The Campus Epicurean April 13 - 19

This week with the Campus Epicurean, peanut butter is the key to changing up your dessert options... Dessert is often the most enjoyable part of a dining hall meal.  Dining halls seek to satisfy students' sweet teeth by offering a plethora of dessert options.  Almost every dining hall provides students with ice cream (both hard and soft serve), cookies and various other puddings or pastries.  While you might be tempted to merely choose one of the desserts prepared for you, ignoring these low-hanging fruit and creating your own dessert is the mark of a true epicurean.  By breaking through the false (and dining hall abetted) categorization of some foods as "dessert" foods and others as "non-dessert" foods you can simultaneously combat food stereotyping and liberate your taste buds.

The 22nd Choice

1.       Obtain a bowl or to-go cup

2.       Find peanut butter from the appropriate dining hall area (crunchy or smooth)

3.       Use a knife to spread liberal amounts of peanut butter onto the outside of your bowl/cup.  It doesn't have to be evenly spread.

4.       Get frozen yogurt from the machine (Vanilla works well)

5.       Add desired topping(s) (eg: chocolate chips, crumbled oreo, butterfinger bits)

6.       Mix thoroughly

This recipe has been traveling around campus (and the CMS track team) by word of mouth.  It is amazing.  The finished product tastes almost exactly like something you could order from 21 choices.  Of course, the dining hall version has the benefit of being virtually free.   The key breakthrough here is mixing peanut butter (not usually considered a dessert food) with frozen yogurt (a traditional dessert food).  The ingredients for this recipe can be found in every dining hall.  The only variation would be in the flavor of frozen yogurt available.

And now, onto the menus for the week:

Monday

Collins almost never gets the nod for Monday night, but this week it seems bent on changing that fact.  Collins is offering a Seafood Chowder Bread Bowl at the Options station, a Turkey Club at the Expo, and their weekly Gyros at the Grill.  Collins seems to be revisiting Mardi Gras with a Cajun themed Sausage Gumbo.

Alternatively, Scripps is serving a Turkey Bacon Melt at the Grille and has Chorizo & Cheese Quesadillas at the Expo.

Tuesday

Tuesday is a no-brainer.  None of the dining hall menus can compete with Frary's Burrito Night.  Go order a huge tortilla full of scrumptious Mexican food.

Wednesday

Frary earns repeat honors this Wednesday with its Japanese Night.  The first time I went to Frary's Japanese Night it was only so-so, but I gave it a second chance and their  Chicken Teryaki was amazing (by dining hall standards, of course).  The ability to get multiple items in a single order also allows you to sample a variety of tastes.  If you have been to Collins sushi night for the last few weeks, I recommend changing up your routine and heading to Frary.

While Frary is good, Collins sushi still reigns supreme.  Frary's Japanese Night allows you to sample multiple items, but Frary sushi is no match for Collins sushi.

Thursday

Every station is pulling its own weight this Thursday at Scripps.  The Grill is offering Chorizo & Cheese Quesadillas for those of you who missed it on Monday.  The Exhibition is running a Baked Potato Bar. Finally, the regular line is serving Beef Lasagna to satisfy your inner Garfield.

If none of the above dishes appeal to you, try Collins.  There you will find a Chinese Mandarin Salad at the Options station, Lemon Pepper Shrimp Linguini at the Expo and Sloppy Joes at the Grill.

Friday

While last week I endorsed the Collins Za-tar Hummus Bar, this Friday is all about Mudd. Mudd really does Friday dinners right.  Order an Individual Pizza and then take the edge off your appetite with a tender Carne Asada Taco while you wait.

Saturday

It seems like Scripps has more baked potatoes than it knows what to do with.  In addition to its traditional Steak Cooked to Order, Scripps is offering another Baked Potato Bar at the Exhibition station as well as Baked Sweet Potatoes in the normal line.

Sunday

Sunday features steak at Mudd, Pitzer, and Frary.  Mudd cooks steaks to order while Frary is serving flank steak and Pitzer offers delicious macaroni and cheese.

That's all for this week.  Thank you for reading!