Liquid days
September 9, 2009
Megan Emberton ’12
Wednesday means dairy delivery, which means lots of milk in REAL GLASS BOTTLES from Hartzler's. It's delicious stuff and just the thing for a mid-week pick-me-up. I'm pretty sure they have it on tap all the time in the regular CDS (Campus Dining Services) cafeterias, but... where's the fun & anticipation in that? Half the joy in co-oping is not having a glut of everything, all the time. Right? Like when there are no spoons and soup's on the menu. Or when you're trying to bake and there's no flour. It's all about canny substitutions, brave experimentation, culinary ingenuity, and some trial & error.
Speaking of trial & error and brave experimentation... as of this evening, I am now one of Old B's two yoghurt makers. Exciting! I have zero experience in the milk fermentation department, so this will be fun for all involved, I'm sure. I've seen my mother make yoghurt at home, but have never had much to do with it. However, my fellow yoghurt maker is the too-too excellent Kat - her qualifications are humbling. Superb yoghurt maker two semesters ago, wondrous food-buyer last semester, and all-around good neighbor in J-House all of last year. I'm super happy to be able to work with her. I'm sad to be giving the tasty things a rest, but I am looking forward to exploring the realm of tangy curds. Plus, I still have a job at Kosher Halal baking Shabbat dessert. Fridays at KHC, 7PM, stay a bit later and they bring out the sweet things. Last week was apple cake, this week? Suggestions in comments, please.
But really: Co-ops are wonderful, and the food is great. Do not worry, first years I've talked to who have expressed their doubts about this! Sometimes the kitchen can seem a bit bare, but meals always get scraped together and everything always works out. Things are the most shaky now, at the beginning of the semester - all the co-ops are in interim, having discussion at each meal trying to elect positions and establish co-op policies. Things are a little up in the air, and we haven't settled into that well-oiled co-op machine groove yet. Nonetheless, we still had WATERMELON-ADE at Old B this evening, and yesterday we had PEANUT BUTTER CAKE after dinner. And the milk is still delivered, regular as ever. Need I say more?
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Responses to this Entry
Megan, you should do this more often. This blogging thing.
I remember during a gap year when I visited a friend at Northwestern. I was considering co-ops at the time and asked him about theirs. He looked at me a little funny and said,
"Yeah, that's the place [NW has only one as far as I could tell] most people go right before they drop out of school".
Coming here and actually learning how the system works - when it works - is pretty cool to see.
Posted by: Joe on September 9, 2009 8:41 PM
Once your head cooks are elected and sorted out, share the best days to eat! I want to drop by Old B more often this year!
Someone in Harkness mentioned last week that part of the co-oper's brain evolves to jump for joy when the bell of Wednesday chocolate milk delivery dings. I am inclined to agree.
I'm with Joe, too, write more! I love opening up the blogs and seeing new and exciting writing, especially from folks I don't know too well in real life. It's how I'll get to know you better :D
Posted by: Ma'ayan on September 10, 2009 1:16 AM
Thank you both for the ENTHUSIASTIC! response to my first entry in months. I'm aiming to write more regularly. Consistency is not one of my strong points... whether it's practicing, homework, or blogging. But I'm working on it.
I don't know the head cook schedule well enough yet to make any recommendations, but I'm doing a Rosh Hashanah special meal next Saturday. Hooray!
Posted by: Megan on September 11, 2009 11:08 PM
Seems to be delicious food there for lunch, but im concerned about those beans. Are those indian made beans and spices ?
Posted by: Rajj on September 12, 2009 3:13 AM
Yay! Your description of the milk rush is spot-on.
Also: Watermelon-ade? What? That's awesome. I had an amazing pear smoothie the other day at Harkness. So cold and delicious. Mmmm.
Posted by: Aries on September 12, 2009 11:09 AM
Rajj - That photo is from a Wednesday lunch last year. I cannot remember exactly how the chickpeas were prepared. By the looks of it, though, it seems like the cooks were aiming for a quasi-Indian kind of a dish. Indian-inspired rather than die-hard authentic would be a safe bet, I think.
Aries - And who knew there could be an orange juice rush as well? I special ordered some OJ for my special meal on Saturday and people were going crazy over the extra gallon that came.
Posted by: Megan on September 15, 2009 8:21 PM
Wow, here I was rooting around for residential advice and I find myself reading the blog of the girl from CMI who knew what arnica was and really good at improvising twinkle twinkle themes an accompanying spontaneous amateur operatic performances. Small world. I'm not surprised you're at Oberlin.
Posted by: Benjamin George-Hinnant on June 14, 2010 2:42 PM
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