December 3, 2007 By ANN STILLWATER Columnist ARS29I @PSU.EDU This column is about cooking not restaurants. But the author recently discovered a gem in downtown Middletown. Luckily one of the owners, Carol Kupp, is willing to share a recipe. This columnist believes it is important to support small local businesses. The advent of mass marketing and a suburban, mall culture has led to the same restaurants with the same menu found across the country and, at times, around the globe. While it can be nice to know what food you will find at what price, it creates a boring landscape in the gustatory market. The large chains with their enormous, pooled advertising budgets can afford to market to a much wider audience than small, local places, exacerbating the problem. Small businesses are closing across the country. The smaller, more intimate setting and individual attention that they provide is missed by many. As large businesses come to predominate, the costumer's individual needs may be swallowed in the policies of a few large corporations. By only purchasing from large suppliers, small, local manufacturers and farmers go out of business. By supporting local, non-chain businesses, we can vote with our pocketbooks for the kind of community within which we wish to live. Kuppy's Diner in downtown Middletown is a unique, friendly, inexpensive and delicious place to eat. Started in 1933 by the current Spanish club update BY DAVID GOODPASTER GUEST REPORTER DRGSOOO@PSU EDU Hola! The Spanish Club is alive and well at Penn State Harrisburg. Every other Friday morning, the Spanish Club meets at 8:30 a.m. fir a light Spanish-themed breakfast. Members bring juice and various Spanish tbods to each meeting so that students can learn about the Spanish culture and language while eating breakfast before class. So far this year, the Spanish Club has conducted three meetings and planned various upcoming activities. Some of these activities include sharing the Spanish culture and language with Penn State Harrisburg students and possibly some movie nights next semester. The Spanish Club is planning a dinner at the end of the semester. There is also a party planned next week that will celebrate the Spanish culture. A pinata, Spanish dancing, Spanish music and food Will he at the fiesta. The Spanish Club is also planning to bring a speaker from Harrisburg or Washington D.C. to speak on diversity issues in Hispanic culture. Watch the bulletin boards for more details on this! THE CAPITAL TIMES it Up with owner's great-grandfather, Kuppy's has become a Middletown icon. The diner atmosphere is authentic with counter seating as well as tables. The restroom, located outside, is accessible with a key. Sitting at the counter, the workings of the diner reveal themselves as staff cook on the grill, pour coffee andserve up pie in front of customers' eyes. People are friendly and happy to converse. Located at Brown and Poplar streets, behind the Citizen bank, it is an easy trek to Kuppy's from the Capital campus. Follow Wharton Street off campus to North Union. Turn right and go through the traffic light at 230. Continue on for a few blocks and watch for Kuppy's on the left, down a side street. If you go under the bridge and come to the river, you have gone two blocks too far. Kuppy's specializes in good, old fashioned food. Best known as a breakfast place, there may be short wait in the early hours. Only two items on the breakfast menu are more than $6 and most are under $3. Scrapple, chocolate chip hotcakes, blueberry muffins, chipped beef and eggs Benedict are all available. Lunch choices include a wide variety of sandwiches including subs, clubs and a crab cake sandwich for $2.50. Dinners have an even larger selection and daily specials that may be all you can eat. I was pleasantly surprised to be offered bread pudding as one of the side dishes at dinnertime. It was delicious! So was the peach crumb pie, sweet potato casserole and fried haddock. Beverages generally include one free refill. Good food at a good price makes this a new favorite of mine. The recipe below is made at the restaurant. It would be excellent The club is advised by Dr. Vargas and led by President Oliver Eisler, Vice President David Goodpaster, Treasurer Taylor Gillard, Secretary Maresa Meiller and Alternate Secretary Kandy Randolf. A large number of students in Spanish Club are planning on attending a study abroad trip to Ecuador. This trip, guided by Professor Vargas, will visit various cultural and historical sites across Ecuador this December. Some of the key highlights of the trip will he the city of Quito, "La Mitad del Mundo" and Equatorial Monument. Students will experience the ancient city of Quito and see the contrasting modern and ancient culture Additionally, students will visit the city of Vilcabamba, where longevity , is common throughout the population. At the Equatorial Monument, Penn State Harrisburg students will be able to stand on either side of the equator. The course is worth one credit and students will maintain a journal of their reflections. This trip will occur at the end of the semester and students will receive one credit for their experience. All students are welcome to join the Spanish Club or just stop by and say, hi! Buenos Dias! ff/tY with a holiday meal or as a side dish for any meal. Carol Kupp generally makes a larger batch, which explains the slightly odd measurements. If time is short, try substituting canned sweet potatoes. Drain a 40-ounce can of sweet potatoes, mash the potatoes with a fork, masher or beaters and continue with the recipe. Kuppy's Sweet Potato Casserole 7 sweet potatoes - cooked, peeled and mashed 1/4 cup and 2 teaspoons of evaporated milk 1/4 cup and 2 teaspoons of orange Juice 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract 1/2 cup and 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon white sugar 1 /2 teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons and 1 1/2 teaspoons butter, melted 1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon 1/3 cup and 1 tablespoon butter, melted 3/4 cup and 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar 1/2 cup and 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon of all-purpose flour 3/4 cup and 2 tablespoons chopped pecans Directions 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease one 2-quart casserole dish and set aside. 2. Blend together the sweet potatoes, evaporated milk, orange juice, vanilla, sugar, salt, 3 tablespoons butter, nutmeg and cinnamon. Pour into prepared casserole dish. 3. Prepare the topping by mixing together the 1/3 cup butter, brown sugar, flour and pecans. Sprinkle over casserole and bake for 45 minutes. Add layer of marshmallows at end of cooking time if desired. By WHITNEY LONG Guest Reporter WELSOOO@PSU EDU Don't be surprised if you go into the Penn State Harrisburg Library, usually quiet place, and hear someone yell, "Yahtzee!" Through a student activity fee grant, the library recently added a large variety of board games, including classics like Monopoly, Candyland, Clue, and many others. They can be checked out by anyone with a Penn State library card. The games are on reserve at the circulation deck and can be checked out for 24 hours. They do not have to be used inside the library, and can be taken to homes, dorms, or wherever one would want to play. Gregory Crawford, director of the library, was the one who came up with the idea to increase the library's game collection. "The idea was to give students another, albeit small, option for some entertainment," he said. Students don't always come to the library to do work or study. Crawford realizes this and has attempted to accommodate the people who want to enjoy themselves while there. "We have had several people enjoy the game table we bought last summer," he said, adding that "the library has also been putting out jigsaw puzzles that students have enjoyed putting together." The addition of games in the library seems to have been a success, and it is not uncommon to see a group of students huddled around a puzzle while they interact with each other. This is the result that Crawford was going for. "I realize that these are small steps, but I think it helps build community in a low-key," he said Cmyez,Ctiendar Lorna Tychostup, editor, photographer, writer will be coming to Penn State Harrisburg on December 3, 2007 at 6 p.m. in Olmsted Auditorium. She is a senior editor for Chronogram magazine as well as renowned freelance journalist and photographer. Her presentation is titled "Iraq the ware you won't see on TV" and her haunting photographs and poignant stories enable her audience to share the tragedy, the struggle and the triumph of the various communities that make up the Iraqi people. Join Isaac's Restaurant & Deli and the Four Diamonds fund for a "Community Night" on Wednesday, December 5 from 4 p.m. to 9 Thin g s To You Know Have used CDs and DVDs? Help kids with cancer! December 10 through January 25 drop off your used CDs and DVDs at WPSH, the student radio station, and all of the proceeds will be donated to THON to help the Four Diamonds Fund fight childhood cancer at the Penn State Children's Hospital. For the sixth year, the Penn State Harrisburg Lion Ambassadors will do a Giving Tree. The Lions are adopting the families in hopes of making their holidays a little brighter. The tree is up and decorated in room WllO. There p.m. Stop by the Paxton Street or Rossmoyne locations for dine-in or take-out and 25% of your bill is donated to THON to help fight childhood cancer. Just hand your server the flyer at the end of Weekly, and enjoy. And remember, its For The Kids! The Office of International Programs at Penn State Harrisburg invites all students to a lunch-time reception On December 6 at noon in the Galley Lounge to learn about international study tours being offered in Spring Semester 2008. Student will hear short presentations from the faculty organizing the tours and enjoy appetizers from each of are many items needed for the families including toys for children (infants to 5 year old), clothing, sheet, towels, grocery store gift cards, and shoes. Each ornament on the tree reflects one item with some description. All unwrapped items should be taken to WllO no later than Monday, December 10. The Lion Ambassadors, will be delivering the items to the families the week of December 17. Please consider helping these local families. Intramural Basketball and Intramural Doubles Badminton are the next intramural sports beginning the countries: Brazil - Dr. Clemmie Gilpin, London, England - Dr. Keunsuk Chung, London, England - Dr. George W. Boudreau, Morocco - Dr. Jose Vargas-Vila. Questions can be directed to mla9a,psu.edu or 948-6316. Get ready to come and enjoy a wonderful evening the Penn State Harrisburg Capital Players Drama Club in "All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten on December 6,7, and 9 in the Kunkle Auditorium (C-213) in the Olmsted Building. Tickets are $7 with ID and $lO without ID. For more information please email: Kervens at kudl24 c esu.edu. play in January. Roster entry forms will be available December 3" and can be picked up at the Capital Union Building. Alpha Sigma Lambda, the adult student honor society, announces that applications are now available for their $5O spring semester 2008 book grants. Applications and eligibility information may be picked up in the Student Assistance Center, Wll7 Olmsted, or requested by email from cspectorpsu. eau. Completed applications are due back by December 7, 2007 at 5 p.m.