2008 Woodie Awards
RSSTaste of the Hill
By Dan Glaser
Issue date: 10/23/07 Section: Lifestyle
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You come back just in time for lunch, to find a full meal prepared, and a friendly ear to listen to you rant about the test you just got back.
Fraternity and sorority chefs at Lehigh recently disclosed that they cook with a rare, secret ingredient, not found in all kitchens: Love.
Each of the 28 fraternities and sororities has a full-time chef. The chefs are paid to cook ten meals a week, but typically cook between twelve and thirteen meals weekly.
"If the sisters come into the kitchen asking me to make them breakfast, I'll do it, but really I'm here for lunch and dinner," said Kelly Hartraft, the chef for Alpha Phi sorority.
On a typical day, Greek house chefs at Lehigh prepare anything from cold-cut sandwiches to salmon to meatloaf.
After a culinary tour of sorts of the Lehigh fraternities and sororities, taste tests show each house chef offers something a little different.
Hartraft, one of the more adventurous chefs on the Hill made matzo ball soup, tofu bok-choy salad and chicken bok-choy salad drizzled in soy dressing for lunch.
The matzo ball soup was outstanding. The matzo balls were absolutely of perfect texture, the carrots soft, and the soup wasn't too salty. The bok-choy was fresh, the chicken tender and the dressing delectable.
Kappa Alpha Theta sorority chef, William Rodriguez, made stuffed blue-cheese burgers, which after sitting out for a while were less appetizing, delicious tuna salad and soggy cucumber salad.
Jamie Camagoe, chef of Sigma Chi fraternity, prepared open-faced turkey sandwiches with mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce and gravy.
They were absolutely outstanding.
"Fresh ingredients are the key to a great tasting meal," Camagoe said. "I cooked the turkey this morning and that's why it tastes like it should."
Approximately half of the cooks on the Hill work from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. preparing lunch and dinner.
The other half work from 8 a.m. to noon and return around 3 p.m. to work until 6 p.m. preparing dinner.
John Wright, who has been the chef at Chi Psi fraternity for two years, prefers breaking the day up into two shifts because he said the food tastes better when prepared directly prior to being served.
"Food preparation is a time sensitive matter," Wright said. "In fact, most foods only have a four hour shelf life before spoiling if not refrigerated."
