Sunday, July 8, 2012

Week 5 at Purdue

What a crazy week! The time here is flying by and it's starting to feel like things are wrapping up... weird!

This week was different than the other weeks because of the 4th of July being on a Wednesday, but it was kinda nice having a break in the middle of the week!



On Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, Brittany and I worked on our projects that will be due in a few weeks (yikes!). We sent in our articles for the NACUFS newsletter and completed most of the theme meal details (including decorations - see picture below :) ). It was fun looking through the CBORD recipes that Purdue has on file to see what type of ethnic cuisine they've done in the past. They seem to get pretty creative with their theme meals here, which is great! We also nailed down the specifics for our Food Allergy training video and will begin shooting that with the food allergy expert here, Carrie Anderson, the week of the 16th. So many little details are coming together and I'm excited to see all of the final projects put together!

 Brittany and a windmill we constructed - our first attempt 
at making decorations for the Theme Meal

Also, Purdue has ordered these new Purple Kits, which will be put in every dining court, to be used for food allergic individuals. The kits are made up of a cutting board, spatula, tongs, and chef's knife that are to be kept separate from all other equipment. When a student with food allergies orders food, the cooks can use this kit to prepare their meal without worrying about cross-contamination. The kits arrived on Thursday and we were able to check them out. We're definitely going to dedicate part of our video to these kits.

The inside of the purple kits

Me holding up the purple kit - AKA the Allergen Saf-T-Zone System

Friday and Saturday were spent at the Purdue Memorial Union, working with the Events and Catering staff. On Friday we worked in the production kitchen to prepare the food that would be served at the wedding on Saturday. We prepped over 300 mini Beef Wellingtons, cut hundreds of slices of pork loin, and prepared strips of chicken to be used in fajitas. It was nice working in this environment and seeing all of the detail that goes into preparing for an event. On Saturday we worked in the North Ballroom for the wedding that we prepped the day before for. We learned about setting tables, basic etiquette, and how to serve and clear the tables. We passed out hors devours as the guest entered the ballroom and were able to cut the cake after the newlyweds stuffed some in each others faces. I really enjoyed working at this wedding and could see myself doing something like it again. 

Brittany and I in the catering uniforms

Now we get to rest up for the next two days, then it's back to Earhart! 

I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!! :)

-Susan

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