Holy Cross Dining Hosts Cooking Classes for Students

In celebration of National Nutrition Month, Holy Cross Dining recently hosted a series of cooking classes called “In the Kitchen.”  Students had the opportunity to work side-by-side with Kimball Kitchen Manager Paul Bartkus and Dietitian Kathy Egan to learn cooking basics and explore the latest  diet trends.

The four cooking classes, offered during the months of February and March, sold out in less than 48 hours. “To have all 80 spots filled in a matter of days was very exciting—we didn’t anticipate classes selling out so quickly, ” says Egan.  “We were happy that students were so enthusiastic about cooking.”

Educating the whole person is an integral part of the College’s mission and for Holy Cross Dining the cooking classes were no different.  Originally developed to teach students how to cook in their first on-campus apartment or to learn to cook for themselves after graduation, students learned to cook a budget-friendly stir fry and how to make their own pizza dough from scratch.  The classes also sparked conversation around the pros and cons of popular trends like the Paleo diet or gluten-free lifestyle as the students learned how to make gluten-free fajitas and Paleo brownies. "College is a time of exploration and self discovery.  This naturally leads students to experiment with different eating styles and food philosophies “ says Egan. “My goal is to give them solid nutrition basics and let them try on different food identities."

Students attending the last two classes had the opportunity to sit down with associate director of Holy Cross Dining Marty Dudek who is also the project manager for this summer’s Kimball renovation.  Students really enjoyed having the opportunity to ask questions about changes to the campus’ main dining hall.

An e-cookbook featuring recipes prepared during students in the classes made its debut at the College’s Wellness Fair on April 9.  The free e-book is available for download on the Holy Cross Dining website.