Inspire me with a Menu

[greekchef]

Thanks for all the comments. Just so you know, the chapter has a food liaison with whom I meet regularly. At the beginning of the fall semester we survey the girls asking what meal they would most like to see on the menu. We get good results from that. The sisters all know they can request specifics from me and that I am open to new ideas. I ask about meals you may remember from your days in a sorority because frankly I do not like repeating meals too often. I have tried things like Vietnamese Table Salad with Lemongrass Chicken (went over great) just to push myself and see the response. We try to do special dinners a few times per semester, our most recent being a Dinner at Hogwarts for Halloween. This year I have had to become much more vegetarian conscious so me and the tofu and tempeh are pretty friendly. I have actually done a most heinous desecretion: Tofu Pot Pie. The Tofu fanatics like it but somehow its so wrong. As for talking to other chefs in houses on campus, while the house directors have opportunities to network, I rarely see my fellow chefs (maybe once a year). The house mother last year and before was a great resource, too, having served in 4 different houses on 4 campuses over her many years. But in the end I always find that I can learn something new from people from other places with other experiences.

Just as way of information, the chapter I cook for has about 130 member with 40 in residence in the house. I am automatically the meal plan for all sorority members. I do approx. 40 for breakfast, 80 - 100 at lunch (buffet), and 100 - 110 for dinner (family style Monday and Wednesday, Buffet Tuesday and Thursday).

Thanks for the input and keep it coming.

[nittanyalum]

Originally Posted by greekchef

Just as way of information, the chapter I cook for has about 130 member with 40 in residence in the house. I am automatically the meal plan for all sorority members. I do approx. 40 for breakfast, 80 - 100 at lunch (buffet), and 100 - 110 for dinner (family style Monday and Wednesday, Buffet Tuesday and Thursday).

Wow, do you live at the house, or are you just there from sun-up to sun-down? You prepare breakfast, lunch AND dinner there?

See, this is what we missed having to live in the dorms at Penn State. Damn brothel law.

[greekchef]

No, I don't live at the house although I had a sister the other day say that they were starting to consider me their "house dad". That being said, it's fairly obvious that I'm basically the only male in an all female environment. I do have an assistant whose job it is to open and fix breakfast (7:00 am cold breakfast out, 7:30 am hot breakfast, available until 9:30 am). I come in around 8:30 to 9:00 and fix most of lunch and dinner. At 4:00 pm the first of 2 evening assistants come in. The other arrives closer to 5:00. Once I have the meals out, either on buffet or on the table and have shown the evening staff what is what I leave, usually around 5:45 to 6:15. They deal with putting food away and cleaning up. It's a nice system which allows me to focus primarily on the food and not the other details. This is my 3rd year with the house and while it can be one of the most frustrating jobs I've ever had it has also been without a doubt one of the most rewarding.

[FSUZeta]

one of our all time favorite desserts is something we called "ant hill pie" . so easy, yet so delicious. crush a bag of oreos. pour half the bag in a 13 x 9 pan. spread softened peppermint ice cream over the oreos. sprinkle remaining oreos over the ice cream. freeze and serve on chilled plates or in parfait glasses.

you can get fancy and drizzle chocolate sauce on the plate before the ice cream or drizzle some on the ice cream.

we had one cook who did breakfast and lunch and another who did dinner. they were both good cooks.

[Benzgirl]

Your chapter is very lucky to have you. When I graduated, I coerced our house cook (we LOVED Sheila) to give me her recipe to Peanut Butter Bars. They are like Reese Cups, but made in a pan.

They were so killer good and we wanted them every week.

[greekchef]

Can I coerce you to share the Peanut Butter Bar recipe?

[Benzgirl]

Originally Posted by greekchef

Can I coerce you to share the Peanut Butter Bar recipe?

Absolutely....
4 lbs Margarine, melted
3 c Peanut Butter (can be either smooth or chunky)
2 lbs. Powder Sugar
5 c. Graham Cracker Crumbs
30 oz. Milk Chocolate Chips, Melted

Mix the first 4 items together and press into a cookie sheet
Spread Melted Chocolate Chips over the top. Cool in the refrigerator
Before they completely set, score the bars so that they cut cleanly after they cool completely
Easy and Delicious!