BY LOIS PARK

In print | Published September 10, 2009

When you first come to Swarth-more, Sharples is exciting, at least assuming that your mom won’t cook you 20 different things to choose from at every meal. But something curious happens to a great number of us Swatties some point in their Swarthmore careers: we start complaining about Sharples. Curious, I say, because the variety of food doesn’t decrease, nor does the quality of food (except maybe during the last week of every semester). Complaints range from the quality to redundancy of meals at Sharples. Pasta Bar makes an appearance only two dinners a week (and only as an option among several other dishes), but by the time it’s week three into the semester, people sigh at the sight of perfectly al dente penne and spaghetti on Wednesday and Sunday evenings.

Despite how much I appreciate Sharples and the sustenance she provides, I too reached a point where I felt unsatisfied with my dining experience. But in observing the meals of other Swatties, I opened my eyes to a world of culinary creativity that would make me a satisfied diner once again.
Through this column, I hope to introduce recipes and helpful tips to make dining at Sharples a more enjoyable experience. Admittedly, some of these recipes will require some time investment and may not cater to those who need to be in and out of Sharples in 20 minutes. However, when you do have that extra 15 minutes to spare, I hope you’ll join me in the culinary adventure of ‘Rediscovering Sharples.

Recipe:

Tomato-Mozzarella Grilled Onion Pitawich.

Prep + cooktime: 15 mins with moderate Sharples foot-traffic.

You need: (Half) pita bread at deli, (2 slices) tomato at deli, (1 forkful) sliced white onion at deli, (1 heaping tong-full) shredded mozzarella cheese at salad bar.

You can of course decrease, eliminate, substitute or add any ingredient to suit your tastes. For example, you can use red onion (at salad bar) instead of the white and use provolone, Swiss or American cheese (at deli) instead of the shredded mozzarella. You can add cold cuts (at deli) or grilled chicken breast meat if it appears as part of a salad bar that day to add some protein.

To start, heat the electronic mini skillet (at wok area, near back entrance of Sharples) on the highest heat setting and squirt a little vegetable oil (at wok area, but occasionally migrates to near the panini presses) on the skillet to heat. When the skillet is warm, toss in all the onions and immediately adjust the temperature to the lowest heat setting. Give the onions a shake of salt and a shake of pepper. I added a dash of crushed red pepper and a shake of the garlic seasoning to give the onions some kick (all found at wok area). Stir the onions a few times and let it sit on low heat while you assemble your sandwich.

Spread a layer of mozzarella on one side of the pita pocket and then add the tomatoes. By the time this assembly is done, the onions should be nicely grilled. Layer the grilled onions on top of the tomato. The key here is not to overstuff.

Take the assembled sandwich to the panini grill (next to microwave, across from the condiment bar). Turn it on med-high heat setting and put the sandwich on the grill so that the side of the pita closest to the cheese faces down and the onions are on top. The goal of this step is to heat the sandwich enough to soften the tomato skin and melt the cheese, but skillfully enough so that the pita doesn’t burn. Because­­ the bottom of the grill is hotter than the top, orienting the sandwich in the way described above allows you to achieve the desirable gooey cheese texture without burning the pita. While the sandwich is being crisped to perfection, you can do some cleanup. Remember to turn off the skillet and wash it (sink and soap provided in wok area) so that a clean skillet is available for others to use.

The melted cheese and slightly warm tomato tasted brilliant with the crispy, toasted pita and subtle crunch of the grilled onions. Especially memorable was the mild heat contributed by the crushed red pepper flakes. I enjoyed the warm sandwich with a cool cucumber salad tossed with balsamic vinaigrette that was served at the salad bar that day. Yum.

Have a special Sharples recipe? Let me know!

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