'Cooking with the Chef' a big hit with a small crowd

Rummage through the average college student's trash and you'll probably find any combination of the following: empty pizza boxes, crushed soda cans, ramen noodle wrappers or remnants of a late-night Taco Bell run. It's no secret that the college diet typically has three main food groups: delivery, drive-thru and microwave-friendly.

It's also no secret that those food groups become monotonous pretty quickly.

Tired of eating stale pizza for breakfast? Then you should have made it to Powell this past Tuesday for "Cooking with the Chef," a private meal sponsored by Eastern's Dining Services.

"It gives students the opportunity to see what an upscale meal is like," said Charles Brubeck, director of operations for Dining Services. "There was no charge for attending. All we asked was that students sign up in advance because we only seat around 10 people."

Robert Miller, the executive chef for Dining Services, hosted the event. Miller engaged guests in conversation as he cooked all four courses of a formal meal: a sautéed shrimp provencal appetizer, a mixed green salad with a seared scallop, an entrée of seared cowboy ribeye with garlic green beans and lyonnaise potatoes, and a dessert of strawberries romanoff.

Sandra Johnson, a dietetics major from Cincinnati, was one of two students who signed up to attend.

"I wanted to come because it dealt with my major a little bit," she said. "It was also a free lunch, can't pass that up. And the food was great."

Johnson's mother is a chef, so she knew a little about how to judge the quality of the meal.

"No one picked up the salt or the pepper," she said. "That means it's prepared well."

Clare Tewes, a nursing major from Covington, said she attended to see what formal dining would be like in Powell.

"We're all so used to the buffet; I wanted to see how this would be different," Tewes said.

After finishing off her seared ribeye, she decided the food was comparable to dinner she'd eaten on a cruise ship.

"I definitely recommend that other people attend this event," she said. "It's amazing."

However, Brubeck pointed out that the focus of this event isn't just to serve a handful of students a great meal, but rather to get vital student input about the successes and failures of Eastern's dining options.

"What we try to do is get a few people to come and then we do an open forum with them. We want to know what they would like to see improved, different menu options they'd like to have or how we can make their time at Eastern more pleasant," he said.

And as it turns out, the suggestions and concerns Brubeck is looking for are not hard to find.

Lauren Sword, a freshman business major who lives in Walters Hall, said she doesn't think the food in upstairs Powell is very healthy.

"I feel like I could have a healthier meal if I cooked it myself in my room," she said.

Chasity Honeycutt, a diabetic who eats in Powell often, said she is not satisfied with the diet soda options.

"I can only drink diet pop," she said. "They have several options for people who drink regular, but the only option for me is Diet Coke."

If you have similar concerns or suggestions, or just like the idea of a free four-course meal prepared in front you by a world-class chef, then watch your email. The next "Cooking with the Chef" is coming in March, but there will only be 10 seats open. Translation: sign up quickly.

Or you could eat day-old pizza and ramen noodles. It's your choice.