Chapter Meals

NWguy · #1 10-03-2015, 02:30 AM

Thought I'd start a new thread, since I was curious to know what was/is a typical meal at your chapter. Or, maybe your favorite.

Our chef was really into "theme nights" (she used to cook at a summer youth camp), so a lot of our dinners had themes to them - ex: Mexican Fiesta, Cowboy Supper, etc.

A few of my faves:

Chicken enchiladas w/ Spanish rice
Spaghetti and homemade meatballs
Barbecue chicken, corn on the cob, coleslaw
Shepard's Pie
"Pork Chops and Applesauce"
Taco Bar

* I'm jealous that most fraternities now have soda machines in them. We only got milk, water, and sometimes juice with our lunches and dinner.

* We would also get a sheet cake at the end of each month for everyone's birthday, and turkey dinner around Thanksgiving, and really fancy meals for Initiation, Senior Farewell, and for our holiday party (catered).

DTD Alum · #2 10-09-2015, 02:52 PM

We had a six flavor soda machine when I was active, 2005-2009. I think two powerades and four sodas. It was in our industrial kitchen but we had access to it.

We had pretty good food. We went through a couple chefs, but our last chef was excellent. Typical dinner was a meat, side or two, veggies, and a salad. Mondays were the most formal because that was when we had our chapter dinner...steak, baked potatoes, asparagus was a common one (always with dinner rolls and a desert, like pineapple upside down cake). Tuesdays-Thursdays were far more casual, Mexican (burritos or fajitas were common), stews, burgers, chicken, etc.

The best was brunch. We had brunch on Friday mornings with bacon, turkey bacon, made to order omelettes, from scratch biscuits, eggs, orange juice, milk, fruit, the works. Always had from scratch BBQ sauce to go along with it. So good.

Lunch was really casual. A very nice spread of lunch meats, cheeses, and breads (maybe 3-4 meats, 2-3 cheeses, and 3-4 breads). Then maybe an additional entree, and always a salad.

AnchorAlumna · #3 10-09-2015, 03:01 PM

This was 40 years ago, but we had the best cook on campus.
We tended to pledge a few "Yankee" girls from the NE every year. The week after pledging, we'd have a typical Southern meal - fried chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, turnip greens, and biscuits. It was always hilarious to see what our Yankees thought of those turnip greens! Nobody was forced to eat them, of course, but the rest of us put on a big show of how we loved them with a little vinegar.

Most of our meals were like that - just plain Southern food you might get at home in Alabama. Back then, many of us had never eaten in a Mexican or Chinese restaurant - they were not common. Our housemom was from Michigan, but she was a wonderful cook herself and her late husband was a Southener, so she knew how to do it. She made sure she hired a really good cook.

AOII Angel · #4 10-09-2015, 04:01 PM

Does anyone actually like "Spanish" rice?

DGTess · #5 10-09-2015, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AOII Angel

Does anyone actually like "Spanish" rice?

Love it.

Sen's Revenge · #6 10-09-2015, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AOII Angel

Does anyone actually like "Spanish" rice?

I like authentic Spanish rice, but it doesn't taste as good cafeteria style, to me.

Benzgirl · #7 10-09-2015, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AOII Angel

Does anyone actually like "Spanish" rice?

No, because "Spanish Rice" is not Spanish. But then I believe that Olive Garden is a far cry from Italian.

AnchorAlumna · #8 10-09-2015, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AOII Angel

Does anyone actually like "Spanish" rice?

I do, but I have had an awful lot of bad "Spanish" rice at "Mexican" restaurants.

NWguy · #9 10-09-2015, 05:42 PM

Gosh, totally jealous of the Friday Brunch. We never got a hot breakfast, except before football games we had "Pancakes and Beer" parties that our alumni cooked.

I wonder how chefs are doing with the whole gluten-free, Paleo, peanut butter allergy thing. That was not an issue when I went to school.

Sciencewoman · #10 10-09-2015, 06:06 PM

We had "fish and chips" every Friday and I used to come home from happy hour and make the tartar sauce (mixing mayo and pickle relish from commercial size plastic containers). I could do that job under the influence.

honeychile · #11 10-09-2015, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AOII Angel

Does anyone actually like "Spanish" rice?

The best Spanish Rice I've ever had was in Portugal. Never had anything like it since!

Cheerio · #12 10-13-2015, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DTD Alum

We had pretty good food. We went through a couple chefs, but our last chef was excellent. Mondays were the most formal because that was when we had our chapter dinner...steak, baked potatoes, asparagus was a common one (always with dinner rolls and a desert, like pineapple upside down cake).

Yes! I had forgotten Monday Dinners always included pledges, and were right before Chapter Meetings.

Uncle Ben's Long Grain And Wild Rice was a special staple of our House Cook, and has remained a favorite of mine. When our house closed, our long-time Cook served her delicious meals to one other lucky sorority for many happy years until she retired.

ARKTTKA · #13 10-13-2015, 09:57 PM

It's been 300 years ,but as I recall we had 14 meals a week. Formal dinner was Monday night before chapter and the pledges serenaded and served us. Weekends the kitchen was open for self serve breakfast (cereal, bagels, toast). We all waited for our house mother to be seated at dinner, had grace and sang a TTKA song.

We also had several members who served as house boys at the Pi Phi, Kappa and Chi O houses. A couple of guys dated and later married women they had "served".

Most memorable meal was oysters (ICK) pledges had to shuck those nasty things!

ARKTTKA · #14 10-13-2015, 10:01 PM

oh and we had a soda/beer machine - yeah it was the 80's.

Sciencewoman · #15 10-13-2015, 10:44 PM

You had a BEER machine? Was this separate from the soda machine? I'm picturing a self-serve soda machine with Coke, Sprite, Diet Coke, and Budweiser.