Students sample tasty toppings

Sodexo’s monthly food seminar featured healthy toast spreads

Toast Toppers, a food demonstration held at Reber-Thomas Dining Hall Wednesday, Feb. 18, attracted food lovers and students eager for easy-to-learn recipes.

Nestled in a corner of the dining facility, Registered Dietitian Robin Quay and her team of Sodexo employees participated in the event that Quay said is offered every month at Reber-Thomas. The theme for February consisted of easy spreads and toppings for toast.

As the demonstration began, Executive Chef Barry Spence instructed the audience on the proper way to cut a red pepper. Since red pepper is a necessary ingredient in red pepper and hummus toast, instruction in the proper way to cut a pepper was well received by audience members. Next, Spence topped toast with a helping of cottage cheese and pineapple.

Also demonstrating how to finely slice a pineapple and cut a banana while in the peel, Spence showed onlookers how to get the most out of the food they use. Tips like these were given throughout the event.

The third demonstration was a favorite for many spectators who, after trying the treat, agreed it was the tastiest out of the bunch. Lemon zest mixed into cream cheese was spread onto toast, then topped with raspberries.

The last demonstration featured a slice of toast topped with natural peanut butter and bananas. Spence showed onlookers how to perfectly slice a banana by cutting it while still in the peel. Spence explained that this method will keep the fruit from browning if it is not needed at the time.

Quay’s nutrition assistant Audrey Bamford handed out samples to audience members interested in trying the creations for themselves.

Students can easily make each toast topper from ingredients offered at the dining hall, according to Quay.

Quay said she has been doing cooking demonstrations at the dining hall for three years.

“It’s up close and personal with students,” Quay said. “This is the most fun part of my job.”

Through each demonstration, Quay and her team showed students how eating healthy can be achieved through choosing nutritious ingredients over the more common, unhealthy choices. Each piece of toast in the toast toppers demonstration was multigrain and each topping, aside from the cream cheese, is a far healthier alternative to jam or jelly.

Quay said her favorite demonstrations involved making smoothies and Lara bars. Diverse in nature, each demonstration attracts a different audience. No matter what food preference or allergy a student may have, they are likely to benefit from at least one of the many demonstrations offered each semester, Quay explained. Whatever a student may be looking to learn from one of these demonstrations, Quay assured that there is one theme in common.

“You don’t have to have a lot of skill,” Quay said.

Each recipe, whether a unique creation of Quay’s or one modified from an online source, gives students the opportunity to learn creative and easy ways to make their own food.

Quay announced that next month’s cooking demonstration would be held March 18 and is all about microwave cooking.

For information on upcoming Liberty dining events, follow @libertydining on Twitter or “Liberty Dining Services” on Facebook.

YOUNG is a feature reporter.