Cornell Dining

I eat through Cornell Dining every meal of the day so seeing 2 men behind it all was like a celebrity moment for me. Chef Daniel, of our very own Rose House and Paul Muscente were the guests of our Rose Cafe this Wednesday and they shared what it is like to be behind the scenes in attempt at making sure we have food that we like ready to eat. I really like the initiatives Cornell Dining is taking with sustainability in mind. One of the initiatives that impressed me most is that they are trying to make vegetables the center of the plate instead of the typical meat as protein. Doing so is a huge challenge for them since they have hungry students that just want some meat, but what they are doing it has impacted me personally. The idea of rationing the chicken is not only for that though, but for food waste as well. Once the food is out, they have to throw it out so the less that gets on our plate, the better. It was also interesting to hear ideas that students had such as putting the deserts away from the fruit because of the temptation to grab a cookie instead of an apple. I remember that at Appel, I would always grab a fruit on my way out since it was by the door and I would be lazy to get deserts because they were hiding behind the soda machines. Basically, this cafe made me understand the crazy things that have to happen for us to get the meals we get everyday. Personally, I hope to be more considerate and appreciative of all of that when I go into the dining halls.

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