Final Weeks in Berkeley, CA

  
It's hard to believe that as I type this, we are now finished with our 8-week NACUFS internship experience! Between long educational days in the campus kitchens to the worldly and eye-opening field trips, we got more out of our time here than we ever thought possible. Here's a glimpse back on our last two weeks at UC Berkeley. 

~WEEK 7~

MONDAY: The penultimate week here began on a relaxing yet productive note. In fact, most of our time in week 7 and 8 was spent working on our final project and presentation. We worked really well together, and came up with a lot of really great ideas!  As mentioned in earlier blog posts, our main project for this summer involved a makeover of one of the dining halls on campus, Café 3, to a more plant-forward menu. I'll go into more detail of exactly what our involvement in this project was later in the week. 

TUESDAY: Tuesday we spent the day in Crossroads, working with the sous chefs to prep foods for lunch. We kept busy cutting up tons of produce (zucchini and watermelon) and brushed up on our knife skills. It wasn't that exciting of a day, but since we knew our time here was coming to and end, we cherished every last moment working in the kitchens. Once we finished we headed over to Café 3 to get some last minute questions answered for our project.   


WEDNESDAY: On Wednesday we were invited to a Cheese Making Class!! Along with a few other member of the Cal Dining staff, we ventured over to the north part of campus to an educational kitchen in the Food Service department. Here we learned how to make 3 soft cheeses: Ricotta, Fromage-Blanc (Goat Cheese), and Mozzarella. We were delighted to learn that cheese making requires neither expertise nor expensive ingredients or equipment. We started by heating the milk base so that it started to curd. The enzyme rennet is added to help that process happen. The milk then begins to coagulate into one uniform mass. Once the cheese was solidified to our liking, the next step determined the type of cheese we would be making. For the Fromage-Blanc, we separated the curds from the whey (milk proteins) by pouring the mixture through a cheese cloth. The liquid whey went straight through into the pot, and the remaining curd mass was then wrapped up tightly with the cheese cloth. We hung this to further filter out while we finished the other cheeses. For the ricotta, a similar process was followed with the exception of whole milk being used in place of goat's milk. Ricotta also did not need to be drained as much as the Fromage-Blanc, so we were able to eat this one shortly after preparation. Lastly, the mozzarella had a few additional steps after the draining of the whey from the curds. We had to slice the cheese into 1" thick strips, then heat the strips in salt water. After we removed them from heat, we allowed the cheese strips to cool slightly before stretching the cheese with our hands. We had to stretch and knead the cheese, then form it into little mozzarella balls (as shown below). Once we were done with all the cheese we got to sample them with a variety of classic "cheese foods" like tomato, crackers, grapes, and wine. We had such a fun time making cheese!!
  


THURSDAY: On Thursday we started our day at Crossroads, brainstorming ideas to more conveniently display allergen information about the daily menu during service. The current method is to type up the menu items individually for each station and then add allergen information accordingly. This is an extremely time-consuming process for the office staff, as they have to do them every day, three times a day. After printing the allergen information, they then place them in plastic holders that go on top of the serving line. Our task was to come up with more efficient ways of displaying this information. Though we had many ideas, the two best ideas were to use chalkboards to write the menu and allergen information each day and to have one spot in the dining hall specifically dedicated to allergens where students could look up the allergens for each menu item. The chalkboard idea cuts down on office time and opens up the potential for a student or other food service worker to write up the menu and allergens easily without needing to access the office. The allergen zone would also eliminate the need for printing and save lots of time putting up signs at each station. They management team seemed excited about the ideas and they hope to pilot them at at least one station very soon! The rest of the day was spent working on our final presentation, which included completing the Cafe 3 menu analysis. The analysis comprised of us going over the menu and designating each item as vegan, vegetarian, or neither and then compiling statistics based on this information that might be useful to the management team. It was definitely a productive day!

FRIDAY: Today was our last field trip :(

And they certainly saved the best for last! We toured the famous Bill Niman's cattle and turkey farm and were treated to a delicious lunch served out of their actual home. The day began with a quick truck ride to the edge of the ranch (literally on the ocean!) to visit some of the happy cows. Bill talked a lot about the benefits of grass-fed beef, as well as logistics of running a cattle farm. All the cows were very docile and not at all bothered by our interruption, which Bill Niman said was an indicator of happy and relaxed cows. Niman is a huge supporter of the grass-fed beef movement, and strongly believes it could be a system that is replicated throughout the United States. After visiting the cows, we took another bumpy truck ride to the baby cows, where we learned that the cows are switched to different pastures based on age or pregnancy status. The cows do a lot to keep the brush down in the fields, which makes the pastures grassy and sustainable for cattle grazing. 

After visiting the calves, we entered the loud confines of the turkey enclosure. Contrary to the horrendous conditions most American poultry is subjected to, the turkeys' enclosure at the ranch was wide open and clean. Before we left, Bill gave us some turkey eggs to take home and eat (which we did, and they were unbelievably delicious!). A delicious lunch was then served from their own kitchen and was made by Bill's wife, Nicolette. After some wine and good conversation, we then head out on the road back to Berkeley.

<--Turkey egg

~FINAL WEEK~

TUESDAY: Tuesday we spent the day with Liam, another member of the Cal Catering team. His job is to oversee "Training Tables" which is basically just the catering and food service operation for the athletes on campus. Although he mostly works with the football team, he's also provided meal services for the basketball, volleyball, soccer, and rugby teams. We started the day at California Memorial Stadium. This is where the football team plays and trains, as well as where the primary catering office and Training Tables kitchen is located. Liam gave us a tour of the kitchen, where we were allowed to observe the football players come in for both breakfast and lunch meals. During each of the meals we had the pleasure of talking to Jordan, the new sports dietitian on campus. Fresh out of grad school, it was really interesting to hear the new and exciting nutrition-related ideas that he was bringing to Cal. He explained to us some of the healthy changes he was making to the Training Tables menus, as well as the Sports Nutrition education sessions he was planning on executing for the football team. At every meal, as athletes come through the service line, Jordan encourages them to balance out their plates with protein, grains, and vegetables. He's also a big advocate for the salad bar. The last part of our day consisted of commuting over to the other end of campus to the Haas Pavilion, where both the volleyball and basketball teams play. We saw the micro kitchens there and learned how meals are executed there on a bit smaller scale.

  

MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY: 3 Full days this week were spent completing our project and getting every detail ready for our final presentation on Friday. Everything was starting to really come together, and we were getting very excited!! We decided to use Prezi to make our presentation, which was a learning experience in itself but looks a lot more exciting than just your average Powerpoint. 

FRIDAY: Presentation day!! And also our very last day as NACUFS interns at UC Berkeley. It was a bittersweet day, but being able to present our ideas for Café 3 that we had been working on all summer was the perfect culmination of the internship. Some of the highlights of our presentation included an overview of the new elements of the Café 3 menu, some background and research on why the project was a good idea for Cal, and possible pros and cons of the new menu implementation. We also analyzed the new menu to see what percentage of recipes were vegan, vegetarian, or meat-based. Since the idea was to make Café 3 primarily a plant-forward dining hall, it was important to see what the statistics actually were! It was fascinating to pick apart each recipe and look at the ingredients to make our judgement, especially since we found the menu to be 50% vegan, 43% vegetarian, and only 7% meat-based!! Some other fun parts of our project were coming up with marketing ideas to advertise the new "look" of Café 3 to the students and faculty at UC Berkeley. We also talked about what the addition of a Kosher station to the dining hall would be like, and brainstormed all the special things the chefs and managers would need to consider to include that accurately and professionally. Overall, everyone seemed to LOVE our presentation and we both felt really proud of ourselves. It all came together so nicely, and was the perfect opportunity for us to say our thank yous and goodbyes. 

From the bottom of our hearts THANK YOU to NACUFS and Cal Dining for an amazing summer internship experience. Without a doubt we are going to take everything we learned back to the east coast, and with us as we move on through our dietetic internships this upcoming year. 

So long and farewell,

Madeline and Emily

California Week 6

We had such a good week!!!


  
       


MONDAY :  Today we spent time with the catering department, which is located at the stadium on campus. After working with the catering manager and learning about payroll, scheduling, and general day-to-day operations, we also got to spend time with the catering sales team. The sales team organizes events that are catered by Cal Dining, such as weddings, work conferences,and social events. Weddings on campus are typically held at the stadium, and can be as simple or elaborate as the couple chooses. Erin, the wedding planner, will meet with the couple to tour the stadium and get a feel for what the couple wants - from wedding colors, to lighting, and of course, food! She took us through the stadium and showed us where weddings are typically held, and explained everything that goes into organizing the catering and food for these events. It was fun to imagine how everything would be set up and to look through the menu options Cal offers as well. Conferences and social events are also held on campus and can be elaborately or simply catered based on the organizations' budget. 

California Memorial Stadium

TUESDAY : We were back at catering today, but this time in the kitchen working with executive chef Galen. We were lucky to be shadowing Galen on a day he was preparing a tasting menu for an upcoming event held at the stadium. We went to work immediately shucking and grilling corn, preparing fresh produce like tomatoes and wax beans, and baking cookies! The final menu consisted of a grilled corn and crispy farro salad, pork sliders, grilled peaches with fresh ricotta, and chocolate chip cookies. The recipes were a success and the client was pleased. We got to sample them as well, and everything was DELICIOUS! We couldn't pick our favorites, but the peach/ricotta combo definitely won our hearts. The menu will be replicated in large amounts in the upcoming week! This was a particularly fun day for us because the chef's at retail operations tend to have a bit more creativity and freedom to play with the menu, which means the food prep is that much more elaborate and unique than items traditionally prepared in dining halls. It was a lot of fun to watch Galen plate the dishes and make them look really nice to present to the clients. Working in the catering kitchen was a lot of fun.  

The pork sliders and chocolate chip cookies we helped to prepare!

         

                        View of campus from the stadium                    Prepping cookie dough in the catering kitchen!

Golden Bear Café

WEDNESDAY: On Wednesday we shadowed Gary at Golden Bear Cafe, a retail location in the heart of campus that sells grocery items in addition to serving Peet's Coffee, Fresh smoothies, made-to-order burritos/nachos/quesadillas and sandwiches and salads. There's also a mini produce stand inside where students can come to purchase seasonal produce. When we were there, they were offering stone fruits like plums, peaches, and nectarines! Yum! Gary is an extremely organized manager so it was interesting and informative to learn how he schedules his day. He gave us a tour of the facility and explained some of the improvements he's been making in productivity and service since coming on board a few months ago. We also got to sit in on a meeting to discuss a new student employee handbook that will hopefully be published for the upcoming year. The meeting topics included everything from employee use of cellphones to defining the necessary time to use gloves. We also served a bit on the line, making burritos and fresh wraps! 

THURSDAY: Thursday was spent shadowing chef Jon at Brown's Restaurant. Brown's is a completely unique campus operation, with a large percentage of their food sourced from within 250 miles. They serve breakfast, as well as fresh salads, slaws, tofu, and paninis. The menu style is also unique because it allows students to "flip" the traditional plate by opting for more veggies than meat. Students can choose from multiple options: a "traditional" plate with 2 proteins, or flipped plates with 1 protein/2 veggies or three veggies. The same menu is offered every day, but changes once per semester and also during the summer. This is to optimize the amount of local and seasonal ingredients that are used in the menu! We were both impressed with such a unique menu, from both a nutrition and sustainability perspective. It was really cool to see how eating healthfully and creatively was really encouraged there. The staff at Brown's take sustainability very seriously, and Chef Jon showed us how they use the "leftover" bits of foods like blending the stems of mushrooms into a soup or making bread pudding out of day-old or stale bread products. He explained how he saves money by serving the foods he would have normally thrown out. All it takes is a little creativity. We truly expanded our culinary prowess at Brown's by learning how to properly cut vegetables, prepare bread pudding, and mix vinaigrettes. It was really fun and we learned a lot about what it means to work in a kitchen and to be passionate about what you do everyday. 

  

  

              Healthy alternative to a soda machine                                      Learning to mix vinaigrettes!

Brown's "flipping the plate" 

FRIDAY: Field trip day continues to get better and better with our visit to Clover Dairy. Clover consists of a co-op of dairy farms in the region that are committed to humane and organic farming practices. After a quick sampling of some Clover products like milks, yogurt, kefir, and an iced coffee drink (Clover partnered with Blue Bottle, a local coffee company to make it), we took tour of the dairy processing plant.  We got to see milk transition from the time of delivery to pasteurization, bottling, and shipping. We then toured one of the dairy farms that Clover utilizes for its milk, Bi-Valve farm. Located near Pt.Reyes, Bi-Valve is a small yet productive family-run farm that has been around for generations. The tour consisted of a walk around the farm, where we learned about the life of a dairy cow. We then toured the milking barn where the cows are milked twice a day, everyday, 365 days a year (there are no vacations for farmers!). The happy cows at Bi-Valve get access year-round to the beautiful California pastures, which is similar to the other farms that Clover contracts with. It was really nice to be able to meet with such a down to earth and hard-working family that cares so much about what they do. It was obvious that they truly cared about the well-being of the animals and quality of their milk. Knowing that Cal is sourcing their milk products from this organization is extremely heartening; we're so proud to be working for a university so dedicated to sourcing their products responsibly. Yay for happy cows!!

                                

Clover partnered with a local coffee company to make this iced coffee drink!

          

    

The "teenager" cows at Bi-Valve Farms

After the tour we treated to an AMAZING lunch at Hog Island Oyster Farm where we enjoyed super fresh oysters, amazing views, and great company. Thanks Clover!

                          

California Week 5 :)

   

This summer is going by quick quick quick!
Here's what we were up to this week at UC Berkeley:


MONDAY and TUESDAY: For the beginning of the week we focused our attention on The Den, the sister retail operation to Crossroads dining hall. The Den consists of a wrap, bagel, and smoothie station, as well as Peet's coffee. After getting a quick training session on the espresso machines and the wrap/smoothie station, we jumped right into serving! The Den serves breakfast and lunch wraps, custom bagels, and delicious smoothies, and we had the chance to learn to make them all. We also were trained on the espresso machine at Peet's and learned how to make cappuccinos, macchiatos, lattes, and more! It was an awesome hands-on experience that we both really enjoyed, and it was nice to see a different side to Cal Dining. As opposed to just serving the food (like in dining halls), the students at The Den make the food and drinks as ordered, which is a whole another component of the food service experience. 

(Left) Maddie making drinks at Peet's, (Right) Emily working the sandwich counter!

 

On Tuesday afternoon we toured Hodo Soy beanery, an Oakland-based tofu manufacturer.  Hodo Soy means good bean, which is certainly represented in the tofu they produce; all their products were delicious! From basic firm and silken tofu, to flavored tofu nuggets and yuba noodles, Hodo Soy has a variety of products (though Cal Dining primarily utilizes their regular firm tofu). To make tofu, soy beans are mashed and heated and then combined with calcium sulfate to separate the curd, which is then pressed extensively to make tofu blocks. Soy milk is also a by product of this process, which Hodo Soy sells as well. Hodo Soy utilizes non-GMO organic soybeans, and limits their waste by selling off any used byproduct to local farmers who use the material to feed their animals. The plant is small but still manages to make enough tofu to serve Cal Dining, as well as numerous retail stores, like Whole Foods.

Field trip time - our favorite!!

Free tofu samples - our other favorite!!        

    

Touring the beanery!

WEDNESDAY : We worked with Chef Sean in the Café 3 kitchen, as well as with some office work that needed to be done for the new fall menu. First we had a quick tour of the kitchen and introduction to basic food prep. Right away we were given the exciting job of making a giant batch of smoothies to serve in the lunch line that day. After gathering all the necessary ingredients, we learned how to properly create the base of the smoothie and to add just the right amount of ice for a "smooth" texture (pun intended). The immersion blender was the biggest we've ever seen!! It was very fun and challenging to use.

(Left) Emily with the ingredients                   (Right) This blender is bigger than me!!

  

                                               

                  Getting the consistency just right.-->           

Our next job was to take the menu and create signs that will be displayed at each of the dining stations so students know what food is being served each day and if there are any allergens in the recipes. To create these signs, we used a template that is already being used for the current menu, then input the menu items for each day. With 3 meals per day, 7 days per week, and a 4-week cycle menu, this project took us most of the day to do! You can see an example of one of these signs in the photo above! (Emily is holding it next to the smoothie ingredients).  Once we finished working on the menu project, we were allowed to pick a few items from the new fall menu to prepare and sample later in the week. After much deliberation, we ended up deciding on a Baked Salmon Filets with Lebanese Sauce, Saffron-Scented Cous Cous, Coconut Creamed Spinach, and for dessert Fried Plantains with Granola and Berries. We had to make up a quick purchase order of any necessary ingredients that weren't in house, and then we were done for the day! It was very productive. 

THURSDAY : We started off the day back on the student-run farm on the Clark Kerr Campus. We got straight to work planting the "3 Sisters" crops, which are beans, corn, and squash. The "3 sisters" got their name as an old Native American way of planting hundreds of years ago! They are called the three sisters because when planted together, each crop plays a role in the growth and success of the other two. It is very symbiotic, and quite fascinating! Once we plotted out the area where we would be planting, we laid soil and compost down. Then, we were in for a very cute surprise, because one of the preschool classes came up to the garden for a visit. We got to teach the little kids how to plant the stalks of corn, which they loved!

                                   
                                              Little hands helping plant the corn!


    <--our beautiful work



FRIDAY : Today we got to create the recipes that we had previously picked out (on Wednesday) to sample from the new menu! We were back in Cafè 3 with Chef Sean for the day. Like we mentioned earlier, our chosen recipes were a Baked Salmon with Lebanese Sauce, Saffron-Scented Cous Cous, Coconut-Cream Spinach, and Fried Plantains with Berries and Granola. The first thing we needed to do was to prep, or "mise en place" all of the ingredients. This meant cutting up any produce, measuring out liquids, weighing dry ingredients, and setting aside all herbs and spices to be used. The reason for prepping everything in advance is so that once it is time to actually make the recipe, everything is already ready to go and can just be added right in. It's also important to know approximately how long it will take to make each of the items on the menu, so that you prepare them in an appropriate order that makes sense given whatever time frame you have. It was really great to have some culinary experience, and we both really enjoyed our time working in the kitchen! Here's some pictures of us putting the finishing touches on our recipes, and then the final products.

                           Adding  the Lebanese sauce - AKA making it look pretty!

                                                                   

                              The Fried Plantains with Granola and Berries - a true work of art.




WEEKEND : This weekend we went our separate ways - both meeting up with friends from back home. From San Francisco to Monterey Bay, California never ceases to amaze us. Cheers to a great week 5! :)