Are you swamped with work and want to prepare something quickly for dinner but don’t know what to make? Are you staying in for Shabbat with your friends but suddenly realize that you have no recipe for a side dish to bring to your group meal? If the answer is yes to the questions above, it’s time to check out College Chefs, a food tip and recipe-sharing group on Facebook, designed specifically for students. I sat down with Kimberly Samet, senior at Stern College and founder of this famous culinary initiative, to ask her a few questions about the rapid popularity of College Chefs.
Talia Stern: What motivated you to start the College Chefs group?
Kimberly Samet:I got into cooking and baking once I lived in the 35th street dorms because I finally had a kitchen to use. I didn’t like using the cookbooks my mother used because it made things seem more complicated. I wanted recipes that were more quick and easy on-the-go that my roommates and I could use for dinner, on Shabbat, etc. One night, I didn’t know what to make for dinner. Instead of asking my friends individually for recipes, I decided to start a small group and invited 25-30 friends; over night there were already 600 group members. I had no intention of making a huge group that would spread worldwide. It was Facebook-ed and Instagram-ed, and then before I knew it, people from Australia, England, Belgium, Israel, South Africa (and even one girl from India) had joined the group through friends of friends of friends.
TS: How might this group relate to someone who doesn’t have a kitchen in their college dorm?
KS: I think there are a number of recipes posted that don’t require an oven or stovetop. Students also post helpful and quick tips for general cooking or preparing that can be used in any kitchen at any time. There are great theme-based meal ideas shared in the group. Two of my friends want to have a College Chefs cooking tutorial at the beginning of next semester. We’ll have, let’s say, a college chef or two teaching their peers how to make a great themed meal. For example, before Superbowl Sunday we want to teach people how to make a Superbowl themed meal—guacamole, chicken wings, etc. Each tutorial will have a different theme.
We’ve also reached out beyond the Facebook group. We ran a Chanukah contest a few weeks ago. People who contributed Chanukah or Thanksgiving related recipes were entered into a raffle; 8 people won ten dollar gift cards to 16 Handles. Beyond the recognition from 16 Handles, Stern students can now get 15% off their purchase at Bagel Boss with a valid student ID. One day, I just started chatting with the manager there and I mentioned that I was creating this start up group [College Chefs] and he thought it was very interesting; he told me he thinks this group has huge potential. So far, 16 Handles and Bagel Boss want to join the huge ‘revolution’ of food sharing.
TS: What does the future hold for College Chefs?
KS: It’s unknown; but it’s not just up to me—it’s up to what the people want, which I think makes it more exciting. We’re working on a website to make things more official and structured. I’m also working with a lawyer to trademark this idea and to make it a social networking outlet for youth with culinary interests.
TS: Anything else you want to share to current or future ‘College Chefs’?
KS: I just want to thank everyone. I was really nervous at first that people might think this was just another annoying Facebook group. But now adults have come up to me in shul saying, “I want to be a college chef!” I also really appreciate the input that I’ve received—good or bad—so that I know what to improve on.
I didn’t know how to do anything two months ago. People who are nervous about cooking often say to me, “Oh but you know how to cook!” But no, I’m not different from anyone else. I learned through the recipes and tips of people in the group. The intention wasn’t to make my own food blog, but rather to see what’s out there and improve on my personal cooking skills.
Lastly—this is beyond college students. Just because you’re a graduate student doesn’t mean you can’t be a part of the food sharing culture.
Check out College Chefs on social media!
Facebook: College Chefs!