Chefs Ryan & Sam compete against Chefs Annie & Sam II for the title of Lowry champs
Ian Benson and Anya Cohen
Features Editors
Chefs Sam Schopler ’14 and Ryan McCormack ’14 have long been a staple of the features section, in place nearly as long as the current editorial staff. However, their dominance as chief chefs and food correspondents for the Voice was put to the test by two challengers, Sam Lundeen ’13 and Annie Peterson ’13. A challenge was designed to put the two groups to the test and a panel of judges was formed to determine the victor on the most sacred of grounds (Lowry) for the most honorable of prizes (bragging rights).
The challenge was as follows: To create their dish the chefs had at their disposal anything that they could find in Lowry, with only one stipulation: they must use two of these three ingredients: bacon, hardboiled eggs and Italian dressing. Their concoctions would then be judged on the criteria of presentation, complexity and taste. The other judge of this competition, in addition to ourselves (Ian Benson ’14 and Anya Cohen ’14), was Viewpoints Editor John McGovern ’12.
Upon entering the dining hall, the two teams raced off with ideas still being bounced back and forth before each eventually decided on a dish to make. For the girls, they had chosen the bacon and hardboiled eggs as their ingredients, setting out to make a four-cheese macaroni. The guys, on the other hand decided on a double-decker sandwich using Italian dressing and bacon as their ingredients of choice. Both teams also decided to add a side dish, the girls created deviled eggs and the guys make a deconstructed loaded potato skin. For added flair, the boys also threw in a caramel, coffee milkshake.
All three judges were blown away by the Lowry masterpieces, but there could only be one winning team. The judges unanimously found the plating of the girl’s macaroni dish to be the most aesthetically pleasing. Especially swaying Judge Benson was a decorative Saracha design on the side of each plate. The judges were split on the category of complexity. While Judges Benson and Cohen were impressed by the nuances of the mac and four cheese, Judge McGovern argued instead for the thought that went into the double-decker sandwich saying, “The daring utilization of three pieces of bread, combined with a delicately sauced chicken breast, cannot be overlooked.” What truly decided the competition, however, was taste. Though the competition was close and each dish proved to be delicious in their own ways, the judges all agreed that the macaroni and four cheese was the most delicious. The girls were victorious.
While there could only be one winner to this relatively impromptu, Voice-sanctioned competition, the judges indisputably and wholeheartedly agree that they have never enjoyed a Lowry meal more scrumptious than those created by the four chefs. When it comes to Lowry, it doesn’t get much tastier than that.