What did one oyster tell the other oyster?
You never open up to me.
What is NACUFS and what is Seafood Fest?
Purdue Dining & Catering is thrilled to have one of our very own chefs participate in the regional Culinary Challenge at the 2018 NACUFS Midwest Region Conference March 25-27th at the University of Wisconsin-Madison! NACUFS is the National Association of College and University Food Services. It’s known for providing bench marking tools, best practices, sustainability resources, and much more. A huge benefit that NACUFS offers to the Purdue community is offering chefs, like David, the ability to compete in competitions, hone skills, learn innovative ideas from other chefs, and increase variety of flavors and options.
For the regional Culinary Challenge, the executive sous chef (that’s the second in command!) for Wiley Dining Court, Chef David Kay, is tasked with preparing a seafood-inspired dish that must include squid, littleneck clams, and oysters. Chef David’s original dishes for the competition are:
- Squid and Melon Salad
- Littleneck Clam Chowder
- Oysters Fritters Purdue with a tomato and corn chutney
Lucky for us, these same dinner options will be offered to our students with a live display at Wiley Dining Court for Seafood Fest on March 7th! Chef David is especially excited to offer our students the ability to try Oyster Fritters Purdue, as it combines Midwestern ingredients, local Lafayette products, and coastal seafood items in one cohesive dish. In fact, the raw oysters are shucked and marinated in Boiler Gold Ale and then the batter also includes a little bit of the Boiler Gold Ale!
Who is Chef David Kay?
Chef David Kay is the executive sous chef at Wiley Dining Court and has worked with Purdue Dining & Catering for over a year now! Chef David has said that his most impactful moment with students has been educating them on food allergies. Although Chef David works with seafood, he has a mild shellfish allergy, so he often will have more common fish, like salmon or tuna. He says that some of his most memorable moments at PD&C include practicing for the NACUFS Culinary Challenge, earning his American Culinary certification with other chefs at Purdue Dining & Catering, and providing new and inventive meals for students. He hopes everyone enjoys the original dishes prepared by all the chefs for Seafood Fest on March 7th! All our chefs have continued to create new and exhilarating dishes for our students at Purdue and we are so grateful that they continue to Make Good Things Happen in our community!
Purdue Dining & Culinary 