The Campus Epicurean April 6 - 12

If you are anything like me, then you love brunch. Dinnertime steaks can be overcooked, lunchtime salads can be overdressed, ethnic foods from various places can be botched horribly, but it is very hard to screw up eggs, bacon, pancakes and waffles. Brunch is traditionally one of the bests meals dining halls can offer. Unfortunately, dining halls may have become the victims of their own success. They have figured out how to cook brunch so well that they repeat the same brunch menus every week. This creates a monotonous routine that wears down brunch-goers' enthusiasm for breaking their fast. So, in an effort to give you more choices for Saturday and Sunday mornings--and before I get to this week's menus--I present to you the Granola Parfait:

The Granola Parfait

1.       Obtain a bowl.

2.       Fill bottom of bowl with yogurt (flavored or plain).

3.       Add granola from the cereal dispensers and mix the cereal with the yogurt.

4.       Obtain a banana and cut it into slices.  Add them to the bowl.

5.       Obtain various other fruits (strawberries, blueberries etc), cut them up (if necessary) and add them to your bowl.

6.       Mix (or don't) and enjoy

For a sweet twist try this:

7.       Add frozen yogurt on top of everything else (vanilla or tart n' tangy seem to work best)

This recipe is well worth adding to your weekend brunch.  Remember that you can sometimes get fruit from the smoothie bar (especially at a place like Mudd where it is self serve).  Just remember that some smoothie fruit is frozen and so might not taste as good in your parfait.  Each person will have different consistency preferences.  Some people like lots of granola for more of a dry parfait, others like only a sprinkling of granola for a much more yogurt dominated dish.  Feel free to experiment with different ingredients.

And now, on to the menus for the week:

Monday:

Monday looks like an unexceptional dining hall day.  Try Mudd or Pitzer for their respective Mongolian style barbecues (Pitzer generally has a great grill too).  Alternatively, mosey on over to Scripps for Beef Fajitas.

Tuesday:

Tuesday is Burrito Night at Frary.  While it can take a while to get your burrito and you run the risk of somebody absconding with your burrito, Frary burritos are quite good.

If Mexican food isn't your thing, stop by Scripps for a Turkey Club Wrap.  Turkey, bacon and mayonnaise (with tomato and lettuce filler) is a killer combination and Scripps won't be nearly as crowded as Frary.

Wedesday:

This Wednesday, like every Wednesday, is sushi night at Collins.  Collins has been experimenting lately with replacing spicy tuna rolls (amazing) with spicy salmon rolls (not as good).  Hopefully they will abandon such nonsense this week.  If you are looking for a little extra spice in your sushi, try some of the spicy mayonnaise (the pink stuff).  It is especially good on the avocado rolls.  You can also try putting some wasabi in your soy sauce and mixing it until it dissolves.

Although I am personally partial to Collins sushi night, Frary has their Japanese night on Wednesdays.  Frary offers sushi (although it is not as good as Collins sushi), teriyaki chicken, tempura shrimp and sticky rice.  Some people adore Frary teriyaki chicken.  If you do go to Frary, you should know that there is no limit to how many items you can check on the order slip.  If you check multiple items they don't give you less of each.

Thursday:

Head up to Mudd this Thursday for Muddgolian BBQ,a Quesadilla Bar, and a Pasta Bar.

Alternatively, go get some nachos at Scripps.  Scripps is offering a Nacho Bar as well as their Bread Bowl "Souper" Day.  Remember that you can use the nacho bar for other purposes, like making Cheese Fries.  Unfortunately, Scripps often runs out of bread bowls at lunch and has none left for dinner.

Friday:

Last Friday I investigated the Collins Za'tar Hummus Bar and it was surprisingly good.  I am not usually one to munch on pita bread and hummus, but on Fridays Collins has warm pita bread (different from the pita bread it has out every day) and two different kinds of hummus as well as onions and tomatoes that you can put on your pita.   Collins also has Lamb Carving Station in the "At Home" section.  For those of you looking for something out of the ordinary to eat on Friday, check out Collins.

If hummus really isn't your thing, you can always go get Individual Pizzas at Mudd.

Saturday:

For Saturday dinner trot up to Scripps for its Steak Night, as well as a Chicken Mo Shu Lettuce Wrap. Scripps lines on Saturday can get very long so be sure to get there early or late.

Sunday

The traditional choice for Sunday dinner is Mudd's Steak Cooked to Order night.  I have mentioned a few times in this column that Pitzer also offers steak, but not cooked to order.  However, there is an additional reason to go to Pitzer: the delectable macaroni and cheese.  Normally I detest dining hall macaroni and cheese, but Pitzer has proven to be an exception.  I recommend it if you find yourself at Pitzer on a Sunday.

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