<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1KxwWr_199zqmmx00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1KxwWr_199zqmmx00" width="1920" height="960" ><figcaption>Green spaghetti with Milanesa by Alondra Vargas</figcaption></figure>Spice Box is a University of Illinois student-run dinner series which happens on Fridays during the Spring academic semester during late February to early May. Each dinner’s theme is chosen by a lead student chef and this year, themes range from elevated seafood to Mexican cuisine.For this special feature, we reached out to the program coordinators to learn more about this event from the student chef’s perspective. Read more about Spice Box’s sister program Bevier Cafe here and here.Keep scrolling to read about three amazing student chefs who are all seniors at the U of I. Personal interviews with each student chef informed the brief narratives below. <figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0TuIMt_199zqmmx00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0TuIMt_199zqmmx00" width="427" height="442" ><figcaption>Kaitlyn LaDieu</figcaption></figure><h2>Kaitlyn LaDieu</h2>Kaitlyn LaDieu plans to seek out a career in the event planning industry. While she has some cooking experience, she is more confident in tasks related to the front-of-house. Some of her favorite things to do include thinking about creating a positive lasting experience for individuals attending events. For the past several summers, she has interned at various event planning companies, like Revel Group, based in Chicago. This upcoming summer, she will intern at a wedding planning company, HBIC Weddings. Some individuals who inspire LaDieu include Will Guidara, author of Unreasonable Hospitality and Britt Whitfield, CEO of Revel Group. She learned about Spice Box when she transferred to U of I last year and is excited to invite the C-U community to her “Elevated Seafood” themed dinner. Her dinner will feature special lighting as well as twists on American favorites like an alfredo dish featuring squid ink pasta.<blockquote>bread service: cheddar bay biscuitssoup: creamy lobster bisquesalad: Mediterrannean saladentree: honey-garlic glazed salmondessert: Nutella spirulina cheesecake</blockquote>Reserve a seat for this dinner on March 6, here.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=02rqgU_199zqmmx00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=02rqgU_199zqmmx00" width="1098" height="822" ><figcaption>Kailing Chen</figcaption></figure><h2>Kailing Chen</h2>With more than 15 years of experience in the kitchen, Kailing Chen’s earliest moments of cooking are informed by her background as the daughter of Chinese parents. Her parents immigrated to the U.S. and later opened up a Chinese takeout restaurant. One of the first cooking-related tasks she accomplished was cutting vegetables when she was eight years old. Since then, Kailing has gained more culinary knowledge by helping out with her aunts’ restaurants in Michigan as well as her dad’s friend’s restaurant in Tennessee. One objective for her Yin and Yum dinner is to showcase Chinese culture by highlighting the idea of balance in flavors and textures of her dishes.Two special dishes that diners can look forward to include a chawanmushi (Japanese steamed egg) with agar agar soy sauce pearls and a slaw made from various fried root vegetables like taro and lotus root accompanied by a variety of fresh vegetables. Chen currently plans on moving to Chicago to find a career in either the restaurant or hotel industry.<blockquote>bread service: scallion pancake with pork-floss buttersoup: shitake and kombu chanwanmushisalad: Asian slaw prix fixe entree: five-spice roast duck special entree: miso marinated cod dessert: black sesame kakigori (shaved ice)</blockquote><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4XjjHG_199zqmmx00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4XjjHG_199zqmmx00" width="1320" height="1302" ><figcaption>miso marinated cod by Kailing Chen</figcaption></figure>Reserve a spot at the Yin and Yum dinner scheduled for March 27 here.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2d7ZW3_199zqmmx00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2d7ZW3_199zqmmx00" width="1920" height="1279" ><figcaption>Alondra Vargas</figcaption></figure><h2>Alondra Vargas</h2>Alondra Vargas has extensive experience in the hospitality industry, with familiarity in both back-of-house and front-of-house positions. Although Vargas grew up wanting to pursue a career in dance, she found out about U of I’s hospitality program her freshman year and has not looked back. Some people who inspire Alondra include her mother and her uncles for their encouragement with her aspirations to build a career in something she is passionate about. By planning her Spice Box event, Vargas says that she now feels more confident leading a team in the kitchen setting.In her La Mejor De La Vida Spice Box event, Alondra plans on highlighting the themes of family, life, and love by presenting her own take on her mother’s own Mexican recipes. Some dishes guests can look forward to include quesabirria and green spaghetti with milanesa, made with recipes influenced by Alondra’s mother’s hometown of Michoacán, Mexico.<blockquote>bread service: queso fundido with tortilla chips (chorizo, melted oaxaca cheese, pico de gallo)appetizer: taquitos de papasalad: ceviche with tostadasprix fixe entree: quesabirria tacos with fiesta salad and cilantro lime ricespecial entree: green spaghetti with milanesa de pollodessert: churro flan </blockquote><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2eaqML_199zqmmx00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2eaqML_199zqmmx00" width="1920" height="1567" ><figcaption>Green spaghetti with Milanesa by Alondra Vargas</figcaption></figure>Reserve a spot at the La Mejor De La Vida dinner scheduled for April 3 here.</div></body>

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Spice Box is a University of Illinois student-run dinner series which happens on Fridays during the Spring academic semester during late February to early May. Each dinner’s theme is chosen by a lead student chef and this year, themes range from elevated seafood to Mexican cuisine. For this special...

Three snapshots of Spice Box student chefs

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Spice Box is a University of Illinois student-run dinner series which happens on Fridays during the Spring academic semester during late February to early 

Three snapshots of Spice Box student chefs

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