The Eastern Burger

First week back, and already I can tell that this '53 Commons thing is going to spoil some of my recipes. So, sorry about that. I didn't really post as much as I wanted to last term, but I hope that this term will be different. To kick things off for 11S, I thought about doing a burger and decided that I also wanted to do something a little bit unusual. This is what I came up with…


You will need:

1 Hamburger

Lettuce

Tomato

Unflavored yogurt

Cucumbers

Onions

Onion rings

Cayenne pepper

Garlic powder

Cinnamon

Dark chili powder

Celery seed


This dish is a lot easier to prepare than it looks (the ingredients list is rather misleadingly long). You need to go to the grill at Foco (I refuse to call it '53 commons unless I am talking about it negatively) and get a hamburger with onions and a side of onion rings. Then, go to the salad bar and grab 5-6 cucumber slices. Finally, get yourself an unflavored yogurt. Once you have all of your ingredients you can prepare your burger. One of the things that makes the burger interesting in flavor is the spiced onion rings that go on it. To make them, simply sprinkle the above spices on the rings (only use a pinch of cinnamon, but don't be afraid of the others). Since a burger can be rather dry (especially one from '53 commons, note that I used the name negatively), I came up with a yogurt sauce to use in lieu of ketchup or mayo. Mix the onions into the yogurt. Then, cut the cucumbers into small pieces and put them in as well. Then, spread the mixture onto the bun and your burger is ready to go! As a great side, you have more spiced onion rings with your yogurt dipping sauce. Enjoy…

The Eastern Burger, courtesy of DDS and Sam, I am.

The Avocado Club

One of the deli lines that is totally underrated is the one at Homeplate. I think that the reason it's under-appreciated is that it looks tiny. For the purposes of experimenting with food, however, the Homeplate line is one of the best places you can go. Their wide array of breads and condiments is enough to out do the potential combinations at any other dining hall, but that aside, they have an incredible selection of meats, veggies and cheeses, and, to top it all off, they will press your sandwich for you -panini style- regardless of what kind of bread you get on it. So there it is, my shameless plug for the Homeplate deli line. With that out of the way…


You will need:

A Baguette

Turkey

Fresh mozzarella

Bacon

Spinach

Tomatoes

Avocado spread


This one is insanely easy to order, just ask for the above list of ingredients, and then ask for them to press it. It's a play on a classic club sandwich with just enough variation to keep your palate interested. It's also pretty healthy as far as sandwiches go on this campus. So enjoy!


The Avocado Club, by DDS and Sam, I am.

Double Fajita Burger

Well, it's been quite some time. I wish that I could have posted more in December, but finals really slowed me down. This was partially because I was studying, and as a result my diet consisted mostly of Novack hot pockets, but also because I was writing papers instead of recipes. So, I'm very sorry for dropping off of the face of the earth for a while, I hope you can forgive me. Some of you might even be thankful. After all, it probably would have been a distraction and could have cost you a point or two on your finals. (Maybe? Eh, probably not, but I'll just keep optimistic) At any rate, as we all know, FoClosed sucks, so as my own private protest, they will not get the first post of the new year. This one comes from the Hop.


You will need:

2 patties

A bun

Lettuce

Tomatoes

Sour cream

Salsa

Guacamole

Jalapenos (I didn't even try for the tilde this time)

Cheddar or pepper jack cheese

Onions

Peppers


This dish is a double cheese burger with a Tex Mex twist, it is for the deeply carnivorous, slightly ethnic, and, of course, the very hungry. If you are not any of the above you should probably eat something else (eating it with only 1 patty is still overwhelming). The trick is to go to the hop and ask for a double cheese burger with cheddar cheese (or pepper jack) and a side of peppers and onions from the grill line. While that is going, hop over to the sandwich line (who caught that word play?). Just ask for a side of jalapenos, sour cream, salsa and guacamole. It's easy enough to figure out after that. Just put everything you can fit somewhere on the sandwich and voila…


A Double Fajita Burger, courtesy of DDS, and Sam, I am.

BBQ Monster Melt

WOW, did this week suck for anyone else? I am thoroughly exhausted from all of my work this week. My apologies in advance that this post will be rather blunt and straightforward. But, you guys really just use me for my food ideas, so it really doesn't matter all that much. I don't really care, it's just that comments are my only way of knowing you love me for more than just what I can do for you (how much do I sound like a whiny chick right now?). Sorry, I'm just super tired. Anyway, let's get into it…


You will need:

1 Burger

4 Slices of provolone cheese

1 order of onion rings

BBQ sauce


This is really simple to do, but it's the kind of thing that the DDS guys on the grill line at the Hop might groan about. You want to order a patty melt with provolone cheese, BBQ sauce and onion rings in it. It takes a little bit longer to make than your average melt, but trust me it's worth it. The tangy flavor of the sauce and the crunchy onion rings really do wonders to an ordinary cheese burger. I'm sorry that the recipe is not elaborate and that I am not particularly eloquent today, but you should definitely give this a try. Enjoy…

The BBQ Monster Melt brought to you by DDS and Sam, I am.

Chicken Fajitas

It is an exceedingly rare thing that the name of a dish can simply be a statement of what the dish is. So, I hope you will indulge me and do not boo at my lack of creativity with the name of this meal (it's a deliberate choice). One of the things that I find frustrating about the "Mexican" food at the Hop is just that: it is "Mexican." The food at the Hop is about as Mexican as Jim Yong Kim. It doesn't even qualify as tex-mex in my mind. The nachos are made with cheese sauce, the burritos are not made using tortillas, but all that aside, the meat that can be put in the tacos and taco salads is so soggy that your pants will rarely survive the meal without getting a nice, splotchy grease stain on them. This dish is not any more Mexican than any other food you can buy on campus (by virtue of the fact that it is made using the food on campus), but it at least made it down to somewhere near the border in the realm of tex-mex cuisine.


You will need:

Chicken

Onions

Peppers

3 tortillas

Sour cream

Shredded cheese

Jalapenos (again, I'm not sure why I can't swing a tilde)

Salsa


This dish may take a while to make because you have to wait on two lines. If you get to the Hop when the lines are short, however, it is a cinch to prepare. Go to the grill line and ask for grilled chicken (no sauces, no bun, no lettuce or tomato) and a side of grilled onions and peppers (the photo above has 2 chicken breasts, which I found to be way too much food, but by all means go for it if you're hungry). Then go to the sandwich line and ask for 3 tortillas, sour cream, cheese, salsa and jalapenos. Once you've paid, go over to the toaster. Make sure that it is set to medium darkness and then toast your tortillas (they are much better and slightly more authentic tasting when they are warm). After that, cut your chicken into slices. Then, make your fajitas. It's really a great meal and definitely a step up from all of the "Mexican" food DDS serves. Enjoy…

Chicken Fajitas, brought to you by DDS and Sam, I am.

5 (-ish) Cheese Mac

(I hate that this picture is gross looking. I promise the dish looks way better in person and is awesome, and I mean that sincerely, not in that way a bro tries to explain why he can't find a good looking picture of that girl he hooked up with last night on Facebook) Hey guys! I hope you all had a wonderful triple-H weekend. Mine was very eventful, which is why I did not get the chance to post anything. Never fear Yessera (see guys, if you leave a comment I may even talk about you in a post, so post some comments), I did fix myself a wonderful meal that I would like to share with you all. Mac & cheese is about as common a snack in college as Keystone is common in a basement. My problem with the mac & cheese in college is that it's never delicious. Don't get me wrong, the Annie's I steal from my floormates and make at obscure times when it is not appropriate to be eating, but who cares its college, is good, and the Hop mac & cheese is alright (if you like ominously orange, luke-warm, mushy mac that has been sitting out for a while). You get the point, most mac & cheese in college does not taste as good as a home-baked mac & cheese, and it never has that wonderfully salty and browned layer of bread crumbs at the top (if you don't know what I'm talking about, then you have no idea what you're missing and you need to hit up Molly's for some mac @now- well not now, its after 1 am, but you get what I mean). So, I set out to come up with a recipe that is as close as you can get using DDS.


You will need:

Pasta

Alfredo sauce

Provolone cheese

Cheddar cheese (white and yellow, sliced and shredded, respectively)

Swiss cheese

Parmesan cheese

Feta cheese

Croutons


As you can see from the ingredients list and from the title, the dish has 5 (-ish) cheeses in it. I say (-ish) because I'm not entirely sure what is in alfredo sauce, but it seems creamy enough that it might conceivably have cheese in it. (It may shock you to learn that I am not a chef. I have no culinary experience; as a matter of fact, I can barely prepare ramen noodles, which is why my dishes don't actually require much cooking as much as they require adding, mixing reheating and of course eating) From the list of ingredients, you have probably guessed that you have to make this dish at Collis. What you want to do is grab a few plates, and by a few a really mean 4- seriously, you'll need them- and get on the (long) line for pasta. Then, ask for 2 scoops of pasta with alfredo sauce. While they are making that, go to the deli counter and get a slice of cheddar, provolone and swiss cheese. Then, head to the salad bar and get handful of croutons, approximately a fist-full of shredded cheese and a fist-full of feta cheese (if they have it… they don't always... it's not essential for the dish… moving on). After that, go get your pasta and some parmesan cheese (don't put it in the pasta, get one of the to-go condiment containers from the top of the salad bar). Once you have assembled your ingredients, head over to the microwave area. You need to first mix the shredded cheese and feta into the pasta and sauce. Then, rip the sliced cheese and mix it in as well. Do NOT add croutons or parmesan cheese. Put the pasta mixture into the microwave for 2 minutes (or until most of the cheese has melted), you are going to want to make sure you have all of your plates under the mixture to support it, because it is going to get hot and soggy (that sounds gross, but I didn't know how else to put it). While everything is microwaving, crush the croutons into crumbs with your hands and mix it with the parmesan cheese. Once most of the cheese has melted, remove your food and sprinkle the crumb-parmesan mixture onto the top of the mac. Then, put it back in for another 15 - 20 seconds. I was thinking about maybe throwing some meat into the mix (like a hamburger mac), but I haven't done a vegetarian item recently and I want to keep them (the vegetarians) happy. If you want to turn it into a mac with meat, then by all means go for it, it can't be bad. Seriously, there is NO way this dish could be bad (self-call, but it's true).


Dig in to the 5 (-ish) Cheese Mac by DDS and Sam, I am.

Creamy Thai Chicken Pasta

I am sick of eating at FoCo and Courtyard (the Hop for you '14s who don't know), not because the food is bad, just because, if you haven't noticed from my posts, those are the only places I've been eating. Thus, I have gone to Collis for this creation. One of the things that Collis does absolutely right is that it allows all students to improvise their own dishes and to eat new combinations of food, which is a mission I personally take to heart. I hope that you don't operate with the misconception that Collis is always crowded because it is always packed. Rather, Collis is always packed because it is small. Do not be intimidated, the lines are usually shorter than those at FoCo or the Courtyard. With that said…

You will need:

Chicken

Thai peanut sauce

Corn

Edamame

Mushrooms

Broccoli

Any kind of pasta

Alfredo sauce

The first thing that needs to be made clear is that before you attempt to make this dish you need to look up when Collis will be serving pasta and stir fry at the same time. To start, go to the salad bar and gather all of the aforementioned vegetables. Once you reach the front of the pasta line, you want to ask for 1 and a half scoops of pasta and (duh) the alfredo sauce. While that's being cooked, hop over to the stir fry line and ask for a side of chicken with peanut sauce. Once the two are done, pay (duh x 2) and get ready to mix. You want to get as much peanut sauce as possible to mix with the alfredo sauce when you add your side of chicken. If the color of the alfredo isn't ever so slightly altered by the peanut sauce then you don't have enough; go get more. Then you're ready to eat…

Note: (hah, I bet you got used to the routine epithet, but sadly for you I have more to say) You want to get your pasta on a plate. The reason for that is simple: your vegetables may not cook entirely on the pasta line. If you like your vegetables semi-raw more power to you. But, for the rest of the normal population, you will need a plate to continue heating your food in the microwave (because you can't heat flimsy plastic containers in the microwave, duh x 3). And from here…

Well, you know the drill… - Sam, I am.

The Chicken & The Egg Taco Salad

Let me start by saying that this dish may only loosely be called a salad, because in reality there is very little that is healthy about this salad (unless you don't eat the taco shell and get it without rice or beans, but why on Earth would you ever do that?). One of the big problems that I have with food on this campus is that no matter what you get, it will never be truly spicy. No, even a buffalo chicken sandwich with volcano sauce will not satisfy this heat-seeking tongue. But, I understand that this is not the case for the general student body and so I make a concerted effort to provide you with recipes from which you may easily omit any of the spicy items that you can't handle. What is even rarer on this campus is finding something that is both fresh and spicy (read: fresh as in watery and crunchy in the re-fresh-ing sense). Typically speaking spicy food requires slimy hots or dry pepper flakes. So my goal in creating this meal was to come up with something filling and delicious that had unique flavors and some fresh spice (what you get when you mix a member of Three Six Mafia with one of the Spice Girls). This "salad," is one of the most delicious things that I have eaten on campus and I hope very much that you enjoy it.

You will need:

2 eggs

Beans

Rice

Shredded cheese

Buffalo chicken

Sour cream

Lettuce

Tomatoes

Onions

Olives

Carrots

Jalapenos (I don't know why I can't type a tilde into this field)

Fried tortilla bowl

Buffalo sauce

Vinegar

Clearly, this is the heftiest list of ingredients to date (although that really isn't saying much considering how long I've been posting). For this recipe, I'm going to recommend that you go to Courtyard @ The Hop. The only thing that is unfortunate about this plate is that (depending upon when you try to make it) it may take you a while because you have to wait on 2 different lines. If the lines are accommodating then I would recommend getting the salad first so that the eggs are HOT when you add them to the salad but, usually the line for the grill is longer and you probably don't want to hold on to your salad for that long just waiting. So, just do whatever you want in terms of the order that you get the items in. What you need to be sure of when you order the eggs is that you order them OVER EASY. I'm not sure if I can stress that enough, part of the beauty of this "salad" is that the egg yolks are runny and mix with the different dressings. In terms of the taco salad, you want to order a taco salad with buffalo chicken (instead of regular chicken), rice, beans, shredded cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, onions, olives, sour cream, buffalo sauce and the vinegar. I do NOT recommend getting guacamole or salsa on this salad because it makes it very liquid-y and we are not making a soup. The egg also does not mix very well with the salsa, and so it is inadvisable to get them both. Once you have all of your ingredients you want to toss the salad lightly. When I say lightly I mean that you want to toss it so that the different layers mix and the sauces become distributed through out the salad, I do not mean that you should stir your salad until no ingredient is distinguishable from the other. Then, you want to place your two eggs on top of the salad. At that point you should cut the eggs up to break the yokes over the top of the salad and then…

Feast upon The Chicken & The Egg Taco Salad brought to you by DDS and Sam, I am.