Sunday, October 24, 2010

Hartley Hall Banquet

If I have learned one thing in the past month it's that love for food brings us all together but is a sure way to tell us a part. Hartley Hall is currently home to students from all parts of the world. Many of us are international students but even those from England actually come from other countries. Diversity is best seen in the kitchen. I share a kitchen with some very lovely ladies who I have quickly grow to love. They are from places like Austria, Ireland, Pakistan, Spain and England. Its always exciting for me to open the door and see who's in there and cooking what. It seems everyone's eating habbits are very fitting to where they come from. Even the times people eat fits into the lifestyle they have back home. The ladies from Spain will often have their breakfast late in the morning and dinner around 8 or after. Have inquired many questions about the dishes people have made. Should actually start taking notes. Look forward to bringing some of what I see home.


I am about the worst representation of American eating habbits at the moment. Choosing to be stubborn and cheap, I refuse to buy any cooking utensils. So all I have to survive on is plastic utensils, plates and bowls brought from home that I re-wash. A pampered chef microwavable container- i could not live without, 1/2 cup measuring deal, coffee cups, a knife and a set of food storage containers are also in my small cupboard. Getting creative with microwavable dishes though. Jacket potatoes (an English thing) are my new best friend. Upon discovering that our microwave had a jacket potato butter I decided to embrace a bit of the English culture.

Hartley Hall has grown to be a tight community. And on Saturday twenty or so of us gathered around the second floor kitchen for an international banquet you might say. We made our way over to AZDA-the walmart equivalent and picked up groceries for the dishes we were each going to make from our own countires. And the next hours after consisted of every kitchen on the three floors to be in use. We had traditional dishes from places like Spain, Greece, Austria, Morocco, Libia, Pakistan, England and America. I chose apple-crisp as it is one of my favorite fall dishes from back home. Somehow the three batches of apple crisp turned out by just using utensils listed above plus the aluminum disposable pans I purchased. Served it with ice cream and surprisingly was a hit. The food was good - too good. After three months over here and the weeks of holiday celebrations when I return, well I for-see problems. I'll worry about that later :)
Truly grateful to be living in this hall. Look forward to my visits to the kitchen everyday as it time to sit, eat, and get to know people I wouldn't otherwise. We have plans to make a thanksgiving feast happen too.

1 comment:

  1. You are like Martha Stuart when she was in jail!!! Didn't she only use a microwave? Teach me your ways when you get back!

    ReplyDelete