MOUNT VERNON – When Maryellen Mathews left her son, Timothy McSweeny, at Cornell College in August, she told him she’d be back from Texas at Thanksgiving to cook him a traditional meal.
“Timothy has class and a test Wednesday before Thanksgiving, so I told him, ‘Don’t worry kid, I’ll be up there and I’m cooking.’ I found out there are quite a few Texas kids at the school and I’d cook for whoever was far from home,” Mathews said.
When she returned from Bellaire, Texas, this week and needed to borrow some cooking utensils from Sodexho Dining Services at Cornell, she discovered the college serves a Thanksgiving meal. The general manager asked her to team with them for the 50 or so students who stay over break.
“A lot of colleges close their kitchens on Thanksgiving. I had no idea Cornell stayed open and was so hospitable,” she said. “Now my efforts are being combined with the school’s.”
The menu includes the traditional, plus a meatless dish, Tofurkey, and some special twists that Mathews will provide: Turkey legs marinated in barbecue sauce, cornbread dressing, chili con queso, root beer floats, and brownies.
And, students can look forward to “leftovers throughout the weekend, just like at home,” said Dave McElhinney, Sodexho general manager.
Mathews will begin cooking Wednesday in one of the dorms, and show up early Thursday to help Sodexho staff with preparations. Her husband and son won’t be cooking, but, she said, “They’ll be here for cleanup.”
“I love to cook. I think Thanksgiving dinners are better when it’s a crowd of people,” she said. “I think it’ll be a lot of fun. If my centerpieces arrive it’ll be decorated just like anybody’s dining room, just a very large dining room.”