Onions and Oranges

Imagination can be a wonderful thing, especially when applied to food. At Adams House the other night, for example, some people discarded the onion rings in the salad, while others simply brushed the oranges to one side. While there were some raised eyebrows at the combination, there was nothing but praise for the attempt at culinary artistry. Meanwhile, central kitchen diners continue to lament chopped lettuce salad, flavorless soups, and unimaginative desserts.

Intangible skill must make the difference between the products of the various kitchens, between an interesting meal and a depressing one. All of the dining halls in the University average the same expense per diner, and one office does all of the food buying. The central kitchen must take a longer time getting foot from stove to mouth, but an elaborate steam-cart system partially compensates for this. The interhouse lists at Adams and Duster point to the tangible attractions: Adams' salads, Dunster's sandwiches. Cowie Hall is reputed to have fascinating fruit salads.

Improvement in the central kitchen's products requires increased imagination like that used by the other dining halls in planning meals. Perhaps this could be accomplished by regular meetings of dining hall supervisors; trade secrets, after all, have no place intramurally. Maybe new ideas could be discovered from outside sources. A major reorganization of the central kitchen is unfortunately too expensive at the moment; imagination is th only short-range solution.