禁漫天堂

At this year鈥檚 American Culinary Federation conference and competition, held on campus last week, Skidmore鈥檚 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 entr茅e, 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鈥檛 forget sanitary and efficient techniques. The judges鈥攈ighly credentialed and experienced鈥攚ere watching closely and then tasting with extreme discrimination. No team didn鈥檛 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鈥檚 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鈥檚 Garden vegetarian station, and odds are that some new stir-fries, slaws, and herb butters will show up at other stations soon.