An Upside Down Dinner

Thanks to the series finale of Stranger Things, we know that Robin Buckley is a Smithie, but other details of her Smith College experience are left to the imagination. For example, what house did she live in? What was her major? What were some meals she might’ve enjoyed on campus?

Smith Dining and the Humane World for Animals took that last question and ran with it earlier this month for a special culinary collaboration, aptly named “Stronger Things.” Humane World has been working with Smith for over a decade, collaborating on several culinary trainings and other events designed to encourage the exploration and embracing of more plant-focused diets.

“Stronger Things” was born from Smith’s Director of Culinary Services German Alvarado’s desire to host a pop-up event in Cutter and Tyler Houses focused on how students can get adequate protein while still following a plant-based diet.

Once he had heard a pitch inspired by Stranger Things and the idea of “turning the ‘upside down’ food pyramid ‘right side up’” from Alice Ma, food service innovation specialist at Humane World, the details began to click into place. 

As a fellow Stranger Things fan, Alvarado was quick to start concocting ideas for the specialized menu. Final offerings included an Upside Down Broth Bowl and Spring in Hawkins Grain Bowl. Humane World’s Chef Tracy Burgio also contributed a chocolate tofu mousse with a strawberry garnish (which was shaped like one of the show’s original monsters, the Demogorgon, of course) and roasted chickpeas inspired by food from the show’s fictional pizza shop, Surfer Boy Pizza.

“It really gave us a chance to try something different while showcasing how delicious plant-forward food can be,” says Alvarado.

Ma and Alvarado shared details about Humane World’s longstanding partnership with Smith, how this year’s event came to be, and which of the new meals they think would be favorites in both the Upside Down and the Rightside Up.

Talk a little about the menu curation process, and how you decided on the items that were featured.
German Alvarado: “When designing the menus, I wanted to focus on color, variety, and bold flavors while highlighting the versatility of plant-forward ingredients.

“The Upside Down Broth Bowl was inspired by darker tones and deeper flavors to reflect the mood of the Upside Down. It features roasted Mycoterra Farm mushrooms, charred broccolini, a dark miso broth, vermicelli noodles, maple-soy tofu, and braised local rainbow carrots. We also offered a wide variety of garnishes like pickled mushrooms (made from the mushrooms used to flavor the broth), local Vermont black garlic kimchi, lime, daikon radish from Winter Moon Roots in Hadley, and spicy eggplant. This allowed students to customize the bowl and build layers of flavor.

“The Spring in Hawkins Grain Bowl was designed to contrast the darker broth bowl with bright colors, fresh textures, and seasonal ingredients. One of my favorite components was the field pea fritter, which highlights sustainable, plant-forward proteins and supports local agriculture by utilizing cover crops. The bowl also included sweet potato mash, sunflower seeds, curried chickpeas and cauliflower, asparagus, and a base of brown rice and quinoa. We offered sauces like avocado green goddess and a local honey-sriracha sauce.”

What were student reactions to the dishes like?
Alice Ma: “Our team was very pleased with the reception! We had some student fans of the show who came excited about the menu, as well as some who had never seen the show but were curious about our table and what we did. No matter what their level of interest in the show was, almost everyone we talked to was incredibly supportive of Smith Dining’s efforts to add more plant proteins to the menus.”

GA: ”We received very positive feedback from students. At Cutter, we played Stranger Things-themed music to set the atmosphere, and placed informational posters throughout the buffet lines that helped connect the theme of the event with the food on the menu. I spoke with a couple students who mentioned that they enjoyed both the interactive elements and the opportunity to learn more about plant-forward eating while they built their bowls.”

What’s your favorite part of being able to organize and contribute to collaborative events like this?
AM: “Working with Smith is always amazing. The chefs are incredibly welcoming and supportive of our work, and it was fun to see how committed they were to making a delicious broth for the Upside Down Broth Bowl. I love to see that the current generation of higher education students cares about plant-based eating for the animals, the planet, and their health.

“Generally speaking, our goal for events is to demonstrate that plant-based cuisine can be fun, creative, beautiful, delicious, and nutritious, and I think this event is a perfect example of encompassing all those elements, especially the fun and creative.”

GA: “These events challenge our team and push us to think beyond our regular cycle menus to create new dishes and recipes. The process is very collaborative and gives our chefs the opportunity to bring in their own ideas and creativity. It’s exciting to work on something new together.”

Which menu item was your personal favorite? What do you think your favorite Stranger Things character’s would be?
AM: “I really loved how the writers of the show developed all the female characters over the seasons. If I had to pick one, I would pick Max (Sadie Sink, who plays Max, is actually vegan in real life and became vegan as a teenager). I was obsessed with how flavorful the broth in the Upside Down Broth Bowl was, and I think Max would be into the slightly messy and crispy Surfer Boy Pizza chickpeas. They’re kind of different and unexpected, just like her!”

GA: “I love a good broth, so the Upside Down Broth Bowl was definitely my personal favorite. My wife and I are both big fans of the show, and it was a cool and proud feeling when Smith was referenced in it. 

“[As for favorite characters], this is a hard one! If I had to choose, it would be Steve Harrington. I really appreciated his character development throughout the series. He starts off as the typical cool high school kid but grows into someone loyal, kind, funny, and willing to do anything for his friends. After conquering the Upside Down with his friends, I think a Spring in Hawkins bowl would sound pretty good to him.”