Camp ESCAPE visited the Keystone Dining Room on Monday, preparing homemade Italian and ranch dressing with fresh ingredients from Penn College’s herb garden. Helping the youngsters with the recipes were Dining Services’ Noelle B. Bloom, assistant director; Rebecca L. Pawlik, registered dietitian; and Andrea N. Breon, KDR head cook.
Photos by Amy S. Lingg, Dining Services’ marketing assistant
Penn College Dining Services recently took home two prizes in the Mrs. T’s Pierogi Contest, open to all college and universities who participated in National Pierogi Day events on Oct. 4. The college’s original recipes, featured on campus as part of the 10th annual observance last fall, were awarded third place and honorable mention. Third prize went to the Keystone Dining Room’s Cuban Pulled Pork Nachos (left). Created by head cook Andrea N. Breon, the recipe included slow-roasted pork shoulder, pulled and tossed in BBQ sauce, topped with thinly sliced deli ham and diced dill pickles, then drizzled with a creamy house-made horseradish Dijon sauce on top of a bed of lightly browned and crisply seared Mrs. T’s Mini Cheese Pierogies. Taking an honorable mention was CC Commons’ General Tso ‘rogies (pictured at right). That recipe, developed by Mike S. Dinan, head cook for CC Commons, called for sautéed mini-pierogies tossed in a sweet and spicy teriyaki-style sauce with julienned carrots, broccoli, roasted peppers, and finished with scallions and toasted sesame seeds. The dishes may be featured from time to time in college dining units; in the meantime, why not try them at home? Recipes
Photos by Amy S. Lingg, Dining Services’ marketing assistant
Pennsylvania College of Technology celebrated the contributions and commitment of its staff and faculty during an Employee Recognition Week gathering on May 16.
As part of an all-college meeting to end the spring semester, President Davie Jane Gilmour presented Distinguished Staff, Excellence in Academic Advising and Outstanding Assessment awards, as well as recognizing retirees, members of the Quarter Century Club, and employees hitting the 30- and 35-year plateaus during the 2018-19 academic year.
Stop the presses! Don’t bring down the curtain yet on the Spring 2019 semester, not while there are still events to chronicle and occasions to celebrate! As students, faculty and staff count down to midmonth commencement exercises – and the beckoning summer beyond – a number of lighthearted activities have helpfully conspired to put respite on the cramming-for-finals calendar. Among the recent amusements overseen by thoughtful campus entities were a Wildcat Events Board-sponsored petting zoo outside the Keystone Dining Room, a Capitol Eatery beach party, and the traditional Midnight Breakfast avalanche of fun and food.
As The Cupboard approaches its third anniversary this fall, a Dining Services cookout raised nearly $700 for the pantry and awareness about its availability to students battling food insecurity. For $7.50 each, all of which benefits the Bush Campus Center facility, students could enjoy burgers, hot dogs, pasta salad, chips, beverage and dessert outside the Keystone Dining Room. Donations of canned goods and nonperishables were also accepted, and giveaways provided information on additional ways to contribute.
Photos by J.J. Boettcher, student photographer, and Amy S. Lingg, Dining Services marketing assistant
Dining Services held a “Recipe Showcase” Thursday afternoon, distributing free samples of new dishes coming to campus dining units in the Fall 2019 semester. Among the items taste-tested by students in the Keystone Dining Room were carved pork prime rib with “secret weapon sauce,” horseradish-crusted salmon, dill pickle fried chicken sandwiches, Cajun chicken cheesesteak pizza, Maui chicken naanwiches, Sriracha turkey naanwiches, pasta e fajioli, chicken waffle sliders, cauliflower-crust cheese pizza, pancake roll-ups, ancient grains, honey citrus carrots, Waldorf farro grain salad and edible chocolate chip cookie dough.
Photos by J.J. Boettcher, student photographer
Food-lovers found sweetheart deals at Dining Services’ Valentine’s Day buffet, held in advance of the holiday … and in spite of not-so-nice weather. Tuesday’s mouth-watering Capitol Eatery menu included lobster ravioli, pork persillade, roasted fresh vegetables and homemade bread.
Photos by Rachel A. Eirmann, student photographer
Pennsylvania College of Technology recently held a grand reopening celebration for Nature’s Cove, one of its 10 dining units.
Nature’s Cove updated its dining room with new cabinets and countertops, a larger soda fountain and updated merchandising coolers, additional seating with new dining room chairs, and a fresh coat of paint.
Mark J. Leo has been appointed director of dining services by Pennsylvania College of Technology.
Leo, who began his duties Jan. 8, comes to Penn College from American Dining Creations, where he had been employed since 2000. Most recently, he was district manager for the company’s Mid-Atlantic Region, managing 22 corporate accounts.
As Finals Week makes its presence known, peppering students with an exam-filled onslaught of exhaustion, Penn College thoughtfully provides sustenance and sanctuary for the battle against end-of-semester burnout. Among the events that form the cornerstone of the anti-anxiety attack? Dining Services’ 21st Midnight Breakfast − second only to commencement in traditional longevity − on Thursday night, preceded by Wednesday’s Madigan Library visit from therapy dogs that live to be loved.
Dining Services’ latest Artisan Market, overflowing with the fruits of local talent, brought the handmade joys of the season to the Bush Campus Center this past week. The next craft showcase is tentatively set for Feb. 13.
Photos by Rachel A. Eirmann, student photographer
A free family-style Thanksgiving dinner was served to 620 students Monday night − the equivalent of three full seatings in the Keystone Dining Room! − and an earlier “Soup for the Soul” benefit helped ensure that such bounty could be shared by those struggling with food insecurity. Sponsored by the Student Engagement Task Force and served by a cross-section of campus employees, the traditional dinner with all the fixin’s was delayed from Thursday due to last week’s storm. CC Commons was the site for the Nov. 14 event, at which the first 50 registrants received a meal of chicken tortilla or cheddar broccoli soup served in handcrafted bowls made by Penn College ceramic students. Part of the college’s Homelessness and Hunger Awareness Week, both activities featured donations of cash and canned goods to The Cupboard, the college’s food pantry. Institutional Advancement added to the week of gratitude with its “Thank a Donor” and “One Tray at a Time” initiatives.
A Veterans Celebration, sponsored by Dining Services in CC Commons, offered “all-American fare” to the Penn College community on Thursday. The event, one of several on campus in conjunction with Veterans Day, gave students pause to honor the military service of their classmates.
Photos by J.J. Boettcher, student photographer
Dining Services’ Halloween Boofet re-inhabited Capitol Eatery this past week, offering students an appetizing menu of “eerie entrees, scary sides and hauntingly delicious desserts.”
Photos by J.J. Boettcher, student photographer
The past week’s Fall Artisan Market filled the Bush Campus Center hallway with such treats as fresh kettle korn, fresh honey and pumpkin fudge, all courtesy of local craftsfolk. (A holiday version of the popular market will be held in the CC on Wednesday, Nov. 28.)
Photos by J.J. Boettcher, student photographer