Week 2

Happy week 2 everyone!  Here’s a little look into my second week:

Monday was safety and sanitation check day at the Cate dining facility.  Kevin let me tag along and see how the facilities are inspected for proper safety and sanitation protocols.  This meant temping various items on the line to make sure they are at the correct holding temperatures, checking to see if everything was dated for freshness, and inspecting all the machines, just to name a few.  It’s reassuring to see how seriously they take food safety here, and the priority they put on their students’ health above all else.  That afternoon I spent with Lauren (yay another one!) in TOD, learning about the employment process and the steps taken to provide proper training and a positive working environment for all food service employees. 

Tuesday and Wednesday I headed back over to the Couch dining hall to help with the fun theme meals we had going on this week.  Tuesday was the second day with the Native American menu, which I helped prep for last week.  It was nice seeing a menu all the way through and the step-by-step process that goes into a themed meal – from conception, to preparation, to execution.  Wednesday was a Medieval dinner to promote the Medieval Fair happening on campus this weekend.  There were decorations, performers in period attire, a carving station, and a very realistic menu (not including turkey legs).  The King even graced us with his presence! 

Honey roasted multi-colored carrots for the Medieval dinner, my contribution to the meal... glad I didn't catch anything on fire

The carving station - look at the accent decorations made from onions, tomatoes, and kale. How creative! 

Thursday was another office day, in which I worked on creating a list of ingredients I need for my recipe development project next week.  We also had a managers meeting that afternoon, where I got to meet all of the managers of the various facilities around campus and hear the current events in the department.  It put into perspective exactly how large of an operation OU housing and food service is, and how many people need to be on the same page in order to have everything run smoothly.  When you are a student, you don’t really think about all the work that goes into your food, so I really enjoyed getting a behind the scenes look, and appreciation for, just exactly what it takes to run a collegiate food service operation on all levels. 

As usual, Fridays never go quite as planned.  After a series of unfortunate events, I ended up needing to assist catering at a President’s Lunch.  I got a quick lesson in proper waiting etiquette (i.e. always serve on the left, pick up from the right, don’t pour drinks on anyone), a fancy catering jacket, and was sent out to serve.  Luckily, I managed not to spill anything, so I’d call it a success.  This was a good chance to see how catering runs their operation and the challenges that come along with that side of the department.  Plus, the event was in the art museum on campus, so not a bad place to spend a rainy Friday. 

This week certainly reiterated the sense of community you feel working in this department; everyone has each other’s back when those unexpected surprises pop up.  As I’m sure I’ve said before, every single person I have met here has gone above and beyond to answer all of my questions and make me feel right at home, something I am so grateful for.  It also showed me all the different hats managers have to wear in order to accomplish a goal and get through the day; some days you may never leave your office, while others you might need to don a catering jacket and serves some lunch.  

Be sure to tune in next week to hear how our recipe trial run goes! After all, it’s never a dull time when I’m in charge of cooking anything...