Commons and Harris Dining Hall featured recipes and menu items from the Sweet Home Café Cookbook: A Celebration of African American Cooking on select days for Black History Month.
The Sweet Home Café Cookbook, which features recipes from chefs Edna Lewis, Bryant Terry and Jerome Grant, was published on Oct. 23, 2018. It is part of the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) in Washington, D.C., the only national museum dedicated to documenting African American life.
The cookbook showcases recipes from Sweet Home Café, the Smithsonian’s newest dining experience that celebrates the rich and diverse culinary traditions of African American culture.
In previous years, the on-campus eateries celebrated Black History Month with events like day-long “station takeovers.” However, this year marks the first time the festivities have been extended over multiple days, allowing students to experience more dishes inspired by African American cuisine.
With 109 different recipes in the cookbook, Arrianna Cruz, executive sous chef of Commons Dining Hall, appreciated the variety of dishes available. She carefully selected the meals to ensure students were not served the same protein every day.
“This is why our guests were able to enjoy shrimp and grits one day and then savor bacon-wrapped pork chops the next,” Cruz said.
Other featured menu items included hickory-smoked barbecue chicken, ginger and brown sugar candy sweet potatoes, Jamaican jerk chicken and fried okra. According to the cookbook, these recipes were made with locally sourced ingredients and brought “modern flavors and contemporary twists” to classic favorites.
According to the NMAAHC’s official website, the book is “more than a collection of inviting recipes,” and it “illustrates the pivotal — and often overlooked — role that African Americans have played in creating and recreating American foodways.”
Aliana Reyes, healthcare administration junior, said she was not aware that the menu changes were due to Black History Month. However, once she saw the advertising for it, she looked forward to the select days the menu would be offered.
“I’ve really been liking the new menus this month, and I am definitely going to be sad when it ends,” Reyes said. “I feel like I’ve tried things before that I never would have without the dining halls doing this.”
Students were not the only ones who had the chance to enjoy the special menus. Many faculty members also took part in the dining experience, using it as an opportunity to explore and learn more about African American culture through food.
Whitney Villarreal, director of marketing and guest experiences for Chartwells, said from her experience, everything she ate throughout the weeks was delicious.
“I do think those menus were spectacular and well thought out,” Villarreal said. “It was a very nice surprise in the dining halls to see those menus. I think everyone who got to try it enjoyed it.”
Due to the overwhelmingly positive feedback from students, the chefs and staff at Commons and Harris Dining Halls plan to continue this celebration as an annual tradition, ensuring students can continue enjoying and appreciating the rich culinary heritage they showcase.
