The alluring aroma of French food wafted through the air in the dining area of the Student Center as Jackson State University’s food service provider Sodexo hosted Global Chef Lionel Vandomme, who prepared samples of desserts and other cuisine for campus patrons Tuesday.
[pullquote align=”right”]“We already have a diverse menu that we like to serve. We have food from the Caribbean and other foods that meld into our database. But, still, there’s nothing like the experience of having a chef coming from abroad. … Just as students experience foreign exchange from an educational side, we have a company that aims to bring this experience on the food side.” — JSU executive chef Eugene LeBoeuf[/pullquote]
Vandomme said he delights in the opportunity to share his recipes with students and the community. “I’m presenting a tasteful rice pilaf and other great dishes such as quiche, which is like a pie but salty, with bacon, egg, cream and sweet cheese,” he said.
Among other palatable offerings included roasted pears with wine sauce and whipped cream, blackberry and raspberry macaroon and éclairs.
A campus tasting was part of a two-day visit to Mississippi’s capital city by Vandomme, who is from a city just south of Paris. In addition, Sodexo is headquartered in France, and the company operates on various continents.
JSU’s senior executive chef Eugene LeBoeuf, said, “Sodexo hosts Global Chefs. Jackson has been classified as a showcase because of its size and location. This program is about 10 years old. Different accounts are selected for demonstrations, which is followed by training with the chef. We have a Global Chef in the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Finland and Germany. As for the chefs, a selection is made based on availability, along with the preferred university for placing the chefs on tours.”
LeBoeuf said Vandomme did a similar campus tasting Monday for students in the Heritage dining hall on JSU’s campus. Meanwhile, Tuesday’s event provided an opportunity for faculty, staff, community and other students to sample recipes. LeBoeuf said some of the dishes would become part of JSU’s menu.
“This is very exciting,” LeBoeuf said. “We already have a diverse menu that we like to serve. We have food from the Caribbean and other foods that meld into our database. But, still, there’s nothing like the experience of having a chef coming from abroad. … Just as students experience foreign exchange from an educational side, we have a company that aims to bring this experience on the food side.”
Last year, JSU’s Sodexo hosted a Malaysian chef.
LeBoeuf said he’s benefited from the exchange, too, by learning how to make delectable macaroon from scratch and recipes using pitaschio cream and hazelnut cream. In reciprocal fashion, the visit to Jackson enabled Vandomme to observe the food and culture of JSU and surrounding areas.
After leaving Jackson, Vandomme will head to Tallahassee, Fla., to complete his month-long U.S. tour, which has included locations in Texas and Louisiana.
