Ideas
Healthy Habits
Many people are under the false assumption that eating healthy is more expensive than eating take-out/fast food. On Wednesday, October 26, Calvin College’s Catering Manager, Steve McBride, and Executive Chef, Ian Ramirez, proved this notion wrong with a “Healthy Habits” presentation to the faculty and staff.
They discussed many healthy eating topics such as the Food Matters program, and how this fit in with Grow, our sustainability initiative. Their presentation involved using biodegradable products, how to properly read nutrition facts, and the $20 Challenge. An example of the $20 Challenge included a KFC meal (for four people) for $19.61 or a healthy meal from the grocery store which included: chicken, lean ground beef, potatoes, corn, peas, yogurt, oats and milk for only $19.54. To further validate the $20 Challenge, Chef Ian took the challenge himself and cooked a healthy meal for the audience – fifty people for $45!
Pecha Kucha Night
One of Chef Ian's desserts from the 2010 January Series dinners
On Tuesday, October 18, Calvin College’s Executive Chef Ian Ramirez participated in an event called Pecha Kucha at Stella’s restaurant located in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan. Pecha Kucha (which means “Chit Chat” in Japanese) is an event focused on creative people sharing creative ideas; it brings the local, creative community together from different fields to network and showcase their ideas. The participants only have 400 seconds to present; they must prepare 20 slides and only have 20 seconds to discuss each slide.
This particular Pecha Kucha event included a wide variety of topics such as astronomy, juggling, meditation and Chef Ian’s topic: 45 Dishes in 15 Days. Chef Ian presented the challenges and rewards of designing 45 creative and delicious dishes for Executives during the January Series at Calvin College. He discussed the importance of knowing exactly whom you are cooking for. Demographics play such a large role when it comes to designing a dish…especially when it comes to designing 45 Dishes in 15 days!
Being Creative
One of Creative Dining’s very own Food Services Directors, Rick Balfour with CalvinCollegewas featured on the front page of the magazine, FoodService Director. You can read about a tip that Rick suggested on page 28 of the magazine or check out other tips he submitted by clicking this link: http://www.fsdmag.com/search.html?ordering=&searchphrase=all&searchword=Rick+Balfour
Rick sets a great example of thinking “outside of the box”. If you ever have creative idea that has worked well for you – feel free to share the idea with reports@creativedining.com and we’ll post it to the CDS blog, Facebook, etc.
Dining at Davenport University
Soup’s on at Davenport University! And tacos, and lasagna, and pot roast, and grilled cheese, and pizza, and salad and… well, watch the video and find out!
Gluten Free means Back to Basics
Many people get overwhelmed when they hear gluten free. They are not sure where to start, where to go, or where to turn first. Offering gluten free options at every meal at Aquinas Dining Services has proven to be easier than first expected.
Most processed breakfast items such as bagels, waffles and muffins all contain gluten and are not an option; however the basic breakfast items are still viable ones. Bacon, eggs prepared any way, potatoes with onions, and cereals such as cream of rice, oatmeal, rice Chex cereal, and Rice Krispies are all gluten free, as are any sliced fresh fruit, all hand fruit like bananas, and yogurts, smoothies, coffee, and tea.
Lunch and dinner have a lot to offer as well. There is a full salad bar with protein options and apple sauce, homemade potato salad, Cole slaw, hummus, guacamole, and fresh sliced fruit that students can find on a regular basis on the salad bar. Adding gluten free or rice pasta to our pasta bar daily has been a favorite since we first started preparing it. With two sauce options at each meal, it is a staple for many of our students who must follow a gluten-free diet. Proteins are also kept basic with a homemade sauce or spiced with basic spices and herbs; we offer a fish option with fresh herbs, pork chops with homemade chutney, chicken breast with a cream sauce or London broil. Serving rice, French fries and baked potatoes are great starch options that are all naturally gluten free. Additionally, tacos served in corn tortillas are very popular on our campus. Students can finish their meal with a Rice Krispie treat or ice cream, both a college favorite.
In a society that has become accustom to processed food filled with gluten as well as preservatives, serving gluten free options can sound like a daunting task. But we have found at Aquinas Dining that going gluten free is really going back to basics: going back to scratch cooking and offering un-processed choices. We found that purchasing food products at their natural state and simple dressing them up a bit is the best gluten free way to go, as well as easy!
Mmmm… Delicious!
Check out this fabulous picture from Chef Joe Bolis at Brandywine Creek Conference Center. Doesn’t the hollowed-out pumpkin make a beautiful way to serve a hearty fall soup?
Autumn Soup and Sandwich at Brandywine
Autumn at Brandywine Creek
Fall is my favorite time of the year here at Brandywine Creek. Our 140 acres of wooded dunes are starting to show off their true colors. The three deer I saw last week looked healthy and ready to take on the approaching Michigan winter. However, our wild turkeys and squirrels have been sparse visitors lately – this usually means that the coyotes are nearby. Time for us to start warning our guests to be extra careful when using the hiking trails!
Our flower boxes on the outdoor decks are filled with colorful mums and Indian corn, and our guests are greeted with local pumpkins and gourds at our lodge entrance.
As a chef, I look forward to the fall vegetable crops of our local farmer. We will have our hearty homemade soups on our daily menus as often as we can. Our Dutch ovens will come out of storage so we can serve some of our smaller groups family style dinners – straight from the slow-simmered pot to their plate. We enjoy “serving with the season,” and our guests enjoy comfort food away from home. A simmering stockpot, braised beef tips with bacon and pickles, and stewed local root vegetables – this is the type of fall cooking we enjoy at Brandywine.
October is also National Cook for the Cure month. Here at Brandywine Creek Judy, Darlene, and Joe will plan and decorate the Wednesday pink buffets we will have all month. The menu focus is heart-healthy and super foods. Some pictures are below –
Enjoy the fall season (Go Blue) – the snow will be flying soon enough!