Disappearing Trays and a Recipe: The Campus Epicurean April 27 - May 3

This past week featured a few food-related changes around campus.  First and most dramatic, Scripps has gone trayless.  There has been an ongoing movement around the 5C's to reduce the environmental impact of the dining halls.  Last year, dining halls replaced Styrofoam take-out containers with paper ones and Pitzer went trayless.  Scripps has now joined Pitzer in foregoing the use of trays in an effort to reduce the amount of food students waste. While I personally think that trays make eating in the dining halls more convenient, Scripps has adopted a fairly user-friendly trayless system.  There is now silverware in each room near the drink dispensers.  This means students don't have to try and balance a plate of food, a drink, and silverware when trying to find a seat.  The Scripps dining hall seems particularly well suited for going trayless because the drink dispensers are dispersed between the eating rooms.  This layout has always required students to put their food down on a table and then go get beverages.  Grabbing silverware while getting drinks is not too difficult.  If a dining hall like Collins or Frary went trayless, it would be much less convenient. Students would either have to make an additional trip back to the serving area to get drinks or find a way to master balancing drinks, plates and silverware all at once.

The second change was the demise of the Mudd brunch smoothie blenders.  According to signs at Mudd dining hall, students broke the blenders by using them improperly.  The blenders will be gone for the rest of the year.

Recipe of the Week: Jillian's Snack Sandwich

This week's recipe comes courtesy of Jillian Raftery '12.

1.       Obtain 2 slices of bread (Buttermilk or Sweet Hawaiian) and toast them.

2.       Lightly butter each slice of bread.

3.        Spread crunchy peanut butter on one slice of bread.

4.       Thinly slice some green apple and cover the half with peanut butter with the slices (you should use less than half of the apple)

5.       Drizzle honey over the apple

6.       (Optional) Sprinkle some cinnamon sugar over the honey before you make it a sandwich.

7.       Place the other slice of bread on top to make it a sandwich

8.       Enjoy.

The end result is rich and creamy. Not only does the sandwich take advantage of the inherent apple-peanut butter synergy, but, as Jillian describes, "The peanut butter mixes with the butter to make it creamy and the honey sets it off so it isn't too dry."  This recipe can be replicated at Collins at lunch, dinner or snack.

And now, a look at the menus for the week.

Monday:

Start your week off right with a Grilled Three Cheese & Apple Sandwich from the Scripps Grille.  Scripps will also serve Beef Fajitas at the Expo, Buffalo Chicken Pizza at the Pizza Station and Roasted Chicken, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, as well as Baked Herb Crusted Cod in the home-style line.

If Scripps's menu doesn't whet your appetite, try Mudd's Muddgolian BBQ or Pitzer's Mongolian Stir Fry.

Tuesday:

Frary seems to have a headlock on Tuesday night.  Its Taco Tuesday blows everything else out of the water week after week.

Last Tuesday I highlighted Collins's Prawn Crepes as one of the most creative dining hall dishes I have heard of.  I tried them and must report that they were actually good.  They were served with a peanut sauce, prawn, noodles and carrot.  If Collins offers them again, I recommend giving them a try.  This week, you can head to Collins for Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches, Shrimp Egg Rolls, and Crepes of an unknown flavor.

Wednesday:

For as long as I have been writing this column, Collins and Frary have combated each other for the title of "Best Japanese Cuisine on a Wednesday Night."  This terrible conflict shall enter the annals of history to take its place among the other irreconcilable conflicts of our time like chocolate vs. vanilla, pulp vs. no pulp, crunchy vs. smooth and Pirates vs. Ninjas.   One can only hope that these two gastronomical gladiators agree to schedule their signature Japanese nights on different days of the week for next semester.  Until then, 5C students will be faced, weekly, with the existential choice: Chicken Teryaki or Sushi? When faced with such a weighty decision, the opinion of a Forum pundit means little.  Follow your heart, be yourself and pick whichever one you want.

Thursday:

After facing a soul-searching choice between Japanese cuisines on Wednesday, 5C students must decide between competing wraps on Thursday.  Indeed, there is no rest for the weary.  Scripps will serve a Turkey Bacon Club Wrap, as well as an Italian Melt and Chicken Ranch Bacon Pizza.  Collins on the other hand, will serve a South West Chicken Wrap, as well as Taste of Europe- Gnocchi and Chili Dogs.  While the Scripps wrap is better than the Collins wrap, I am a sucker for Gnocchi (Gnocchi is made of pasta dumplings filled with potato.  It is delicious).

Friday:

If Frary has a headlock on Tuesday nights, then Mudd has tamed, domesticated and now feeds Friday nights with delicious scraps from its table.  Individual Pizzas Made to Order, a Carne Asada Taco Bar, Clam Chowder, and a Wing Bar are just too good to miss.

Saturday:

There must be some sort of tacit oligopoly formed between the dining halls regarding weekend menus.  Scripps is still the best choice on Saturday with Grilled Steaks and Cheese Tortellini.  Scripps is only challenged by Mudd and its sushi night.

Sunday:

Mudd will serve Individual Steaks Cooked to Order, but Collins has been improving its Sunday offerings and will serve Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches and a Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry if you don't want to deal with the lines at Mudd.

That is all for this week. Thank you for reading!