By Madison Bonner, Writer
Photography by Madison Bonner
On Wednesday, October 25th, McKendree celebrated International Meal Day. This event was reintroduced by current SGA President Maria Salomão two years ago and has been a huge success since. On this day, students from all around the world share their culture through their countries’ recipes.
This highly anticipated event was organized by Ana Cecilia Carvalho, the International Senator for McKendree’s Student Government Association. Ana sent out an email to all international students, who then filled out the survey with their dish and country.
This year, 13 international students participated in the event. Six dishes in total were prepared by these students, which represented each of their respective countries.
Students prepared their dishes in the Ames kitchen on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. Ames kitchen staff monitored and assisted them when needed.
These dishes were then offered in Ames Dining Hall from 11 A.M. to 1 P.M. All McKendree students, faculty, and staff were welcome. For those without a meal plan, the entrance fee was $9. Through this program, McKendree encourages its students to experience a variety of international dishes.
Brazil was represented by two dishes: Brazilian Stroganoff and Brigadeiro. These dishes were prepared by Ana Cecília Carvalho, Maria Salomão, Eduardo Criscuolo, Gabriela Novais, and Arthur Souza. Brazilian Stroganoff is a variation of traditional Russian Stroganoff (Stroganov). This hearty dish is extremely popular in Brazil. The sauce has tomato sauce, heavy cream, and other seasonings. The chicken and sauce are then served with rice and potato sticks.
Brigadeiro is a traditional Brazilian dessert, made with condensed milk, cocoa powder, and sprinkles. The result is a fudgy, bite-sized treat that will quite literally melt in your mouth. The layer of sprinkles coating the fudge ball gave it additional texture and sweetness. Brigadeiro and Stroganoff are Brazilian favorites, which is why the students chose those dishes. As Ana Cecília says, “It brings us all back home.”
Ana’s favorite part of International Meal Day is, “getting to see the look on everyone’s faces while trying the food we prepared with so much effort and love!”
Students from Austria and Germany paired up to create Kaiserschmarrn, an Austrian dessert. This dish was prepared by Chiara Fuerst and Neill Mauss. Kaiserschmarrn is a sweet and fluffy pancake filled with raisins. It is shredded and typically served with applesauce.
Spain was represented by potato omelets. This traditional Spanish dish was prepared by Óscar Jiménez, Jan Mana Vazquez, Mario Perez, Gonzalo de Pablo, and Biel Martinez. The omelets contain eggs, potatoes, and onions, creating a simple yet delicious dish with a thick, fluffy texture. Óscar described his dish as the “perfect mixture between a well-fried potato and an easy-run egg with some caramelized onion, which gives it the perfect taste in mouth.” This dish was chosen because it is both traditional and different.
Óscar’s favorite part of International Meal Day was, “enjoying the day with the people and talking about what they experienced.” He plans on making this dish again for next year’s event.
The Ames staff provided steak tacos, representative of Mexico. They served the steak soft and well done with tortillas, though students could request the steak without. There were additional toppings available as well, which included lettuce, cheese, peppers, and more.
Scotland’s dish was Deep Fried Mars Bars. This dessert originated in Scotland and was prepared by Louis Marshall-Arrandale. It is known as the unofficial national dish of Scotland. To deep fry the Mars Bars, Louis mixed a batter to dip the bars in. He then deep-fried them until they were golden brown. This process creates a unique blend of flavors, with a crispy, savory outside and a sweet, melty inside. Louis describes them as, “something you can’t go wrong with.” He chose to make this dish because it reminds him of home and going out to Edinburgh on the weekends. His favorite part of International Meal Day is “getting to speak and work with the staff at Ames and all the other international students and learning about their dishes.”
Louis plans on making Deep Fried Mars Bars next year as well. They were incredibly popular this year. It didn’t take long for students to discover these tasty treats. They were gone soon after Ames opened.
Thank you to everyone who came to Ames and supported International Meal Day! We hope you enjoyed trying new food and learning about other cultures.
