Cooking With TDR’s Chef Mary

Katie Hanson/The Eagle

I think it’s very easy to complain and grumble about eating in TDR, especially when you eat there nearly every day. However, when you get the chance to actually meet the chefs that make your meals everyday, those feelings change. You realize that these chefs actually care about what you’re eating, where it’s coming from and they try to give you as much variety as possible. Executive Chef Mary has such a dynamic personality and a passion for food that any complaints about TDR instantly disappear, because the person behind the food is no longer a mystery.

Bon Appetit is really making an effort to connect with students and create more transparency between the students and kitchen staff. That’s why it was exciting to begin the first of many opportunities to learn from Chef Mary and ask questions about Bon Appetit at the Cooking Demonstration that was held last Thursday. Chef Mary came ready to teach students how to cook for themselves, incorporating knowledge about basic knife and saute skills. She also answered questions about food sustainability and seasonal food choices.

We’re lucky here at American to have a food company that not only cares for its students, but also is deeply passionate about where the food comes from and how it is prepared. Bon Appetit is dedicated to making socially responsible choices from its food purchases to its staff. All food purchases are made as local as possible, with a commitment to sustainable agricultural policies and relationships with the farmers the company works with. Nearly 40% of the food waste generated through Bon Appetit is diverted from a landfill, by composting or used back at the farms. Bon Appetit has won the Ecological Society of America Corporate Award, the Humane Society of the United States Excellence in Food Service Award, and the Food Alliance Keeper of the Vision Award.

Knowing more about our food choices here at school will carry on into our own lives when we begin cooking for ourselves on a regular basis. Sustainable food choices are better for the environment, our health and even our wallet. Chef Mary introduced the students who attended the most recent cooking demonstration to creating simple meals that can change depending on what produce is available and in season.

Chef Mary’s Spicy Black Bean Chili with Lime Crema

• 1b Black beans (dried)
• ¼ Bay Leaf
• 1 ½ Garlic Cloves
• 2 oz Diced Onions
• 2 oz Fresh Mushrooms
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 ½ tbsp Chopped Jalapeno Peppers
• ½ lb Chopped Roma Tomatoes
• ½ tbsp Ground Cumin
• ½ tbsp Ground Coriander
• A dash of Kosher Salt
• 1 ½ tbsp Fresh Lime Juice
• 3.2 Diced Zucchini Squash
• 1 tbsp Ancho Chili Sauce
• 2 tbsp Chopped Cilantro
• 2 tbsp Sliced Green Onions
• 2 tbsp Sour Cream
• 1 tsp Lime Zest
• ½ tbsp Lime Juice

1. Rinse and soak black beans overnight. Drain and rinse well. Place soaked beans and fresh water in a large pot with a bay leaf and crush garlic cloves. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 30-45 minutes. Beans are done when they are tender. Do not discard the water.
2. Dice mushrooms. In a large pot, heat olive oil and cook the diced onions and mushrooms until tender, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and jalapeno chilies, cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, cumin, coriander, ancho chili sauce, zucchini and water from cooking the beans to achieve a stew like texture. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add prepared beans to pot and combine with vegetables. Season just before eating with salt and lime juice.
3. Mix grated lime peel, lime juice and sour cream. Mix in cilantro and green onions.