Reed's Gourmet Servery Recipes

By Reed Thornburg     11/9/11 6:00pm

"Hunger is good discipline and you learn from it." So ponders a young Ernest Hemingway in his lesser read, yet still fascinating novel A Moveable Feast. When I read that line back in high school I appreciated the profoundness in which it was written, but only when I matriculated at Rice University some months ago did I really begin to feel its truth. In fact, if that line was translated into Latin, I'm fairly certain that Rice would have a new unofficial motto.

So, what exactly have I learned from hunger in my time here? That is the basis of this new column — the simple idea that there is something special about adding a personal touch to the food you eat. Not only does it somehow make the food taste better, but it also leaves you with a feeling of accomplishment in knowing that you played a role in its production.

This is of course, in no way a comment on Rice's Dining Services. What they are able to accomplish on a weekly basis is truly incredible. They have diverse options, and present us with food that is almost always delicious and interesting. I hope to use the high quality ingredients readily available in the servery as just one more option when your palette doesn't quite align itself with the day's menu.

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With that in mind, let's take full advantage of our college freedom and start this project with dessert. The first example is a range of servery treats that are available every night, but hidden in the expanses of servery options. Specifically, this week's idea comes from Hanszen College freshman Nick Petersen and his desire to expand on the basic ice cream offerings. It begins with a classic milkshake, and from there we add some simple variations.

Basic Milkshake

Servery grocery list:

· 3-4 Blue Bell vanilla ice cream cups

· 1 carton of 2% milk

· 1 spoon / regular drinking cup

Technique:

First, wrap your spoon around the edges of the ice cream cups, so that the ice cream stacks up along bottom of your cup. From there, let the ice cream soften by eating the rest of your dinner. After about 10-15 minutes, pour one quarter of a carton of the milk into the cup. Use the spoon in a whisking motion starting from the inside and moving outward. Once the milk has been successfully dissolved and the mixture has thickened, slowly add more milk to force air pockets out of the stacked ice cream. Now, you can take your creation back into the servery and add a topping of whipped cream or chocolate syrup. While you will find this process slightly tiring at first, the results are definitely worth it.

Strawberry Milkshake:

 Servery grocery list:

· 2 Blue Bell vanilla ice cream cups

· 1 Blue Bell fruit bar

· 4-6 overripe servery strawberries (hulls removed)

· 1 carton of 2% milk

· 1 spoon / regular drinking cup

Technique:

This will be similar to our last shake, only we will start by mashing some strawberries with the back of the spoon at the bottom of the cup. The strawberries should be close to M&M-sized pieces, which will complement the strawberry chunks frozen in the fruit bar. Add the vanilla cups and then the fruit bar on top. (Note: the fruit bar might have to soften slightly more before you can remove it from the stick.) Then, follow the same process as the basic milkshake recipe, but be sure to work up the crushed strawberries from the bottom of the cup.

For a chocolate variation, simply replace the vanilla ice cream cups with their chocolate counterparts, and use the fat free Oak Farms chocolate milk. Also, don't be afraid to incorporate your favorite servery desserts; just make sure that the pieces are small enough to mix evenly. This week's recipes are simple, but sometimes ideas like this hide themselves in the vast realm of servery options. If you have any suggestions, comments or favorite servery recipes, please email Reed Thornburg at rst4@rice.edu.

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