Skidmore Dining Services team wins medal at cooking competition

The new Murray-Aikins Dining Hall has received praise for its innovative architecture and inviting space; now it can also be applauded for its award-winning chefs. On June 15, four chefs from Skidmore Dining Services won a bronze medal at the 13th Annual Chef Culinary Conference held at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.

The team consisted of Jim Rose, executive chef; Bryan Waldron, senior cook; Ben Niese, senior cook; and Paul Karlson, senior cook.

	University of Massachusetts at Amherst photo From left: Skidmore Executive Chef Jim Rose, Bryan Waldron, Ben Niese, Paul Karlson

Hosting about 100 chefs over the five-day event, the American Culinary Foundation (ACF) conference included workshops and lectures. The theme of this year's gathering was "Tastes of the World." The Skidmore chefs raved about the new takes on Latin American food and sushi preparation techniques, but were most excited about the presentations on southeast Asian cuisine.

The conference culminated in a cooking competition consisting of 14 teams of four to six chefs each. The afternoon before the competition, each team was given a mystery basket that contained ingredients that the chefs had to incorporate into their meals. The teams were given only 30 minutes to decide on their menus. "It was a tight squeeze," Rose said with a grin. "It really set the tone for the whole competition," Waldron added.

On competition day, the teams had two hours to prepare three main courses as well as a fourth buffet platter that would serve 10. After 15 minutes for plating, the chefs sat with the judges to review and score their work. The Skidmore chefs' courses were as follows:

"The judges were very concise, fair, and candid," said Niese. The teams were scored in two main categories, Taste and Floor Evaluation. In the Taste section, judges critiqued service methods and presentation; portion size and nutritional balance; menu and ingredient compatibility; creativity and practicality; and flavor, taste, texture, and doneness. In the Floor Evaluation, judges looked at sanitation and food handling; organization; culinary and cooking technique and execution; proper utilization of ingredients; and timing and work flow.

The Skidmore chefs were especially congratulated on their excellent teamwork and group harmony. "We were in a space about the third of the size of the pasta station [in the Murray-Aikins Dining Hall] with only gas burners," explained Rose. "In that small a space, we were bouncing off of each other like pinballs," said Niese, "but Bryan [Waldron] really helped us stay focused and organized by assigning tasks and staying calm." No doubt Waldron's 12 years of experience in Skidmore Dining Services served the team well.

The Skidmore chefs haven't brought just a medal home with them. They found inspiration and renewed vigor in the new ethnic recipes at the conference. "Mexican food isn't all guacamole and salsa, and Asian food isn't just stir-fry," said Niese. Already this summer, they've tested new recipes for vegetable sushi and Vietnamese noodle salad. They hope to receive enough feedback this summer to create new menu options for the fall.

The conference also emphasized the current culinary trend of healthy, nutritionally balanced meals, especially in college campus settings. "A lot of us come from a classical training background which uses a lot of heavy cream and butter," explained Niese. However, all the chefs are aware of our health-conscious world; Rose reported that one of his colleagues at another college has even done away with the popular chicken finger Fridays with surprisingly few complaints.

While Skidmore may not pull such a drastic move anytime soon, the collaboration of Rose, Waldron, Niese, and Karlson shows the success of Skidmore Dining Services to stay on the cutting edge of the culinary world.