Show I Catering c To Youth Tastes If If children are encouraged encouraged- to try a food they dont don't recognize recognize recognize nize by your explaining what itis it itis itis is they'll usually eat it and fin finish finish fin fin- ish it said Ethel Rae Monks manager of the school lunch lunchroom lunchroom lunchroom room at Centerville Junior High GENERALLY Mrs Monks said children like to be served lunches that look like what they get at home When they dont don't recognize a food they wrinkle their noses and remark What's that She appreciates being asked because it gives her heran heran heran an opportunity to explain One child was ready to pass up baked apple because she didn't know what it was and it looked wrinkled Mrs Monks told her it was just like baked apples in a pie only fixed differently differently differ differ- ONCE SHE told a little five year old who was visiting with her mother that Broccoli is the same thing as peas They're both green vegetables only peas are round and broccoli is square She says that generally the junior high boys and girls leave meat loaf but finish the very same m mi when its it's served as s hamburger hamburg ger r patties THE LUNCH count is higher on days Sloppy Joes are served than when barbecued beef on a bun is on the menu but the two are identical Choice of name Is important when catering to childrens children's tastes the manager says She recalls the day Porcupine Meat MeatBalls MeatBalls MeatBalls Balls were on the menu The lunch count was low Upon in investigation investigation investigation in- in she learned that many children thought it meant porcupine meat and they didn't want to eat it PORCUPINE MEAT balls ground meat cooked with raw rice which swells and pokes through th meat when cooked is now called meat balls on the menu Cooking in the school lunch program aside from the need for using thought and psychology in dealing with the youthful pa patrons patrons patrons pa- pa Is very much like cooking at home on a huge scale Leftovers Leftovers Leftovers Left Left- overs are carefully frozen to avoid waste homemade rolls and bread are served the kitchen kitch kitch- en operations are efficiently or organized organized organized or- or so that cold things are served ice cold and hot foods are placed on the plate steaming hot MRS AIRS MONKS has eight full ti time me helpers to accomplish this She uses a commercial oven an airflow oven and a modern steam oven-kettle oven combination which cooks quantities of foods without water for better nutrition nutrition nutrition tion and which keeps foods piping hot Ei pounds pounds of or dry beans beans' can be prepared at one time or pounds of potatoes she says The oven is like a large pressure cooker whereas the theother theother theother other part of the unit the steam kettle is built for liquid foods like stew or soup It holds 40 I gallons at one time I WHEN QUALITY and nutrition nutrition nutrition tion are important as well as efficiency for there are approximately approximately children to cook for forand forand and serve each day the manager manager manager man man- ager is hard put to devise short short- cuts A few of Ethel Raes Rae's shortcuts shortcuts shortcuts short short- cuts could be turned to advantage advantage advantage tage in the home She doesn't fry chick chicken n. n She dips the raw chicken into melted melted melted melt melt- ed butter drains it slightly seasons it with salt and pepper then sprinkles it with a mixture of half bread crumbs half cornmeal Also a bit of sprinkled sprinkled sprinkled sprin sprin- kled paprika makes a more even browning The chicken is baked at degrees for one hour IT TURNS OUT golden and crispy on the outside succulent on the inside On days fried chicken is served the lunch count is always up she says Other high lunch count days are days when hamburgers sloppy joes hoagie sandwiches pizza tacos or mashed potatoes potatoes potatoes pota pota- toes with gravy are served ANOTHER SHORTCUT is to tomake tomake tomake make a pan of square hamburgers hamburg hamburg- ers sliced pre-sliced before cooking and bake them rather than rather rath rath- er than frying Its It's healthier and speedier Ethel Rae says She has a trick of breaking eggs into a buttered pan when hard boiling dozens of eggs to use In potato salad Its It's time time- a saver she says The eggs can be cooked and sliced in 12 minutes SHE FILLS out ground beef with soy grits because its it's a protein or for a change she uses rolled oats or b bread read crumbs She avoids cornmeal in meat because it tends to add adda a gritty texture When bread or rolls are left leftover leftover over they are ground into bread crumbs When desserts are left leftover leftover leftover over she saves them until there is enough to serve children then offers the boys and girls a selection SHE SAYS they en enjoy joy having a variety of desserts from which to choose choos Once in a while she prepares a variety of pies specially specially specially so they can have a choice Last week she did this Mrs Mon Monks says The children had hada a selection of ban banana a n a cream cherry c cream r ea m pi pineapple ne appl e cream pineapple cream The banana cream was the most asked for the pineapple cream was the least asked for because the children were not familiar with it it FREQUENTLY Mrs Monks says she checks what the chilI children children chil chil- I dren have left on their plates to learn their likes and disI dis dis- I likes She uses this as a guide She has also found that posting I I a menu in each classroom works successfully in bringing up the lunch count She constantly aims at bring bring- bringing Ing up the count The lunch program program program pro pro- gram in the schools is carefully careful careful- ly regulated to provide at least third one-third of the childs child's daily nutritional nu nutritional nu- nu requirements Each day part of her job as manager requires that she prepare a written report on the foods served and the portions of each as well as the nutritional re require requirements requirements re- re quire ments met and the overall cost MEAT IS li Ii in use unless USDA meats are available Even I when using government surplus meats the average cost of a ameal ameal I meal is about 60 she says I IP P Preparation reparation of the days day's lunch beings at am a.m. In 3 2 1 hours all preparation Including including including I ing the mixing and baking of I bread or rolls is finished and ready to start serving the first lunch at ll it am a.m. THOSE IN Mrs Monks' Monks crew are Colleen Lyman Emily Pe Peterson Pe- Pe I terson Millie Millard Marjorie Marjorie Mar Mar- jorie Page Mildred Jenkins I Mary Hancock Betty Jacobs and Norma Anderton The cashiers are B Barbara arbara Stevenson and Maureen Willey USUALLY eight children at each lunch period help in bussing bussing bussing bus bus- busI I sing dishes and serving for ap approximately approximately ap- ap i proximately 20 minutes In re return return return re- re turn they receive their meal at atno atno atno no charge Mrs Monks says although turnover is high the waiting list Is long so she never lacks for help lk Ik |