2008 Woodie Awards
Union hillel brings students closer together
Andrea Leifer
Issue date: 9/27/07 Section: News
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Union College Hillel has welcomed a variety of caterers and cooks for events ranging from its annual Passover Seder to weekly Shabbat dinners. This academic year, however, marks a new and exciting epicurean adventure for the small "Kosher Kitchen" in West College. Students now work together, deciding both themes and menus for weekly Shabbat dinners.
Under the supervision of Bonnie Cramer, one of Hillel's advisors, an experienced caterer herself, culinary collaborations come to life. Hillel's President, senior Jenna Monaster, who thoroughly supports the endeavor, states that the student-cooked meals present "a big challenge, but with dedicated students, [they] can be a great success."
As many Union students live too far from campus to return on the weekends for a home-cooked meal, Hillel can now provide a more personal and intimate dining setting.
Before fasting for Yom Kippur this past Friday, students were introduced to a cuisine created by their peers. The menu, with reduced salt out of respect to those fasting, featured appetizers of homemade matzoh ball soup and a salad of mixed greens ornamented with mandarin oranges. The main course was a lemon chicken with figs, presented with sides of mashed potatoes and green beans sautéed with extra virgin olive oil and shallots. An apple cake was baked for dessert.
Those present for the early meal contended that the array was both "impressive and delicious."
At Shabbat's end came a "break-fast," where a small meal was hosted in the Kosher Kitchen at the conclusion of fasting for Yom Kippur. Students enjoyed bagels and lox, with sides of cream cheese, onions, and tomatoes. Also featured were grape leaves stuffed with rice, fruit, including strawberries and pineapples, as well as rugulach, a small, sweet, rolled pastry.
Future meals will feature similar cuisine for the sophisticated palate, all with the common goal of creating a sense of community at Union. It is the hope of advisor Bonnie Cramer that students can begin to "take ownership of the Kosher Kitchen, and also learn necessary life skills." Cooking in the Kosher kitchen is a social activity that all can take part in, whether outgoing, shy, or somewhere in between.
Under the supervision of Bonnie Cramer, one of Hillel's advisors, an experienced caterer herself, culinary collaborations come to life. Hillel's President, senior Jenna Monaster, who thoroughly supports the endeavor, states that the student-cooked meals present "a big challenge, but with dedicated students, [they] can be a great success."
As many Union students live too far from campus to return on the weekends for a home-cooked meal, Hillel can now provide a more personal and intimate dining setting.
Before fasting for Yom Kippur this past Friday, students were introduced to a cuisine created by their peers. The menu, with reduced salt out of respect to those fasting, featured appetizers of homemade matzoh ball soup and a salad of mixed greens ornamented with mandarin oranges. The main course was a lemon chicken with figs, presented with sides of mashed potatoes and green beans sautéed with extra virgin olive oil and shallots. An apple cake was baked for dessert.
Those present for the early meal contended that the array was both "impressive and delicious."
At Shabbat's end came a "break-fast," where a small meal was hosted in the Kosher Kitchen at the conclusion of fasting for Yom Kippur. Students enjoyed bagels and lox, with sides of cream cheese, onions, and tomatoes. Also featured were grape leaves stuffed with rice, fruit, including strawberries and pineapples, as well as rugulach, a small, sweet, rolled pastry.
Future meals will feature similar cuisine for the sophisticated palate, all with the common goal of creating a sense of community at Union. It is the hope of advisor Bonnie Cramer that students can begin to "take ownership of the Kosher Kitchen, and also learn necessary life skills." Cooking in the Kosher kitchen is a social activity that all can take part in, whether outgoing, shy, or somewhere in between.
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