Around the World in 80 Plates

Posted on April 9, 2013 by Luke Schmidt

Traveling around the world in 80 days might be a challenge impossible to complete as a college student, but traveling the world in “80″ plates did plenty justice. Tonight, in Red Square (the center of campus), students socialized and tasted delightful desserts from all over the world. It could not have been a more perfect evening to have this event outside since McDaniel finally received the long awaited spring weather yesterday.

The majority of the student body was hungry for any outdoor activity to attend instead of studying in the library or in their rooms. Athletes finishing up practices, fans from the baseball game, and students studying under the trees attended the event to appreciate a variety of cultural desserts. I know that I was pleased since they had my two favorites desserts which include Tres Leches from South America and Baklava from Europe. Other options at the event included peanut butter brownies from North America, warm bread pudding from Asia, and coconut cake from Australia to name a few.

While this event was unique it was not quite different from a lot of the events at McDaniel since it included free food! I think that it is no surprise that free food has become the most popular choice at McDaniel to entice students with to participate in events on campus. At least that is what I do to get people to come to my events. It has worked quite well It is a pretty simple formula: College students + Free food = Success.

Belgium

Posted on February 11, 2013 by Barnabas

So last semester I wrote a lot about trying to go to Belgium this semester. Well guess what? Endless paperwork, 3 trips to the embassy and 1 trip to to consulate later, I got my visa, and I am currently sitting in my apartment in Saint-Josse-Ten-Noode, a highly Turkish neighborhood in Brussels, Belgium.

I’ve been here for 11 days. So far, it’s been a whirlwind and I’ve spent money at an incredibly unsustainable pace so far. I’ve been all over the city, both walking and on public transportation, I’ve been to classes in English and classes in French, I’ve eaten lots of foods and tried lots of Belgian beers. I’ve been overwhelmed by how awesome Europe is and I’ve been overwhelmed by how much I miss America. I’ve bought a cell phone and a Skype webcam, and impressed lots of Belgians with my French skills. I’ve done so much it feels like I’ve been here for 2 months, not less than 2 weeks.

The Highlights:
-Meeting tons of Europeans. The program I’m in (“Erasmus”) is designed to allow European students to study somewhere else in Europe for a semester. So most of the time I’ve been exploring the city with my new Italian, Finnish, Hungarian, Ukrainian, Lithuanian, Spanish, Moroccan, Canadian, and Turkish friends.
-French Fries are from Belgium. They are so good here. They are also served everywhere, in fancy restaurants and in Greek restaurants and in Chinese restaurants and just everywhere. The best thing to get that’s frie-inclusive is a mitraillette (a machine gun): they take some french bread, cut it open, put some meat and if you’re lucky some veggies inside, then toss in a bunch of fries, then pour a few ounces of your favorite sauce on top, then try to close it. It”s so yummy.
-Walking. I walk so much here. I walk to school and back to my apartment and then back to meet some friends downtown and then we walk together to get some food, and we walk around because the sun is finally out and then we walk to Grand Place to check out the cool gargoyle-ish statues and then we walk to Rue Neuve to do a little window shopping and then we walk back to Saint-Josse because it’s late and we have some homework to do.
-The Italians can cook. Marco and Simone, both from central Italy, can cook as well as anyone I’ve ever met in my life. And they love to do it. So every couple nights I find myself eating some variant of pasta, always with a homemade sauce and complimented with deliciously cooked veggies. I’ve never eaten better in my life.
-Being allowed into bars. Makes life a lot easier.

The Perks of the Meal Plan

Posted on January 31, 2013 by Amber Slater

Even though I was on campus during this past Jan term, I opted out of a meal plan in order to save some money. Though I love cooking and experimenting with new recipes, I did find that I missed going to our cafeteria, Glar, or grabbing some food at the pub. Now that the semester has begun, I’ve been using my meal plan pretty much everyday.

For those on the fence about getting a meal plan, here are five instances when our dining services really comw in handy:

1. Exhausted mornings- Whether I was up too late writing a paper, talking to friends, or just didn’t sleep well, sometimes I just feel like I need to kick start my day in the cafeteria. My staples are omelettes, which are served until 9:30, and coffee. I’m not usually a big caffeine drinker, but the combination of filling food and a cup of black coffee helps me get through the day when the night before was long.

2. Post-workout- I run cross country and track, so usually after a long workout I’m starving and not really interested in going back to my kitchen and spending time cooking something. It’s nice to have hot food on my plate when I’m tired without any work or clean-up involved.

3. Between classes- There are few things worse than sitting through a lecture while your stomach is growling. Often, I find myself with an hour to kill in the middle of the day, at which point I hit up Glar in order to make sure that I’m full, energized, and able to pay attention during class.

4. Themed nights- Typically on Tuesdays and Thursdays the chefs organize special themes for our dinner in Glar. The schedule for this semester has been posted, and I was excited to see some old favorites like sushi night mixed in with new themes, like a vegan dinner!

5. 11:30PM- You know the feeling. It’s late, and you’re craving mozzarella sticks. With our meal plan, we have meal exchanges that allow us to order food in the Pub until 11:30. Eating in the Pub at night is a great way to take a study break and catch up with friends after a long day.

After living on both sides of having a meal plan, I am definitely glad that I’m able to use one this semester. It allows me to eat with my friends and at times that are convenient for me!

An Unexpected Journey to Denny’s

Posted on December 3, 2012 by Annie Brown

What’s one way to reduce some of the insanity that comes along with the week before finals? Drop everything you’re doing and go to Denny’s in the middle of the night!

This evening I found myself feeling cabin-feverish and unmotivated to do even more work. So when some of my friends showed up to my suite saying that they wanted to go to Denny’s, I was all on board for it. I needed to get out of my room and enjoy myself a little, and a lot of the rest of us did too. In the 20 minutes before we left, I banged out 3/4 of a page of the paper I’m currently working on so I could sort of justify such an outing.

Since the epic trek to Denny’s was made by foot, my friend Sam (who’s taking a class called The Hero’s Journey with me) and I decided that it would be our own hero’s journey for tonight. After all, we had to cross a highway in order to get there. (Luckily, at one in the morning, there aren’t many cars, which makes crossing relatively safe if you remain alert and aware of your surroundings.) I also joked that he should do his creative project for The Hero’s Journey on our trip to Denny’s.

I think Sam and I must have been on to something, for when we and the other seven members of our group got to Denny’s we were greeted with The Hobbit-themed menus that said “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” on the front. This made my friends happy, since they’re Lord of the Rings fans and watched a couple of the movies last night in preparation for The Hobbit‘s release in theaters next week.

I ordered some pumpkin pancakes that were special to the Hobbit menu as a part of a Grand Slam, which gave me enough food to heat up and enjoy over the next few days when finals hunger gets the best of me. (Finals hunger is very real, and if not controlled appropriately, can be very fattening.)

Like all heroic journeys, my journey to Denny’s had to end with my return to my home “world” of McDaniel. Though my trek took two hours out of my late-night that would have otherwise been spent doing homework (incidentally for The Hero’s Journey), I’m actually feeling a lot more sane than I had been earlier this evening. Thank goodness for good friends and 24-hour restaurants!

Giving feedback about our cafeteria

Posted on November 29, 2012 by Amber Slater

Every few weeks in our cafeteria, the first few tables are covered in tablecloths and reserved for students who wish to talk with our head chef, Jamie, and General Manager, Rita. I always passed these tables feeling pretty jealous, partially because the dinner they served always looked awesome and partially because I wanted to speak with Rita and Jamie about my dining experience at McDaniel.

Tonight, I finally got the chance! During the dinner, students in attendance both expressed their concern about certain elements of our dining hall while also praising the staff for certain meals that they’ve really enjoyed. There was a diversity of students with various priorities in the dining hall. For example, some students were concerned about seeing more meat during the weekends while others spoke up about wanting to see more fruit during breakfast hours.

I sat near Jamie, and he was open about his plans for our cafeteria as well as our suggestions about what we’d like to eat in the future. He said that some of his plans include adding more international foods because a lot of students have given a lot of positive feedback on nights when there are international options. For example, there was a night recently when a chef showed us different Indian recipes and we were able to sample things he made as well as various Indian spices. Jamie said we should be expecting more demonstrations like this next semester.

The quality of the food in general has improved greatly during my time at McDaniel, and I feel like this is partially due to their willingness to accept ideas from students and then use them. I can’t imagine the difficulty of serving a campus of hungry college students, but our staff seems to be doing a great job at keeping the individual in mind.

The Day After

Posted on November 25, 2012 by Barnabas

Big News: My acceptance letter for my study abroad came today! I’M GOING TO BELGIUM!!

But this post is about what I did on Black Friday. Quickly, for anyone thinking about visiting Boston: 1. Go to Harvard Square and take in all the smart people. 2. Go to a Red Sox game; Bruins and Celtics aren’t the same, Patriots is too expensive. 3. Get a cannoli from Mike’s Pastries in the North End. 4. Understand that the North End is directly south of East Boston. Also South Boston is directly east of the South End. The South End and South Boston are both north of the geographic center of Boston. 5. Ride the T. It’s cheap and fairly quick, and helps you discover new muscles. 6. Climb the Bunker Hill Monument. It’s the Washington Monument for northerners. 7. Go to Fanueil Hall and watch YAK (You Already Know), a group of dancers that performs pretty much 365 days per year. They are pretty good performers but excellent businessmen. 8. Eat a burrito at Boca Grande Tacqueria and then one from Anna’s Tacqueria and compare. They both have multiple locations and are owned by two Chinese siblings that have become such competitors, they no longer speak to one another. 9. Find two places in your favorite Boston movie. I know pretty where everything in The Town was shot, and my brother once found the house used in Good Will Hunting. 10. Find the tombs of 5 famous people. Robby and I found John Hancock, Paul Revere, and Sam Adams in about three minutes. We also found the Sam Adams brewery, but it’s only 4 blocks from my house.

I hope everybody gained 5 pounds, because I know I did. (Only half joking, I had a lot of pie.) Black Friday is supposed to be a day of shopping, but my family has our own traditions instead. My friend and I were (rudely? sadly? predictably?) awoken at 9:00 AM, and we thought we smelled bacon. Nope. Just meatballs in the oven. So we ate cereal and headed out to The Christmas Place, “The Largest Christmas Store in New England.” Every year they are open only from October through Christmas Eve, and they sell anything anyone could ever want that has to do with Christmas – except, (unfortunately? sadly? predictably?) nothing with the name “Barnabas” on it.

We bought a few ornaments and wreaths, and then headed out to our favorite location: the Blue Hills. If you like nature and are visiting Boston, please, please go for a hike in the Blue Hills. They are close to the city, they are forested, and they are beautiful. We went for a hike, built a fire and roasted hot dogs, and climbed a few trees and a particularly large boulder. In the summer I earn myself some extra money by lifeguarding at one of the lakes in the area, and in the winter we skate there too! Sometimes, if we’re lucky, there will be a friendly ice fisherman that will let us real in a fish with him.

Finally we came home, ate the spaghetti and meatballs (not bacon) Mom had prepared, and sat back to watch Elf. If you’ve never seen Elf, go see it. It’s one of the best Christmas movies ever and it’s both funny and touching. One of my toughest fraternity brothers says Elf is his favorite movie. My 26 year old sister says its in her top 5. Somehow, my parents had never seen it, so we helped them enjoy it by explaining the parts their old ears couldn’t hear. (Yes, they’re old: Thanksgiving Day was their 32nd anniversary!). Finally we played Bananagrams (our new favorite game) and did a little homework. Thanksgiving was fun; so was Black Friday.

The Duke of Edinburgh Award!

Posted on October 30, 2012 by Whitney Walker

I recently applied for a prestigious award called The Duke of Edinburgh Award. To receive this award I am required to fulfill certain requirements to receive my medal. It is an award to showcase well-rounded students. You have to display your dedication to community service, physical fitness, a special talent and an adventurous journey. In order to receive the bronze medal award I must complete three months of community service, physical fitness and a special talent. I must also complete an overnight adventure. Then I will be choosing one of the three elements to continue for another three months. I am honored to be considered for this award and I am excited to begin all my requirements.

I will be using my completed service hours with Gamma Sigma Sigma for my community service requirement, three hours of dance a week for my physical fitness requirement, and mastering family recipes as my special talent. In April I will be completing my adventurous journey by staying the entire night at our twelve hour Relay for Life event for American Cancer Society hosted by the school. After the three months are up, I will have to choose which element I am going to continue keeping track of. I’m sure none of them will completely escape my life, but I will have to choose one to focus on.

I am really excited about the opportunity this award is giving me. It is giving me as excuse to learn all the family recipes I have admired since childhood and it is pushing me to do more with the community and keep myself healthy throughout the school year. I think this award is a great opportunity for any student. It forces them to focus on things other than homework and school in their crazy busy lives. I know my calendar is jam packed already but I’m willing to add a few hours every week to make sure I stay a well-rounded person that can be a role model for future students of McDaniel College.

Baugher’s Farm

Posted on October 17, 2012 by Kaitlyn Vadenais

Part of the fun of a new season is enjoying all the sights and sounds of it. One way that students can participate in fall festivities is by checking out Baugher’s Orchards and Farm Museum. Just ten minutes up the road, this farm is very accessible to students, especially if they utilize the shuttle service offered for free.

From now until the end of October, it is their Pumpkin Harvest festival. The market sells fresh apples, cider, pumpkins, gourds, fudge and more. There are also hayrides, food, music, pony rides, scarecrow making, face painting, apple picking, and a petting zoo.

Two minutes from McDaniel there is also Baugher’s Family restaurant, featuring a large country style menu with special fall favorites added to the menu, like apple cider, pumpkin pie, and pumpkin ice cream. Outside of the restaurant is a fruit market where students can pick their own fruit and vegetables and buy homemade favorites like apple sauce, jams, and bakery items.

I highly recommend everyone in the area check it out if you don’t already know about this hot spot for fall fun. Baugher’s is quintessential fall for anyone who loves the season and all that it brings.

My Favorite Meals Around Campus

Posted on October 9, 2012 by Kaitlyn Vadenais

While nothing will ever be better than homecooking, here are some of my favorite meals around campus.

1. Miss Bobby’s Buffalo Chicken salad

We have a station in Glar where Miss Bobby makes customized hand-tossed salads. Students can either chose from one of her specialties or create their own concoction. I love choosing her famous Buffalo Chicken salad. Her original dressing is what makes it.

2. Chicken Tender Thursdays

This day is not a joke. Lunchtime on Thursdays is enough to get you through the week. There are regular tenders, gluten-free tenders, and all the dipping sauces you could desire. Students anticipate this weekly lunch more than anything.

3. Wing night

Glar holds special themed nights a few times a month. One of my favorites is wing night. These wings fly off the trays in flavors like Old Bay and BBQ. Definitely one of the messiest nights in Glar, make sure you have a stack of napkins nearby for a finger-licking good meal!

4. Sushi night

Another special Glar theme is sushi nights. These hand-rolled delicacies hit the spot, for the price of your regular meal swipe. From California Rolls to Spicy Tuna, your favorite rolls are sure to be found on this delicious night.

5. Chicken Cheesesteak

When it comes to the Pub, this is my first choice. These cheesesteaks are fresh off the grill and perfectly toasty. The cheese is so melty that it always hits the spot, especially as a fourth meal late at night. With a side of fries, you can’t go wrong.

A New Reason to love Thursdays

Posted on October 4, 2012 by Mara Seibert

I haven’t always loved Thursdays. Sure it’s one day away from Friday, which is clearly exciting. But usually mine are still pretty busy, consumed with classes and working and homework. This semester though, my Thursdays got a whole lot more amazing and not just because I’m back in Gospel Choir (which hugely improves Thursday evenings, and class will always include the entire class laughing hysterically at some point). This year, Thursdays introduced….the Mongolian Grill option…

Maybe this appeared last semester and I simply wasn’t here to appreciate it. Studying abroad tends to do that to you. Even so, this came as a fantastic surprise to me.

This may sound deceiving. Or simply not all that exciting. But it is. Now, Thursday afternoons in Glar, the school cafeteria does not just offer chicken tenders (which normally excites the entire student and staff populations), but the Mongolian Grill. Essentially, it lets you select all your ingredients: chicken, onions, peppers, broccoli, snow peas, carrots, mushrooms, water chestnuts, tofu, you name it. My personal favorite is the fresh pineapple-I go back for seconds when that’s around. Next, you add a scoopful of steaming rice to your concoction and move down the line, eyeing up the selection of potential stir-fry sauces. There’s teriyaki, soy, stir-fry, sweet-and-sour and others. Then you hand your plate of goodies to the person behind the counter and tell them what sauce or sauces you want it stir-fried with then step back and let them go at it while you pick up a drink and silverware before coming back to retrieve your meal.

The result? A steaming plate that you handpicked of tasty food, and probably way more of it than you thought you were getting. I’m a big fan. I love being able to select what I want from the ingredients to sauces and have things I don’t normally carry in my kitchen (like broccoli). Plus, it makes a change from the normal routine of the dining hall and me wandering aimlessly from side to side trying to decide what I want to eat.

It also helps that my Thursdays are relatively free nowadays, as I only have two music classes and work, it lets you appreciate being on campus a bit more when you’re not running around all the time and being late for everything! Another fun fact about this fall is that it means the start of some of my favorite dressings at the salad station- namely, the Apple Cider vinaigrette- always a win!

Keep on Mongolian Grill. You make my Thursdays.

Stories from the Hill

Tag Archives: food