On Monday, I attended a lecture entitled Slow Food and Social Justice. This summer, Dartmouth has hosted a lecture series all about sustainability, energy, and food security. Josh Vietrel, former president of Slow Food USA and leader in the field of food security and sustainability, spoke about the current climate of food politics today. When looking at the whole picture, the notion of changing the food system seems daunting to say the least. Josh presented the challenge of mindfully choosing food based not only upon health but also with the environment and the welfare of those growing the food in mind. I took many things away from his lecture, but one of the most important pieces of advice was to apply change in your own community. As an intern at DDS, I felt a sense of pride that dining services strives to purchase produce from local farmers, work with companies that have sustainable business models and decrease the use of non-recyclable goods whenever possible.
Tuesday, I worked with the chef at Collis Café, Dylan, making cream of tomato soup and Mandarin Orange Asian noodle salad with vegetable wontons. The morning began by making the filling for the wontons. Dylan and I were folding machines in order to have the first batch ready by the time the lunch rush started. Then, I got to use the fryer to finish the wontons. It was an early morning but well worth it! I had so much fun with the kitchen staff at Collis Café. Before I knew it, my shift at Collis had ended and it was time for a meeting about the August 13th Slider/Fun Food event. The biggest challenge when planning this event is where to make each food item. Most of the menu items including the sliders, condiments, salads, and some of the side dishes will be served in the World View area. However, we will be serving a number of fried items, and they must prepared in different areas of the dining hall in order to keep up with demand. In this meeting, we decided what menu items would be appropriate to serve on other stations in the dining room, and where each food item would be served on the World View Station. These logistical decisions are essential in order for the event to run smoothly.
On Wednesday, I began the day by helping Todd, the manager of the Collis Market, inventory the store. Todd always keeps an eye out for new products for the store. I love to see what new products he's added since I've last visited. This week, Lindt Sea Salt Dark Chocolate were new in the store. I'm a sucker for dark chocolate, and these may be my new favorite! In the afternoon, I visited with Ellen Lewis, a dietitian at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. She showed me many areas of the hospital from the large kitchen to the hospital café to some of the floors she works on. At Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, they also use the Compnutrition system. I was surprised by how different the system is when used for medical purposes. It was fascinating to learn how the system preferences different dietary restrictions according to each patients condition. No system is without its glitches, but overall, I was impressed by the efficiency and ease of use of the Compnutrition system.
On Friday, I sat in on a meeting for Harvest Fest, a fall-event to celebrate local fall produce. During the meeting, we reviewed last years menu, brainstormed new menu items, and discussed what local produce vendors we would ask to set up stations at the event. Sadly, my internship will end before the event, so I will not get to experience Harvest Fest. It sounds like it will be a great event!
This weekend the Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl Game was held at Dartmouth's Memorial Field. The game is preceded by a parade at noon. I was familiar with the Shriners and their trademark tiny cars, but I this parade exceeded all of my expectations! After the parade, sidewalk sales and food vendors lined the streets of Hanover. It was a food and shopping filled Saturday!
Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl Parade
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