Auburn's head chef has found a way to eat healthy and make delicious meals in a microwave.
"This is a new thing to me, as I have not professionally cooked in a microwave for 25 years," said Emil Topel, senior executive chef of Chartwells.
Chartwells is the food service contractor at Auburn, where Topel uses his culinary skills to leave his mark on campus.
Raised in England, Topel attended culinary school in London before moving to the United States at age 19.
Topel has experience in many restaurants and hotels, owned a gourmet market, produced his own gourmet sauces and wrote and published his own Auburn cookbook.
Currently, Topel oversees every culinary operation on campus and is the brains behind the Plains to Plate dining venue, which has brought sustainable and locally grown foods to campus.
Topel partnered with the Office of Sustainability to teach students to cook meals with microwaves through the Microwave Meals in Minutes event Wednesday, Oct. 22.
"With the dorms on campus and limited cooking equipment, this is a good class to teach so students can create quick, easy meals," Topel said.
Topel said he would use a variety of ingredients, including a store-bought rotisserie chicken, to teach students some basics of cooking and offer simple culinary solutions.
"Speed is a benefit of cooking in a microwave," Topel said. "And in a dorm room with limited equipment, it is a good alternative that can lower expenses and provide healthy meals."
Topel said he loves cooking because it allows him to be creative, loves watching his guests enjoy what he produces.
Mike Kelser, director of the Office of Sustainability, said he admires Topel and is glad he participated in the event.
Kesler said the purpose of the Microwave Meals in Minutes event is to provide students with ideas to eat healthier in dorms.
Topel instructed students on how to cook microwave meals, sustainability when it comes to food, ways to support the local economy and how to eat healthier.
"He has a passion for creating fresh and nutritious food," Kelser said.
According to Kelser, Topel makes a special effort to teach students how to eat well and fresh.
"That's his mission in life," Kelser said. "He's a real asset to Auburn."
Hallie Nelson, sophomore in biosystems engineering, serves as an event-planning intern for the Office of Sustainability.
Nelson said she worked alongside fellow intern Nathan McWhirter, junior in mechanical engineering, to plan the Microwave Meals in Minutes events and chose Topel as the instructor because of his advanced culinary skills.
According to Nelson, Topel has participated in culinary events before, but never using a microwave.
"I think he did a great job coming up with recipes that the students will love," Nelson said.
Nelson said she is thankful Topel is passionate about combining sustainability with food.
Amy Strickland, program manager for the Office of Sustainability, said she agrees with Kelser that Topel is a valuable part of the Auburn Family.
Strickland said Topel will be successful at encouraging students to make better microwavable culinary choices, "which does not include ramen noodles."
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