Image courtesy of chotda via flickr

Finals week is almost upon me and the rest of my fellow students. In recognition of this fact, our dining services folks have put together a special menu for part of next week to cater to students' desire for comfort food. But I must say, I don't find any of their comfort food very comforting.

Generally, our dining services folks do a reasonably good job of providing reasonably good food. It's not Per Se by any stretch of the imagination, of course. They still haven't served up so much as a loaf freshly baked bread, and most of their attempts at ethnic food do nothing but befuddle my taste buds. Nevertheless, I would argue our dining Commons offers fare considerably better than the food I've tried at other schools.

Here, however, I have to wonder what the director of dining services was thinking. Next Wednesday, for instance, Commons will have a make-your-own burger and quesadilla bar. While I don't object to burgers or quesadillas in general, I have never thought of either plate as "comfort food." I think of them more as convenience food, invented, or at least popularized, by fast food eateries for busy Americans on the go. Precisely the kind of food that has led this nation to become the world's most obese. It's also food I generally equate with stress, not relaxation.

The menu also troubles me because it seems a direct contradiction to the whole "Bates Contemplates Food" initiative that has influenced events on campus all year, following the donation of $2.5 million to the College for the express purpose of improving nutrition. I feel like we should have more arugula and pan-seared halibut, and fewer hot dogs and chicken "nuggets."

So, what would I serve for dinner during finals week? In the event someone with the power to influence dining decisions reads this, I would love a nice French pot roast, braised in the oven for several hours in red wine with aromatic vegetables and a blend of Provençal herbs and spices.