Every school has a favorite lunch. In a previous Supt in the Halls episode, students named classics like pizza, walking tacos, or tomato soup as their favorites. The Rochester Public Schools (RPS) Student Nutrition Services (SNS) department works hard to create menus with food that our students will enjoy. SNS aims to continuously expand menus, introducing foods from cultures represented throughout our student body and staff. We do so using the SLICE Teaching and Test Kitchen.
“We constantly try to find more diverse menu items that represent students and give others a chance to try something they may not normally try,” explains RPS District Chef Travis Pearce. “The SLICE Teaching and Test Kitchen is truly a dream come true. It not only allows SNS a space to use creatively to develop and test recipes, but it is also great for the community. Last year I taught a series of classes for Community Education for people with exceptional abilities. I think I had more fun doing it than those attending. It was a chance for me to help teach basic cooking techniques and knife skills. It was really fun and productive!”
So what is on the horizon for this year? A few examples include a West African dish, kati kati chicken, almond and golden raisin couscous, and a Vietnamese banh mi sandwich. Chef Pearce assures us that there will be many more on the way.
Having an understanding and appreciation of other cultures is important to SNS. Our program is working to create a sense of community by embracing and sharing food from different cultures around the world.