On an average day, Linda Parker and Tim Maloney are on the same side, working to make Dalhousie a great place to live, study, work and visit in their respective roles as senior leaders at the university.
But this Wednesday was anything but average as the two suited up in monogrammed white chef's coats to compete in Dal's third-annual Battle of the Chefs in Shirreff Hall.
Their challenge: Work with a member of Dal's Food Services team to create a mouth-watering entree that's tasty enough to wow a table of Dal judges. The chefs had to integrate worcestershire sauce, pomegranate dressing, tomato juice, Maritime mushrooms and Israeli couscous into their dishes.
So, who were they trying to impress? Judges for this year's competition included Rick Ezekiel, Dal's vice-president Student Affairs; Isabelle French, senior legal counsel; Jake MacIsaac, assistant director of Dalhousie Security Services; and Melissa MacKay, assistant vice-provost, campus living and student wellbeing.
Judges' table: From left, Rick Ezekiel, Isabelle French, Jake MacIsaac, and Melissa MacKay.
Parker, Dal's assistant vice-president Housing & Campus Connections, emerged the victor with her mushroom- and cheese-stuffed spiced chicken breast with tricolour Israeli couscous, sautéed spinach and maritime mushrooms, cranberry glaze, and cucumber raita.
Maloney, Dal's assistant vice-president Athletics and Ancillary Services, also impressed with his gochujang-marinated chicken thigh stir-fry alongside a tricolour Israeli couscous salad with apples, red onions and a pomegranate dressing. But it wasn't enough to give him the edge.
Whet your appetite with a selection of images from the event below:
Kitchen Stadium, er, Shirreff Hall.
Parker and her teammate, Astle Crasta, plan their dish.
Parker gets chopping.
Astle Crasta.
Linda Parker's winning dish.
Tim Maloney, centre, plans his dish.
Maloney plates his food.
Sebastian Vivas Tibavisco, Maloney's teammate.
Maloney's creation.
Trophy up for grabs, along with fresh ingredients.
Attendees watch the chefs in action.
Slicing and dicing.
Looking yummy.
Team Parker takes it!