26If you feed them, they will come. At least, that is one of the reasons behind the Union Programming Council’s Feed U Corner events.
The most recent one, in the Union food court on Wednesday, gave students a taste of both heat and sweet with New Orleans gumbo and Australian scones. The event brought in nearly 100 hungry and curious students on their way to lunch from class, lured in by the savory smells and hands-on demonstration by Peter Hodgson, Chartwells’ executive chef at the U.
While this is the third year UPC has partnered with Dining Services on campus to organize the event for students, this is the first year the event has consisted of live demonstrations. Previous demonstrations have included creative ways to use Ramen noodles and a gluten-free meal.
The event is typically set up in the Union food court near Jamba Juice, an area that receives high traffic from students. For Wednesday’s demonstration, a tall table with all the ingredients for scones was set up next to a large television that streamed the demonstration. Students could view Hodgson’s techniques on the screen for a closer look.
Next to the demonstration was a table with bowls of pre-prepared gumbo for students to enjoy while watching Hodgson prepare the scones. Hodgson took students through the whole scone-making process, aiming to show students that the recipe fits with a college budget.
Hodgson, a certified executive chef and member of the American Academy of Chefs honor society, is no stranger to the regionally specific dishes he made. Originally from Australia, the scone recipe was his grandmother’s and would be enjoyed at “high tea” time.
The gumbo recipe, which Kennedy Lopez, a freshman in nursing, said was “hotter than hell,” is Chartwells district manager Reggie Conerly’s own dish. Hodgson’s affinity for spicy Southern cooking showed because Nichole Shelton, a freshman in nursing and no stranger to New Orleans cuisine, said Hodgson got the gumbo “spot on — straight-up Cajun.”
Although Hodgson has held a variety of high positions in the culinary field, as well as receiving many awards for his more than 30-year career, Hodgson enjoys demonstrating at the Feed U Corner events as a way to give back to the students and teach them something new and useful.
“I like the interaction with people,” Hodgson said. “I like knowing that at the end of the day I created something that gives people happiness.”
The satisfied faces of students and second helpings of gumbo were clear signs of that happiness.
Derek Deitsch, a senior in marketing and director of innovation with UPC, said the large number of students who show up, as well as the promotion it provides for both UPC and Dining Services, makes the event worth UPC’s $200 budget for the event.
“The food is the main draw, [but the demo] is something you don’t expect to see,” Deitsch said.
UPC’s next Feed U Corner demonstration is scheduled for April 22.
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