Week 8 at Michigan State

Monday, July 18

We considered today our office day since we learned a new system called FSS. It is the program that MSU uses so every invented recipe can be stored in one place. Chefs from all dining halls can pull recipes, order product and serve meals easily. After we had finished preparing our 5 commissary dishes, it was time to enter them into the system. It took awhile for Gina the dietitian to teach us how to successfully add our meals. The other ladies in the office were nice enough to invite us to lunch and we were able to learn about the backstage workings of culinary services based on their work. One of the ladies, Caroline, considered herself a project manager who dealt with the new marketplace that is to open next Fall. After lunch, we completed our last entries and cleaned out the refrigerator. It felt like cleaning out a lab desk; I was very sad to leave the kitchen but excited for the next step in dietetics!

Tuesday, July 19

Gina taught an AllerTrain U program for the Brody staff. All of the chefs, cooks, and servers need to be aware of allergy procedures when it comes to food service. It is imperative that these employees form strong and knowledgeable relationships with the MSU students, especially if they have an allergy. We learned all about the Big 8 allergies and how to insert an EpiPen. This training was extremely valuable and I hope that all states begin to require this type of training in food service.

AllerTrain U booklet

 

After the training we ate lunch and headed to our next activity of the day. We went to Anthony Hall where we saw the meat lab. This facility is strictly for teaching and research. There are 3 classes that the animal science students take as a part of their degree. There is an animal products lecture and lab and food processing, muscle food course. I loved the tracks that ran all along the ceiling of the lab. You could bring the cow carcass from one room into the classroom to show students how to properly deconstruct the muscles.

Cow

Pig

 

We walked from cooler to cooler and I noticed that there was red soap next to each sink. I soon learned that the staff scrubs their hands and arms with iodine!

Wash Station

 

Wednesday, July 20

To get a better scope of the academic side of MSU dietetics, we met with the academic advisor, Linda Summers. She gave us an in depth walk through of their program, Dietetics internships, and the exam. MSU has a high acceptance rate for the DIs, which is very impressive! Ms. Summers gave us some fabulous advice and could not wait to answer any questions we had. After a great meeting, we ran over to catch the end of the lunch rush at the food truck. Working with the food truck crew was definitely a highlight of the entire internship since it allowed us to work with college kids just like ourselves. We worked swiftly and had fun while serving our customers. By 2pm, we noticed the line was disappearing so that gave us the green light to pack up and prepare for the next Green and White Day.

Thursday, July 21

Today was our last workday so there was a bittersweet feeling while working the food truck again. We sped through the long line because we figured out how to plug in meals by the quantity. If someone ordered 4 combos, it was easy to charge them all at once instead of 2 single pulled pork sandwiches and 2 combos, for example. We really tried to sell the combo since it came with chips/cookie and a drink. Once the orders were placed, we quickly ran the tickets over to the truck’s window and the order was ready in the next 2 minutes. What service! We discussed quicker options by allowing the customers to grab their drinks and chips or cookies before their entrée but those logistics could be incorporated next year. I loved working with Jay, our food truck boss. He has got a great attitude and could not be more exact when it comes time to balancing the bank at the end of the day. I was so impressed with his diligence and passion for his job and cannot wait to visit this crew again.

That night, we ended our internship with a Minor League baseball game. The Lansing Lugnuts surprised us with various runs and incredible strikeouts. Dana participated in one of the field activities and had a great time acting silly! We were so thankful that we were able to attend.

 

Lugnuts game

 

Friday, July 22

The cars are packed up, the apartment is bare, and we are so sad to leave. We attended one of the most generous and meaningful breakfasts ever. It was held in the Kellogg center, a fancy hotel across the street from Brody. It was so nice to sit at a table with everyone who contributed to our phenomenal experience and reflect on the time we had. Sharing stories, swapping thank you gifts and saying our goodbyes was something worth remembering. I told everyone that I am coming back for a football and basketball game! Thank you, Michigan State for a great Summer 2016!

 

Farewell Breakfast

Michigan State Week 7

Hello there, it's Dana again! I can't believe these 8 weeks are moving so fast. Here's a recap of our second to last week at MSU:

Monday, July 11th
We began the week with a tour of the laundry facility. Although seemingly unrelated to food service, Spartan Laundry is in the same family as the culinary services, as they both reside within the Residential Hospitality Services department. The dining halls depend on the laundry services tremendously, constantly sending out and receiving cleaning rags, employee uniforms, and table linens. In addition to the materials needed by other departments, Spartan Laundry cleans hundreds of pounds of laundry a day.

Industrial sized driers

Some finished laundry, ready for delivery

After our tour, Jen and I headed to Brody to help out during lunch. Rather than working in the kitchen, we worked with Amanda on processing catering orders. We were responsible for pulling the orders out of the system, observing any specific catering requests, and organizing them by day of the week. This process is critical in order to ensure the proper amount of food is produced and thus customer satisfaction is guaranteed.


Tuesday, July 12th
Another field trip!! We drove west to visit Western Michigan University. Our guide, Katie, was an MSU alumni and a former MSU dining services employee. We started the tour by visiting the university's newest dining addition, the Valley Dining Center. Although still under construction, we were able to see the facility's beautiful dining platforms and even observe some staff training in the pizza station. One particular piece of the dining center that impressed me was the presence of an "allergen pantry." This pantry contained all gluten free foods and was connected to a separate cooking station where no potential food allergens (nuts, dairy, etc.) were used.

The Valley Dining Center Entrance

One of the new venues 

Staff members watching a pizza demonstration

Following our tour, we met with campus Registered Dietitian Kelsey. She explained her role in the culinary services at Western Michigan University, and answered any general dietetics questions we had. It is always so interesting to talk with people who are succeeding in the field Jen and I care so dearly about.

We then ate lunch in one of the older dining facilities on campus, the Bernhard Center. Although the facility was very appealing and the food was delicious, I could completely understand why the staff was so excited about the construction of the Valley Dining Center. As the Assistant Dining Complex manager for the past 3 years, Katie was so excited to show us the progress they have made, and it again reminded me how rewarding a career in food service management can be.


Wednesday, July 13th
Since Green and White Days were approaching, the Food Truck needed some help. Green and White Days is a weeklong series of events in which high school seniors visit the MSU campus and learn about becoming MSU students. This is one of the biggest events of the year for the Food Truck, and they began prepping several days prior.

Jen and I began our prepping shift by shredding pork for the truck's famous pulled pork sandwich. We even were able to prepare some of the pork ourselves, seasoning it with salt and pepper before roasting it for several hours.

Jen shredding pork

Buns branded with the Spartan logo

Next, we prepared and bagged cookies in an assembly line fashion. The cookies are baked for 5 minutes, topped with crumbled oreo pieces, then baked for another 5 minutes. Although hard to resist eating them all, Jen and I were responsible for individually bagging the cookies and sealing them with a Spartan sticker. I will admit, any broken cookies were consumed immediately!

RAD cookies - Ridiculously Awesome Cookie

Thursday, July 14th
It was finally our turn to show off! The NACUFS interns from Ferris State (Anabella and Rachel) visited our campus, and it was nearly impossible to cram all the amazing things about MSU into only a day's worth of touring. First, we met with campus Registered Dietitian Gina and Corporate Chef Kurt, who discussed their roles on campus and how dietetics and culinary services function cohesively. We then met with Donnie, who showed the girls one of our Sparty's retail centers and explained how the service works at MSU. We did the same at one of our Starbuck's locations.

We spent the most time in the test kitchen, where Kurt's interns showed the girls how they contribute to recipe testing and production for the residential dining services. They let us sample some of their projects, including a surprisingly sweet beet ice-cream.

Beet ice-cream

Kurt's culinary interns showing the other NACUFS interns how they vacuum seal vegetables

We toured some other dining facilities, such as the Akers dining hall in the East neighborhood, then we headed back to Brody for lunch. I felt an overwhelming sense of pride when the other NACUFS interns raved about our dining facilities and food quality.

Since we still had some time left, we showed the girls some of our other retail dining centers in the Union as well as the Food Truck. Although there are still so many other wonderful things about MSU, I was happy we were able to cram so much into only a few hours. It was also so lovely to spend time with other NACUFS interns who are passionate as we are!

Left to right: Jen, Rachel, Anabella, Dana - Proud NACUFS interns!

After Ferris State left us, Jen and I headed to one of Kurt's cooking demonstrations. He was teaching a group of middle school children how to make various chocolate and sweet treats. He had them race to whip egg whites into a foam, and allowed them to try several different types of chocolate and hard candies. The kids were so enthusiastic and it thrilled me to see how far-reaching the culinary experiences at MSU can be.

Kurt creating a chocolate mousse

The children sampling hard candy

Friday, July 15th
For the first of the Green and White Days, Jen and I helped out on the Food Truck. We wanted to make the best impression on the potential Spartans, as a third of the attendees end up applying and coming to MSU every year. We met at Landon Dining Hall, where we helped to make some final preparations and load the truck.

We set up outside the building where the potential students attended various events. We set up several tents, tables, a POS station, and a beverage station alongside the truck. As the students and parents trickled out, several stopped to eat or at least check out what we had to offer. Our entrees were a 3-cheese grilled cheese, a pulled pork sandwich, or our award-winning smoked cheddar cheeseburger. For only a dollar more, they could add a beverage (bottled water or lemonade) and a side (cookie or chips).

Truck setup 

Some future Spartan's enjoying the truck

In particular, I helped out at the POS tent, helped toast the buns, and manned the beverage station. My absolute favorite part was my lunch break though, where I got to enjoy an amazing grilled cheese sandwich with lemonade and a cookie. If I was on the fence about attending MSU, lunch from the Food Truck easily would have persuaded me!

Overall, the day was very successful and ran smoothly. It was good practice for the even larger Green and White Days ahead!

Just some Food Truck girls being silly!

Michigan State Week 6

Tuesday, July 5 

Today was dedicated all to testing commissary products with our recipes. We divided and conquered 4 of the 5 recipes left from our tentative list. A lot of the recipes have an international kick to them, which is also a part of the requirements to the project. I appreciate Asian, Indian, and Spanish cuisine, so finding recipes that taste good was the easy part. The more troubling part becomes an issue when we make a gorgeous sesame chicken salad, but are worried about how well it will keep in the refrigerator. Alternatively, we discussed grilling or baking instead of breading the chicken with flour and sesame seeds. On a positive note, the spinach pear salad, chicken satay, and Mediterranean orzo salad were a hit! Dana spent her time perfecting the cauliflower rice since we were missing a couple of key ingredients from Friday. It turned out as the best dish! My favorite part of recipe development was tasting and hearing the critique from Chef Kurt and his interns. They are so experienced and I am so happy to be working with them!

Sesame chicken salad

Wednesday, July 6

Today we piled into the van and headed north for Ferris State University in Big Rapids, MI. We were greeted by our NACUFS friends, Brenda, Rachel and Annabella. They took us on a tour of the Quad, Starbucks, the athletic facilities, and optometry school. In between a fabulous tour, we stopped to eat lunch at the Rock Cafe where most of the action took place. It sat in the midst of residence halls making it convenient to eat for students. My favorite part of the day was watching the hockey team run a camp for grade school kids. They looked so small compared to the big college players, but could definitely keep up with their drills. The best view of the arena was from the top of the president's box. You didn't even need to turn your head!  

Hockey camp

 Ferris State impressed us a lot. Their dining facilities in the Quad had a joint all you can eat buffet and retail dining court. It was split down the middle by birch trees and the entire design was inspired by the beauties of Northern Michigan. Lori our tour guide was the one who made decisions on all the decor, dishware, and overall atmosphere.

Lunches on display

As a parting gift, Ferris State gave us an amazing goodie bag filled with granola bars, water, a stuffed bulldog mascot, and dining brochures. It was so sweet of them to put those together for us! I loved having snacks for the car ride home! 

Thoughtful goodie bag

 Thursday, July 7

Today was an exciting day at the MSU Dairy Store! We suited up in white lab coats and blue hairnets and entered the raw room where all the milk and cream were stored. There were a myriad of pipes and silver vats that controlled the temperature of the dairy products. We moved into the production hall where we watched students bag sour cream and fill ice cream tubs. We were able to try the fresh ice cream straight from the nozzle! It was toffee flavored, my favorite!

Fresh ice cream

Around lunchtime, we headed back to Akers for a hall cooking competition. 7 teams competed to make the best tasting dish. Dana and I were lucky to judge many of the meals. My favorite was the stuffed pizza 3 ways and that team won! Dana enjoyed the Mediterranean feta salad; it was also very tasty. All of the dishes were plated so nicely, it was hard to judge on presentation. I certainly was full after trying all the creations.

Latin burgers

 

Dill bread sanwiches

After lunch, we joined the chef inters at McDonel to put the finishing touches on our project. Little did we know that the last dish would end in complete failure. For anyone’s future cooking endeavors, do not attempt to steam sweet potatoes and then cook them into a hash. It turns to unhappy baby food. To our surprise, Chef Kurt loved the concept and created his version of a sweet potato salad. I’m glad we could add inspiration to many of the new meals!

Friday, July 8

Oh boy, this was a busy day! We began the morning at food stores where we saw all the food that enters MSU’s campus. They were in operation when we arrived so we had to pay attention and be alert to moving palates. We saw the dry storage, cooler and freezer. We were spared the wind tunnel tour since it was the coldest part of the facility. Food stores is responsible for all the food that makes it to the dining halls and even smaller accounts that need bulk orders. It was pretty cool to hear that their success rate in assembling correct orders was nearly perfect.

Dry storage

The bakery was attached to food stores so our next stop was to tour the sweetest place on campus. I enjoyed learning about the fluidity of production. Ingredients were stored at the very beginning of the line and packaging took place closest to the loading docks. In between were mixers, cookie and bagel machines, preparation stations, and ovens. We moved into the decorating room where we met a highly valued employee. The decorators have to make sure all of the decorated cakes, cookies, and pies turn out identical. Customers as important as the president of the university have ordered and expect perfection. That puts a lot of pressure to do well!

 

Bagel roller

Spirit cookies

After the tours, we scooted over to the student organic farm. The best part was seeing the chicks and pigs. We had to click and whistle at them to get their attention if we wanted to pet them, of course! Some of the students offered for us to try the spicy arugula that they were harvesting. I am a huge arugula fan!

 

Student Organic Farm

Towards the end of the day, we met with the culinary sustainability team and they showed us the Surplus store, recycling, and the Bailey greenhouse. The Surplus store reminded me of a Goodwill where students could pick up affordable gems! The Bailey greenhouse was another highlight because they have a minor on campus called RISE that manages the growth. RISE also offers residents to grab a bucket of red worms so they can decompose waste in their dorm rooms! We met the student head and she sold us some herbal tea. It felt so good knowing where our product lives! Bailey hall sits in the Brody complex. It was renovated 6 years ago and had all environmental issues solved to a T. They added as many windows as possible for natural lighting, the carpet was cut into squares so it’s easy to replace, and the building exposed its structure so that unnecessary materials were saved. I hope that more and more universities jump onboard with environmental solutions so we do not create unwanted waste. I have learned that there is a use for just about everything and it is interesting to find the material’s place.

Bailey greenhouse

Week 5 at MSU

Monday, June 27

We headed back to the Brody complex on this last Monday in June. Dana and I worked different stations; she was rolling sushi at S2 and I went back to the more familiar Brimstone. We served during the 11-1pm lunch rush. I served about 10 pans of seasoned fries! We also inherited tater tots from breakfast and they flew! My favorite part about Brimstone was setting up the condiments and working along side Joy and Michael, two of the student employees. We had a lot of fun working amid the long line of hungry customers. While I was organizing the condiments, one of the ladies who worked in the prep kitchen introduced herself and invited Dana and me to help them out tomorrow! I was so excited because Dana was telling me how she wanted to be a part of the operation. We were happy to have a plan for the next day.

Tuesday, June 28

We began our day in the prep kitchen. All of the employees had seen us working around Brody before, so it was a very relaxed and comfortable environment. We had a huge checklist that accounted for all meals, breakfast, lunch and dinner, for every day of the week. Our first task was to cut kale and remove the yucky yellow and brown spots. We mixed it with another mixed green and moved onto Swiss chard. This is a food I have never seen before! It had a variation of purples, yellows, and oranges in its stems.

Dana finding a healthy green

Swiss chard

After the greens were stored, we moved onto sorting plump cherry tomatoes and shaving broccoli stems off the heads.

Wednesday, June 29

Dana and I were asked to help with Grandparent's University (GPU) at MSU. It was another conference in East. Betty the health inspector stopped by Akers today and we were familiar with her style of inspecting. She quizzed all the employees on temping meat values and the pH of their sanitation buckets. We covered the entire complex right before the crowd came for lunch. 

Learning about the pH of sanitation water

After the inspection, we were sent across the street to Holmes for a personal pizza demo. This activity allowed the grandparents and grand kids to bond while cooking, one of the many reasons why I love cooking. Some of the pizzas were just cheesy and others were full of toppings. Chef Jason and Chef Kurt ran the show. They explained to the guests that the more you add to your pizza, the longer it will take the dough to cook.

Pizza 101

I enjoyed working with Mike, one of Chef Kurt's interns. It took two people to remove the doughy pizza from the parchment paper to the oven. It would have killed us to drop someone's creation!

Chef Jason teaching how to knead and stretch the dough

Full table of toppings

Bon appetit!

Thursday, June 30 

We were back with the GPU conference in McDonel. Our first activity was fun! We had chopped fruits and veggies on labeled platters. The audience closed their eyes, reached for a food, tasted and guessed what was hidden under the towel. Many of the kids made a face when they grabbed a piece of broccoli. My favorite reaction was when they tried the avocado, "It was slimy!"

Chef Kurt explaining the activity

Handing out the broccoli 

After the taste testing, we split up into smaller groups of 3. Dana and I managed the trail mix station. We had an assortment of nuts, dried fruit, sesame sticks, cheerios and CHOCOLATE! We told the families to fill their bags half way, but we all knew that was not going to be the case when there was chocolate on the table. We explained how trail mix has great nutritional value from the nuts and berries as well as how great it is to take to go. The other 2 stations had pb&j and smoothie creations. I enjoyed talking with the adults. They were very interested in our internship; I was happy to share my excellent experience thus far! 

Trail mixing

Before the crowd departed, we handed out mango popsicles to show that the smoothies they made could be frozen and enjoyed as a fun summer snack. The interns grabbed the chamoy sauce and made a Mexican street food snack. It reminded me of a chili powdered mango! It was so sweet and spicy! 

Chamoy mango popsicle

Once we cleaned up, Mike grabbed this huge spiky fruit called a jack fruit and cut it open like a watermelon. We were pleasantly surprised that it tasted like bubble gum!

Inside of the jack fruit

Mike's creation topped with raspberry powder and Thai basil

We could not stop at one exotic fruit for the day; Mike handed Dana and I each half of a passion fruit and it tasted so good! The juice was the only edible part.

Passion fruit

 We took a break from carving out the jack fruit to stop at the operating food truck! I ordered a burger and Dana got a grilled cheese. The smoked cheddar cheese was from the dairy store to make it even better!

Eat at State Food Truck Burger

Friday, July 1 

Today marked cooking day 1 in the test kitchen! We finally started our commissary project and we had a blast discussing recipes that would do well in a microwave and foods that could hold for several days. We came up with cauliflower rice to match the gluten free and vegan requirements. As a dietitian, we both need to be aware of each ingredient in foods so this project has already taught us so much about individual qualities of food. Most things have a substitutes, but gluten free is tricky. The rest of the day was dedicated to planning and improving the next 5 meals for the project. We have gotten a lot of great advice from our role models in the kitchen. It makes us excited for our careers!

Stage 1 of cauliflower rice