Now, we all know that the real question we all face on Fridays is not “what’s up for the weekend?”. Rather, it’s “where can I go, now that Spangler is closed”? The average HBS student is not short of resources: friends, Harbus specials, travel guides, Zagat’s Restaurant Guide. This, as I said, is true for the average HBS student. Luckily enough, I am a member of the new Sec-C, aka Sec-ta-C, from today onward the Joie-de-vivre Section.
So, what happens on Friday nights?
Well, last week we decided it was time to give Hamilton a new look, and arguably a new fragrance… it all started with Bobotie.
Who wouldn’t like to start with a traditional South African dish, made with minced beef, mild curry and other spices, raisins and flaked almonds? Add in that Lynette served it with yellow rice, fruit chutney, sliced bananas and shredded coconut, please… Then came Csirke paprikas, chicken that Bernardett prepared with mushrooms and Hungarian paprika flavored sauce. Renzo and Jose (thanks to your Argentinian wives! What would NC do, without its lovely partners?) brought Empanadas. Continuing on the Spanish side, Jaime and Jose (again, thanks to your wives!) added tortillas to our mesa.
But it was Meghna who gave it all an exotic touch: we enjoyed Lamb Biryani, the dish the ancient muslim Moghul Emperors brought to India, containing aromatic rice prepared with pieces of lamb, almonds, raisins, freshly chopped ginger, garlic and onions.
Shasa made sure we had potato latkes, Jewish potato pancakes traditionally eaten during Chanukah. They can be eaten with apple sauce and/or sour cream. Stefano, building on his wife’s skills (aren’t we at HBS?), brought some frango a Zambeziana, also known as chicken prepared along a traditional Mozambiquean recipe. Alex cooked Cuban arroz con pollo, while Katy enchanted us with Zu Lo Bai Chai, stir fried pork and Chinese cabbage. And the Chinese table was enriched by See’s pork dumplings.
But this is America: the land of Fried chicken with Red Hot sauce (Description: KFC – it’s finger lickin’ good! Correct, Dan?) and Twinkies and Yoddles (thanks, Matt…)! Not to forget Bean Burritos, technically a Mexican dish, as Randy and his wife would admit, and Cincinnati Chili, spaghetti with chili sauce and shredded cheese on top that Brian lovingly prepared for us to enjoy (who would believe that Spaghetti was Italian?).
Well, do you think we were finished? Not without a cake! So Barb had a Key Lime Pie, a tart lime pie originating in Florida, Cindy Hellen prepared Platanos Maduros, sweet bananas from the Dominican Republic, Adam brought Chocolate and cinnamon babkas, a typical Jewish dessert, and Kathy baked a classic American cherry pie.
You know what? I guess it would not have been the same without the half full (half empty?) bowl of lukewarm soup Jay brought from SFP…
Ah, well done Julie and Natasja. Great organization. We enjoyed beer and red wine, and nobody asked for $90. (Anybody subscribed to the Wine Club? Now, has anybody calculated the NPV of that investment? You better not…)
Now, the new question you’re all dying for is… can Section B fellows cook?
