experienced—were watching closely and then tasting with extreme discrimination. No team didn’t break a sweat. []

In the end, Skidmore racked up the most points, starting with its corn-dusted skate, napa slaw, and lentil salad with tropical fruits and mango vinaigrette. Next came pheasant roulade with a bacon, pistachio, and pear farce, alongside creamy herbed bulgur and herb-buttered cauliflower and marble potatoes, sauced with a lager and pear reduction. For the buffet platter: bison flank steak with an avocado-lime emulsion and a stir-fry of rice noodles, napa and bok choy, and toasted macadamia nuts. Dessert was lemon-curd tarts with pistachio and walnut crust, pomegranate-berry sauce, and lime whipped cream.

Such gold-medal fare typifies Skidmore’s majored catered events and has even appeared on the student food-service line. Maybe not pheasant and macadamias, but lentil salad is a staple at the Emily’s Garden vegetarian station, and odds are that some new stir-fries, slaws, and herb butters will show up at other stations soon.