My first semester of graduate school has come to a close. Despite the wealth of knowledge that I gained from my courses, some of my favorite educational experiences occurred outside of the classroom. Between special lectures at BU, trips for work, and events hosted by the Gastronomy Students Association and the Massachusetts Dietetic Association, I have been able to get a well-rounded understanding of food and nutrition. So without further ado, here is a list of my favorite hands-on educational experiences from this past semester.

• Getting oriented to my food studies program by taking a GPS tour of Boston’s foodie hotspots (including the Fenway Victory Gardens and a vegetarian food truck), followed by beers and appetizers at Meadhall
• Learning about local New England foodways by touring a cranberry bog and visiting an apple orchard (see this post)
• Attending a panel on the Dietitians role in sustainability, which included a presentation by Barton Seaver (National Geographic Fellow and Washington DC Chef), as well as a representative from Farm Aid, a hospital sustainability coordinator, and a chef/Dietitian at Johnson and Wales University.
• Taking a trip to Sysco for work, and getting to taste-test new vegetarian recipes for the dining halls. Getting paid to eat? Yes, please!
• Attending a workshop at Harvard Common Press on food writing, where I got to mingle with the editor of Edible Boston, as well as learn about the ins and outs of cookbook publishing. Did I mention that the brunch spread was from Flour Bakery? Yum! (read here to learn more about the event)
• Getting to see Jaques Pepin, the co-founder of my program, speak at BU. He also signed my cookbook! To learn more about the event, read here and here.
• Taking the Cheese 101 Class at Formaggio Kitchen with the Massachusetts Dietetic Association. The class included 8 cheese and condiment pairings, 4 wine tastings, and a cave tour!

Cheese 101 at Formaggio Kitchen

– Kelly