As a girl whose cooking skills match that of a five-year-old’s, it is a blessing to be able to go to a cafeteria with unlimited food that is already prepared when I arrive, but it’s easy for religious Cobo feasters like myself to fall into a monotonous cycle.
Eat grilled cheese on Wednesdays, eat French dip on Thursdays, pray for General Tso’s chicken every night (and settle with a burrito instead because my prayers are rarely answered) and eat a salad when I’m feeling extra healthy on the two days a semester I actually go to the Fitness Center.
Is there an escape from this never-ending cycle? Will we ever find freedom from the Cobo traditions that tie us down?
No need to fret any longer because these four Union students have discovered how to break free from traditional Cobo cuisine and have created a fresh spin on some Cobo classics.
Coffee Punch
Callie Dotson, a sophomore business marketing major, sat down with me to uncover her Cobo secrets. When a senior taught her this revolutionary Cobo recipe her freshman year, she knew her life would never be the same.
Now, she says she is ready to share her coffee punch recipe with the world and to help her fellow broke college students enjoy this delicious coffee recipe without paying for Modero.
What to do:
- Take a plastic cup and pour a small amount of milk and chocolate syrup in it.
- Fill the remainder of the cup with vanilla and chocolate ice cream and pour just enough coffee in there to deceive yourself.
- Stir it all together and feel like a minimally paid Starbucks barista.
Oreo Waffles
“This waffle might actually be the solution to world peace,” said Maria Wentley, a freshman cellular and molecular biology major.
Wentley ventured into Cobo one day looking for something sweet. Usually, waffles aren’t her go-to, but when she saw the Oreo crumbles at the ice cream bar, an idea popped in her head.
After creating her iconic Oreo waffles that night in Cobo, she considers herself a waffle scientist and says she will never be able to look at waffles the same ever again.
What to do:
- Mix waffle batter and Oreo crumbles together in a cup and pour the creation onto the waffle iron.
- Cook the waffle on the iron (and Wentley said it will look completely burnt when finished, but don’t be alarmed- it’s just the Oreo).
- Top your Oreo waffle with some ice cream or whipped cream and enjoy!
Pita and Melted Honey
Imagine there’s a brisk fall chill that’s migrating through campus, and all you want is a warm, home-cooked dessert from the dessert line. You walk all the way across Cobo, only to find that kid you sit by in English class took the last piece of apple pie, and your heart sinks just a little.
Fortunately, Trish Fox, a junior nursing major, has a solution to those heart-breaking moments with a constant and reliable dessert that is sure to please your taste buds.
Her freshman year, she used to eat this delicious dessert every day, but she said she has since cut back on her pita and honey addiction to a now occasional snack. Fox wants to tell her fellow college students that this sweet and salty treat is sure to make all your Cobo dreams come true.
What to do:
- Fill up a bowl with pita chips from the salad bar.
- Smother the chips with honey from the waffle station.
- Microwave (yeah, I didn’t know Cobo had a microwave either) your creation for 20-30 seconds and fall in love.
For the Healthy Kids
Carlos Ruiz, a junior international business major, said he was desperate to find some healthy options at Cobo and saw one of his friends eating this colorful platter of vegetables, rice and chicken, but he knew it couldn’t have come from Cobo.
However, he soon learned this was indeed a Cobo recipe that he knew he had to start creating. Ruiz said that this is a fun way to be creative with your Cobo swipes and that it is a practical way to actually eat healthy in Cobo.
What to do:
- Fill your plate up with white rice (apparently that’s what is in the giant crock pot beside the home-cooked station every night).
- Take your rice to the salad bar and let your creative juices flow. Ruiz said his go-to is usually grilled chicken, carrots, banana peppers, lettuce, guacamole and occasionally olive oil (only if he’s feeling extra boujee that day, though).
- Enjoy your nutritious creation and discover a healthier side to Cobo.
Next time you hit up Cobo, make sure to try out these awesome new recipes and feel like you’re walking into Cobo for the very first time again.
Photo by Tamara Friesen
