dinner...

...at keble dining hall.



i'm sure going to miss being/eating in this beautiful hall! i basically eat in a sanctuary e.v.e.r.y.d.a.y. everything about it wonderful! i think k.c. has the largest dining hall at oxford. i heard they wanted to shoot some harry potter scenes at keble, but they wouldn't take down the portraits on the walls...because it's tradition AND oxford is saturated with traditions.
(i'm a little skeptical about the style of some of the portraits hanging up... they're...quite... how do you say?...unique. i'll work on getting some pictures of them...)

the meals are amazing.

here's a typical meal on its typical day of the week:



sunday:
Nicoise salad
Honey glazed Roast Lamb with garlic & rosemary jus
v. Risotto parmesan slice and mushroom sauce
roasted potatoes
Assorted vegetables
Black forest gateau or fresh fruit

monday:
Lentil and apricot soup
Pork steak
v. Mushroom encroute
Dauphnoise style potatoes
Cauliflower florets
Lemon meringue pie or fresh fruit

tuesday:
Sweet potato and pepper soup
Braised steak with lardoons of bacon
v. Halloumi with sun-blushed tomatoes
Creamed potatoes
Red cabbage
Almond & cherry flan or fruit

wednesday:
Cauliflower and cumin soup
Beef stew
v. Vegetable stew
Mashed potatoes
Mixed vegetables
Danish pastry and custard or fresh fruit

thursday:
Leek and chick pea soup
Gammon steak with parsley sauce
v. vegetable and nut cutlet with parsley sauce
Roasted new potatoes with garlic and rosemary
Peas and baby onions
Apple pie with Jersey cream or fresh fruit

friday:
Minestrone
Smokey spicy sausage cassoulet
v. Vegetable and Vegetarian sausage cassoulet
Herbed pasta quills
Rosemary sautéed courgettes
Trifle or fresh fruit

saturday:
Cottage pie
Veggie cottage pie
Country mixed vegetables
Ice cream or fresh fruit


the presentation is always nice:



i can't believe i just copied + pasted the menu for a week...that's how much i love you.
so, sun-fri=formal hall and sat=informal
i only wear my gown to formal hall.

every night, once all the students are seated, those who sit at the revered high table enter. they are usually older men of academia, whose gowns go to their ankles, which means they are quite important. my gown stops a my hip. grad's go to knee. ph.d's go to ankle. the queen's drags on the floor. got it?



okay. so those who sit at the high table enter. they walk authoritatively down the aisle. once they stand in front of their seats, there is a loud BANG! and the whole hall stands in unison! (it's quite amazing! conditioned like trained dogs!)
then a man reads the blessing. only once has a girl read it and the hall applauded her at the end.... need i say more.
sundays are particularly special because the choir sings the blessing from a balcony. my heart melts every time i hear it...and i'm sure yours will too--enjoy!
(thanks to whoever posted this on youtube!)





until next time,
xoxo