Eating through the Pandemic

Moulton Union and Thorne Dining Halls are no longer buzzing with the sounds of chatter and the clinking utensils of busy students. Utensils, plates, and pots are on stand-by until everyone returns to campus from quarantine. 

In the meantime, Bowdoin dining has been sharing recipes on social media (@bowdoindining) to give people a chance to recreate some of the College's homemade classics. 

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Richard Escorsio, assistant manager of retail operations and marketing, and Adeena Fisher, assistant director of marketing and special projects, share instructions for making some of Bowdoin’s most prized dishes. 

"We are trying to bring Bowdoin Dining Service into people's homes and create a way for us to stay together in these tough times,” said Fisher. So far, they have received 260 requests from students. 

Bowdoin’s beloved dirt cake—with gummy worms—is a popular option for anyone with a sweet tooth. And it comes together in a flash, Fisher said. 

In addition to satisfying cravings from afar, dining staff are also feeding the forty-seven students who remain on campus. 

Katie Filiakova ’22 is one of those students living in the Brunswick Apartments this semester. She said she has been astonished by the care she and her peers have received from dining staff—including being told they can request special meals. "And they make it happen," she said. (Stuffed baked potato was a recent yearning turned into reality.) 

"Dining does so much for us," Filiakova continued. "It requires so much emotional energy and smiling and laughing to bring us joy. They’re constantly trying to cheer us up." One solution is serving Bowdoin Logs more than normal. (These are made with vanilla ice cream rolled in pulverized chocolate cookies and topped with hot fudge sauce and slivered almonds.) "We have had them a few times and they don’t set a limit, so I took six!" Filiakova said.