This is Chef G, flanked by a mob of my sorority sisters. Chef G is a pretty cool dude. When he’s not recording his next mixtape or coasting along the shores of Hawaii, he’s in the kitchen, cooking up some yummy meals for us hungry sorority girls. Some of us are exceptionally picky, boasting vegan, gluten-free, low-carb, or high-protein diets, while some of us couldn’t care less about the food matter that enters our mouths, so long as it tastes good.
That being said, Chef G is an amazing chef who, arguably, makes better food than my mama can even dream of cooking up. My sorority sisters look forward to meals so much that we compete to be the first to post the week’s menu on our Facebook group. Among the many delicacies, here are a few of my favorites:
1. Baked Broccoli Casserole
Boy, is this casserole good! Unlike a lot of people, I’m a huge fan of broccoli, and adding creamy eggs, mayo, and cheese to broccoli just makes it all the more delicious. Not to mention, the crispy layer of baked bread crumbs gives the casserole a complex of textures that will send your taste buds to heaven and back.
2. Baked Tuna Casserole
Another casserole? Yes, we are a sisterhood strengthened by casseroles. If that’s not a reason to go Greek, I don’t know what is.
This tuna casserole is much like the broccoli one, except this time, instead of broccoli, you have tender shreds of flavorful tuna baked into the dish. Imagine a tuna salad sandwich, but the bread is crumbled into lovely bite-sized pieces and the tuna is packed with more moist mayo and cheese. Talk about yummy!
3. Roasted Squash in Coconut Curry
I’m not the type to go out of my way for vegan dishes, but I will load my plate with this roasted squash in coconut curry when it’s on the menu.
After a roasting trip in the oven, the squash gains a crispy edge and some hefty bite. The succulent squash absorbs the milky coconut curry like a champ, imbuing the root veggie with a tropical flavor and hints of cinnamon, salt, pepper, and curry powder. Makes going vegan not sound so bad!
4. Crab Cakes
When I think of crab cakes, I usually think of pricey beachside restaurants or cheap packaged stuff in the freezer section of your local grocer.
Because crab cakes are usually a hit or miss, I was all the more delighted when the crab cakes at my sorority tasted like poignant morsels of fried crab meat, real crab meat, not the imitation stuff you normally encounter. The crab cakes were juicy and hefty, like a good burger, and were beautifully complimented by tartar sauce.
5. Birthday/ Special Occasion Cake
Moving to college and into a new home is tough when your mom isn’t there to bake, or buy, you a birthday cake. But when you have an in-house chef, you’ll be surprised and excited to find that they’ll bake you little things when the occasion arises. Usually, girls don’t get an entire cake on their birthdays, maybe a cupcake or apple tart here and there, but when we came back to college after summer break, we found this cake in front of us.
Don’t let the fancy frosted flowers confuse you, this cake was more than just appearances. It was moist, buttery, and sugary, and practically melted in our mouths. Definitely, the best back-to-school gift I’ve gotten.
6. Macaron and Dipped Strawberry Tower
Yes, these beautiful monuments are something our chef actually made. Normally, these pastries cost an arm and a leg at the mall, but when you’re paying as much as I am in dues, you deserve treats like these.
The macarons come in flavors ranging from vanilla to strawberry to green tea, and are perfectly baked to have a crispy edge and light, airy interior. The strawberries are drizzled with an oozy white chocolate. As to the cakes at the bottom, who knows what they’re made of, but, boy, are they delicious.
7. Mac & Cheese
Nothing says home-cooked comfort food like mac and cheese. My mom never ventures farther than preparing a batch of Kraft mac and cheese straight from the box, but Chef G’s goes above and beyond.
The macaroni he uses comes in the shape of thick spirals, making for larger bites than your run-of-the-mill macaroni. Shredded cheddar and parmesan are melted to a gooey perfection to coat each piece of macaroni. This mac and cheese passes the gold standard of cheesiness: as you lift your fork from the plate, a long trail of cheddar follows behind. Your stomach will love you for this.