The Student Center (also known as “the Stuce,” “Stewie,” or 2400 N. Sheffield Ave., depending on what crowd you run with) is like Lincoln Park’s living room. Think of all of the things that are going on in there – we all know the fastest burrito roller, or who will give you an extra roll with your soup free of charge, but what we don’t consider is what else could be going on through those mysterious Chartwells’ kitchen doors.
Part of this mystery is the face behind the fry of the week or the complex dishes at Kitchen. You may be wondering; “Who is the mastermind that creates some of our favorite, most delicious treats at DePaul?” These people are much more a part of our lives than we give them credit for. After all, they are the folks that spend their days providing us sustenance to get through WRD 104 or a late-night study session.
No food item at the Student Center better exemplifies culinary creativity than the brownie. They are available at almost every checkout station — the final temptation before we hand over our student ID or credit card. But who is the Michelangelo behind these masterpieces?
Ken Jasper, the Chartwells baker – the great bambino of brownies – has been working at Chartwells for 15 years. He began working at the grill (when the Student Center was in its old location on Clifton) but now is the full-time weekday baker. Although he is never at the cash register or behind the counter, he plays a huge role in the food production at the Student Center.
A Chicago native, Jasper’s career began at a local bakery in the Loop. After working there, a friend recommended a job at Chartwells, and he began his career at DePaul. After spending a few years at the grill, he returned to his baking roots and became the head baker.
“When I got to DePaul, I already had baking experience, the baker had left, so I said, ‘Hey let me bake!’ So they threw me in the back and the rest is history,” Jasper said of his switch from the grill to baking.
Being a big cookie fan himself, his favorite Chartwells classic is the Chocolate Chip Cookie Bar. He finds inspiration in television shows such as “Sweet Street.”
“The only thing I do is try to get creative with them,” said Jasper. “I watch the Food Network quite a bit. I just say ‘well that would be interesting’ so I throw in some chocolate chips, some m&ms, and some butterscotch morsels, and I come here and try it.”
He makes four to five pans of baked goods a day, which can be cut into 35, 40, or 48 individual treats.
We were surprised to hear that we were the first students to voice our enthusiasm about the Chartwells baked goods. Jasper was extremely grateful to hear positive feedback about his work. He explained to us how passionate he is about this job and his love for baking which made us realize how, as DPU students, we oftentimes take the work that goes into our meals for granted.
We had a wonderful time getting to know Jasper and putting a face and personality behind the treats we love so much. We encourage our fellow Blue Demons to voice your appreciation if you have a Chartwells favorite!
We took our passion for Chartwells’ brownies to the streets of the DPU Lincoln Park campus to see what our fellow Blue Demons think about these delicious treats. Leo Chappell, a sophomore acting major, told us that the brownies “are the high point of any day.”
Unenthused by their appearance, freshman Gabie Hart said, “I was surprised they tasted so good!”
We even received some interesting ideas for new brownies.
“My roommate eats them all the time!” said Ellie Moskova, a freshman economics major, who suggested that Jasper try something with white chocolate.
ξ
ξ
CONTEST ALERT!
Do you have an interesting idea for a new baked good? On behalf of Ken the Baker, and Chartwells, we are pleased to announce the first ever BLUE DEMON BROWNIE SEARCH! Dust out those dorm and apartment kitchens and hit the grocery store! Whether it’s a fully developed recipe or simply a unique topping idea, send your entry to us at [email protected] by April 1 and your treat may be featured on the counters of our very own DePaul Student Center! GOOD LUCK BLUE DEMONS!
