College chefs face off in Caf competition

by: Paige Cole

BAM! Emeril Lagasse may have never set foot on the Lycoming College campus. However, that doesn’t stop Sodexo from transforming the cafeteria into something like that seen on The Food Network.

Chef’s Fare, a competition between chefs from DeSales University, Lehigh University, Lafayette College, and Lycoming College, was held in the dining hall March 2.
Each team prepared a dish and students voted on which one they liked best.

“The idea surrounding Chef's Fare is to expose Colleges in our region to each other and to get the chef's from each school out to the other schools to show off some of their specialities,” Jeff Griffis, the interim general manager for Lycoming dining services said.

“It is usually centered around a theme, this year being tailgating/School spirit. It also fosters a relationship between the chefs so they have resources to go to when looking to improve their programs at their respective schools. It is usually set up as stations in the dining room where each school decorates and prepares foods for the guest to sample.”

The menu for Lycoming College was a crispy corn taco stuffed with achiote chicken, rice, roasted corn, pablano cake and a fondue bar. Lehigh University prepared grilled cilantro lime flank steak with Jack Daniel’s whiskey sauce, pineapple jicama slaw, smokey chipotle mac and cheese, and a banana split brownie. Lafayette College offered brown sugar and apple cider barbeque roasted turkey breast sandwich, chicken cheese steak chili and dark chocolate chunk mint mousse cookie sandwiches. Finally Desales University cooked cheese tortellini carbonara, pan fried risotto with wild mushrooms and fresh rosemary and Sicilian lemon bars.
The turnout for the event was good.

“We had around 800 students,” Griffis said. “That is a good number for dinner and over 500 votes were received.”

The feedback received also evidenced a generally liked event.

“We had a great turnout and lots of positive comments which were echoed again at lunch as we interacted with the students,” Griffis said. “It was a great change of pace and a fun night for all.”

The fare originated from such positive feedback.

“It has been around at some colleges for several years,” Griffis said. “And it has been spreading each year since it is so widely received in a positive manner.”

According to Griffis, “The fare will be an annual event to be held every year, not always the same time of year but every year.”

In addition to the fare, Sodexo has planned some other events for the students.
“A Mardi Gras dinner,” was held on Wednesday. Griffis said, “We are working with the school for the Charter Day Celebration on April 2. We have an Italian buffet schedule for dinner on April 13 as well as some late night events.”