Of Cabbage Rolls and Kings

"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have wings."

                                -Lewis Carroll

                                Through The Looking Glass

A few weeks ago our beloved cafeteria served cabbage rolls.  These stuffed delights were topped with a tomato sauce, some cheddar cheese, and a dollop of sour cream, but not before being laid on a bed of rice.  They looked so good that they made me wonder if they had been made by somebody's grandmother who emigrated from Europe.

I was a little disappointed that the rice under the cabbage rolls was undercooked and had a slightly crunchy texture.  I have to be a little forgiving with plain rice, however, as it can go from undercooked to overcooked in as little as three minutes.  At least I am happy to report that the rice was genuine rice this time, and not the instant rice that was served with the Chinese combo last month.  I am also happy to report that the dollop of sour cream on top was proportionally correct, which was not the case a few weeks ago with the latkes.  Things are looking up.

Speaking of improvements, I am also happy to note that I have recently noticed some pleasant changes in the cafeteria.  The metal cutlery bins are full of clean cutlery at the beginning of the meal service time, the french fries are being kept in a heated area (although one of my classmates informed me that in spite of this measure her fries were still cold), and another classmate communicated to me that fries now come with a much more suitable portion of gravy than they used to.  Even though these changes are not entirely perfect, I am nevertheless quite proud of the improvements that have taken place.  My congratulations to the cafeteria staff for making the effort to mend these past errors. But I digress.

Yes, the time has come to talk about cabbages--or in this case cabbage rolls.  They were a little mild in spices, but otherwise delicious.  Stuffed with rice and ground beef, these little leaf-wrapped delights made me wish that I were in a little village in Eastern Europe, sitting around a humble kitchen table with a dentally-challenged family who were all telling me in their thick accents that I was too skinny and I should eat more. 

I highly recommend the cabbage rolls to any visitors who come to the VIU cafeteria.  Just be prepared to quote Lewis Carroll in-between bites.