The Caf

Up to now, I have not talked too much about cafeteria food, although I should review it nonetheless. I'll share some of my thoughts here.

tip #1: get your sides from the vegetarian aisle.

go to the vegetarian aisle to pick up good tasting veggie sides. as long as you don't stir fry meat in the wok there, I'm sure the people in line won't kill you for taking some of the veggie sides.
I also stir fry brocolli or spinach there once in a while to cook up my own side dish. avoid the "meatless meatballs" like the plague.

The kitchen staff always add too much vinegar and sweet sauce to tofu and eggplant, which is a crime in my books. but then again, tofu and eggplant really taste 1000 times better when you cook them with meat, and since they're in the vegetarian aisle, they can't do it. But that's a totally different entry.

tip #2: when all else fails, make a sandwich.

now that there's this machine that presses and heats up your sandwich, you should put as many coldcuts and cheese and other yummy stuff to create your sandwich. I discovered the red chili sauce one day when I was making my sandwich...so good! Also mayo and cucumber slices make a good tea sandwich.

tip #3: go get a hot sub from the grill station.

Grill station: order the steak and cheese, add mushrooms, oninons, and peppers.
the burgers are actually not bad either. beef or chicken are both available.

tip #4: soup/salad/fruit for your vitamin needs!

I always check the soup selection since some days they actually make rather good soups. For those of you who get bored of the salad bar like me and don't have time to stir fry veggies, some of the vegetable soups are actually very hearty. Avoid the "cream of (insert item here)" since they're too heavy and do not have visible vegetables.

Try adding some pineapples or peaches to your salad, they sweeten up your salad and you can avoid the fatty dressing. I also like to use vinegar and olive oil instead of dressing, adding squeezed lemon juice as well.

tip #5: spice up your ice cream/soft serve

I love the oreo bits they have near the ice cream machine. Also, try to make your own combo by mixing different flavors and toppings. I'm a purists and try to keep it to max of two flavors, with tons of oreo bits. adding fresh strawberry slices is a nice touch too. our school caf is actually famous for ice cream flavors. there are usually 12+ flavors...although lately I've spotted 5 or 6 variations on vanilla, yikes! coffee is one of the best but rare flavors, in my opinion.

tip #6: make your own ice tea!

Don't get ice tea from the soda fountain area, it's usually too sweet and really nasty. Instead, make hot tea with your favorite black/green tea (I like Tazo Zen, Earl Grey, Awake, and Darjeeling), then pour in a glass filled with ice cubes. Voila, instant great tasting ice tea. gotta love it! oh yea of course add a lemon slice as well.

You can use the same process to make ice coffee, just make your regular coffee with creamer, then pour into a ice filled glass. You can also create Chai by using Tazo Chai teabag and then adding half-n-half to the mug and stir.