Happy Halloween from Dining Services!

Happy Halloween! Dining Services kicked off the Halloween weekend last Thursday night with the 11th Annual Great Pumpkin Carving Contest. More than 50 students put their carving skills to the test as they sat side-by-side with their fellow competitors in the upper dining area of Levine Marketplace. There were many creative designs this year including a pumpkin hamburger, a map of Boston's MBTA system, and even an Apple logo in honor of Steve Jobs.

[Keep reading to watch a video of the event and to see the winning designs!] 

White Chocolate Bark: A Halloween Dorm Room Treat

Here is a recipe for a quick and easy Halloween snack that can be made right in your dorm room!

Tricks to Enjoy Your Halloween Treats

Halloween is one day a year but the candy is around for many weeks before and after October 31st. You can choose not to eat the candy, which is fine - especially if you are someone who has worked really hard all year to lose weight and keep it off. However, if you do decided to indulge and have a few treats, your best bet is to read the food labels for ingredients, calories, and fat.

Supporting Local Farms at Northeastern

My name is Tom Barton and I am the Executive Chef for Northeastern Dining Services. I will be bringing you news and information from the campus kitchens and beyond every week in the "Behind the Menu" on the NU Dining blog. If there is a specific topic you would like to see discussed on here, please do not hesitate to leave a comment below.

Before we get into my first blog post, here's a little background information on my culinary career. Before coming to Northeastern, I worked with the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, D.C. where I helped cater many VIP events, including the inaugural ball for President George W. Bush as well as a dinner in honor of the 50th anniversary of NATO attended by President Bill Clinton. I also worked for several years at the Ritz Carlton and Four Seasons hotels here in Boston where I had the opportunity to cook for a number of celebrities including the royal family of Saudi Arabia, Sir Elton John, Prince Charles, and Diana Ross. I hope I can bring some of the experience I gained cooking for these high-profile events to cater to your culinary needs here at Northeastern. Now onto our first topic: eating local.

Meet the Nutritionist

My name is Christine M. Clark and I am the dietitian working with Northeastern Dining Services. I am also an instructor for nutrition at Northeastern University and will be a weekly contributor to the NU Dining blog. While my specialties are in food allergies and sports nutrition, I am available to answer any general nutrition questions you may have.

Fall Food Fest 2011

We kicked off the 2011 fall semester with our annual Fall Food Fest outside of Stetson East on Wednesday, September 21. We invited some of our food vendors to campus so that students were able to directly interact with the companies that provide us with the food we serve. Well known national brands and smaller regional brands come together at every meal to create a well-rounded dining experience on campus and the Fall Food Fest is a wonderful opportunity for the students and the companies to learn more about each other. The Stetson Courtyard was packed for three hours as free food samples ranging from teriyaki chicken wings to Pop Tarts were offered to students.

We also put our brand new food truck on display right in the middle of the action. We even offered students the chance to check out the inside of the truck that will soon be driving all around campus.

Overall, it was a great afternoon of food, music, and fun. We're already excited for everyone to come back in 2012!