Last night I judged the University of Vermont’s Battle of the Campus Chefs for the third year in a row. As I was leaving work, one colleague asked if I was going to be tasting Salisbury steak. Such notions are exactly why it’s important to me to take time out of my schedule each year to join the fight.
There were days, I’m sure, when university chefs mostly consisted of lunch ladies without much of a palate or concern for quality of ingredients. But that’s changed. Now, most chefs at UVM and other universities have culinary school training and impressive resumés.
Why leave restaurants? The soul-wearying stress, for one. Also, many chefs have young families and would like to see them occasionally. College schedules allow that. And once a year, those chefs (with the assistance of UVM club members, such as Slow Food and Engineers Without Borders) get to stut their stuff in one of Vermont’s most impressive displays of culinary skill. Seriously.
And last night, the contest was closer than ever.
Among the nine competitors, four had nearly equal scores — at least in my estimation. Though there were some inevitable clunkers, most dishes were not only solidly conceived and prepared, but showcased primarily local ingredients.
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