Test Kitchen

Caitlin Morath  

Take the fast-pace energy from Top Chef, fold in the secret ingredient from Iron Chef, and then sprinkle on the creativity of a contestant trying to cook on Survivor. There you have it: my experience cooking in The Neutral Zone kitchen.

Where is this culinary adventureland you might ask? It’s hidden inside a teen drop in center only a few blocks off campus. My day job at NZ is technically that of tutor, but I moonlight as Executive Chef as well.

The space provides a perfect test kitchen. The café is stocked with ingredients, although many are leftover donations from dinners and events, so nothing quite matches. Same goes for cooking utensils- there are plenty around but sometimes it requires creativity to get the result you want (like the time we transformed tongs into a lemon zester… worked out better than you might expect).

But the best part about cooking at NZ isn’t the creativity or ingenuity; it’s the teens. First of all, they will eat almost anything. There is nothing like a group of hungry kids to make you feel better about your most outrageous kitchen creation. Knowing that there will always be someone around willing to eat the food, or at the very least appreciate the effort, makes food risks seem a little less scary and a lot more fun. And I’m not the only crazy chef around.

More often than not, teens will join me in the kitchen. From maple syrup in biscuits, tablespoons worth of cinnamon in cookie batter to taco seasoning on pasta, these sous-chefs help to remind me that even the craziest cooking creations have the chance to turn out alright.

So whether you’re inspired to come cook for Neutral Zone, or just to add a secret ingredient to tonight’s dinner, I encourage you to go forth and cook crazy.

Food and Philanthropy

Courtney Chandler  

After deciding to come to Michigan, I remember thoroughly searching through the seemingly endless list of clubs offered across campus. Being a foodie, I took special note of clubs involving cooking, eating, or any combination of the two. In the end, I not only found Wolverine CuiZine, but additionally found two clubs that incorporated my love of food and philanthropy: Project Flavor and Kid’s Kitchen.

The members of Project Flavor meet bi-monthly at the Ronald McDonald House of Ann Arbor, which provides a ‘home away from home’ for families with hospitalized children. Ann Arbor’s Ronald McDonald house is located across from the Mary Markley dormitory, in close proximity to Mott’s Children’s Hospital. On alternating Fridays, members cook dinner for the families, and everything is made from scratch – from apple crisp to tabbouleh to hamburger buns (which ended up being a complete disaster and prompted a last-minute emergency trip to the store). At the end of each cook date (which last about four hours), the families come in and eat the meal.

Kid’s Kitchen has a similar mission statement – members meet approximately once a month for baking events. At these events, everyone bakes different sweet treats (such as cookies, cupcake, and rice krispie treats), which are then delivered to Mott’s Children Hospital or the Ronald McDonald house.

Both clubs offer extremely rewarding experiences, and the dinner and sweet treats hopefully bring homemade comfort to families and children in trying situations. Other food clubs across campus include: the Ann Arbor Student Coop, which provides fresh, affordable, and sustainable food to students on campus; Cultivating Community, which empowers students to become leaders in sustainable food systems through hands on organic gardening, community outreach, and education; and Food Futures, which brings together members of the Michigan law community and other professional and gradate students to help promote intelligent food production and food security policies.