Cooking up Connection: Greek Student Teaches Widener Community a Family Recipe
Karol Trivola was a student in Greece looking to study in the United States. Lured by the appeal of Widener’s robotics engineering program, she traveled more than 5,000 miles to the United States for the first time to become part of the Pride.
She was shocked at the vast size of the United States. Everything, everywhere was bigger. She recalls feeling like a tiny “ant” when she experienced Philadelphia.
She also felt homesick. 
Staff in Widener’s International office wanted to help, and recommended she consider leading an international teaching kitchen with Aramark Collegiate Hospitality Widener Dining Services Executive Chef Matthew Clarke, known around campus as Chef Matt.
The kitchen events pair Clarke with an international student, as they facilitate a cooking lesson for a group of students, faculty and administrators, using a recipe from the international student’s homeland. When the cooking is finished, everyone gathers around a table to eat the meal they made together.
Trivola and Clarke recently led a group of about 12 people in cooking soutzoukakia smyrneika, a meatball-type dish in tomato sauce. They blended ground beef, cumin, garlic and other spices and oils, then rolled them into tubular shapes for frying. Trivola’s mother shared the recipe from her home in Greece; Trivola translated it into English in Chester.
“It’s a feeling of nostalgia from home and I thought it was a great idea to share my dish with other people, other students and the faculty. I really appreciate that I was given the opportunity,” Trivola said.
As they cooked, Clarke peppered Trivola with questions about Greece, so the group learned about Greek islands, weather, holidays, dining customs and more as they rolled the meatballs by hand. A rotating slide show on the wall shared Trivola family photos, images of famous Greek sites, and even the Greek flag.
“For me this is truly a belonging event, because at its heart it’s about the message that your unique background, your unique family, your unique culture are contributing to the larger sense of who we are at Widener,” said President Stacey Robertson, who cooked alongside her husband, Steve Smith.
Trivola said she liked being able to introduce members of the Widener community to a Greek meal that wasn’t a gyro or souvlaki, which are well known to Americans. Soutzoukakia smyrneika is a traditional meal Greek families would eat on a weeknight.
Clarke said the cooking events speak to his interest in teaching, and he enjoys being exposed to different palates, spices and ingredients. He likes being able to help students who are thousands of miles from home feel connected to their origins.
“I’m grateful to do it. I’ve had a passion for teaching. I love any sort of food that isn’t American. Not that America doesn’t have great food as well,” Clarke said. “The biggest thing for me is really getting a snapshot of life from different places. I think food and culture are really the most fascinating things about this.”
