Let’s taco-bout it!
A special Taco Tuesday night as it is a part of our Employee Showcase dining event series where we showcase the talent and diversity of our Dining and Culinary Services team! And now, we introduce Food Service Supervisor David Odenweller who created this special event, including the recipes and menu! So come join us at Lowell Market on Tuesday, April 29, during dinner for a special lineup of authentic Mexican Birria Tacos!
The Lineup:
- Chicken Birria Taco
- Beef Birria Taco
- Veg Birria Taco
- Spanish Rice
- Elato Street Corn
Meet Food Service Supervisor David
“I have been working at Lowell for around 4 years and have been with University Housing DCS for 6 and a half years. My favorite part about working in Dining is of course the students. I love getting to know the students I work with and learning about their diverse lives and their studies. I meet people from all over the world and from many different cultures every year. It keeps things interesting. I feel I learn more from the students that I work with than they learn from me even. And that’s saying a lot considering my major focus in my position is on teaching the student staff essential work life skills.
“There wasn’t much of a reason I chose to do a taco dinner in particular other than the simple fact that I love tacos. Who doesn’t love taco? As a culinary professional, I have found a passion for the diverse array of ethnic cuisine that our world has to offer. Mexican food in particular has always been a favorite of mine. I just love how all the spices come together and marinate in a way that is just so mouth-wateringly delicious. I personally have no direct link to Latin American culture other than the fact I have worked in many kitchens with many Latin Americans and have developed a love for the foods that have come from them and their families and culture. One aspect of the passion for culinary arts is an appreciation for both the historical and cultural contexts of the food that we prepare, cook and consume. We can think of food as a journey of the senses. With birria tacos (which honestly I am very new to cooking, so this is somewhat of an adventure for me to do.), we have sort of a ‘proto-fusion’ (“proto” in that it was invented many centuries ago. It is of course a fusion recipe in every sense of the word!) where Spanish colonists introduced lamb to the Jalisco people of Mexico in the 16th century. It was a method of slow cooking the lamb meat in a broth of spices that over the course of a couple hours (sometimes even overnight!) would tenderize the tough, chewy, gamey lamb meat so that it was easier to eat. This method evolved to being used with beef, chicken or other proteins. We aren’t doing the traditional lamb today, but this birria method of cooking beef and chicken, as well as our vegetarian option are sure to not disappoint.
“So grab a taco, grab some broth, grab some elote and dig in! Comer comida!”
