The second annual Battle of the Chefs took place in UI’s Eatery on Wednesday, Nov. 6. Three Idaho chefs were challenged to cook, prepare, and present their dishes to a panel of judges in only two hours and thirty minutes.
The chefs were UI’s own Michael Verk, BSU’s Roland Cruz, and ISU’s Rob Martin. The competition began at 2 p.m. While cooking, the chefs underwent student-suggested “sabotages,” challenges that added difficulty to their performance. The first sabotage required each chef to cook while wearing oven mitts for the next five minutes. The second required them to wear an eyepatch for five minutes.
The chefs followed other guidelines, too. Each worked from the same range of ingredients, some of which were donated by three main suppliers. Double R Ranch provided 300 pounds of beef, Simplot provided sweet potatoes and Spiceology donated seasoning mixes. The chefs had to utilize these ingredients in addition to one ingredient sourced from the Palouse.
The Battle of the Chefs was co-hosted by the season eight winner of Food Network Star, Justin Warner. Warner introduced himself alongside six guest judges, each of which represented one of the universities or suppliers.
BSU chef Roland Cruz was first to present his dish. He prepared a sweet potato flatbread, Coulotte steak and a coconut milk curry. The dish was complemented by jasmine rice. Second was UI chef Michael Verk. Accompanying his Coulette steak were pickled onions and several colorful sauces. ISU’s chef Rob Martin presented a churrasco steak with roasted sweet potatoes and hummus. Each chef received heartfelt feedback from Warner and the panel. Cruz’ creativity, Vert’s presentation, and Martin’s seasoning were all highly praised. Students and judges alike had the opportunity to vote on which dish was best.
Ultimately, Verk came out on top. Warner awarded him the large trophy, which resembled an upside-down chef’s hat full of vegetables. Verk’s name was also put on the trophy’s plaque.
Warren had received a tour of the Eatery earlier that day. He was both impressed and amused, particularly by the soft-serve machine. “This is some Willy Wonka-type stuff,” he said. “You could easily eat 365 days of soft serve, and no one would stop you.” Overall, he expressed positivity about the dining facilities at UI. “I didn’t know that I identified as a Vandal, but there’s a tiny Vandal inside of me,” Warren said. “Don’t worry, that will not affect today’s judging.” While the ice cream might not have swayed him, Verk’s skill and polish as a chef certainly did.
Regional executive chef Charles Kimball also shared some words. “What we wanted to do was not only celebrate what we do for you on a day-to-day basis but also show the talent of our chefs.” He added, “The real winners are all of you,” referring to the students fortunate enough to experience Vert, Cruz and Martin’s cooking.
Megan Kingsley can be reached at [email protected]