Last Bite the with Chef Sharon Schaefer
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Are you grate-ful for a wonderful new recipe? Most K12 operators are excited to see new ideas and elated when that idea is backed up with a great and reliable recipe. It might surprise you that a school chef isn’t necessarily the best person to get that next great recipe from…. before all the school chefs stop reading in anger at this statement, please let me explain… Chefs are often stronger in technique, ideation, and implementation but translating years (maybe decades) of culinary know-how onto a piece of paper is a completely different skill set from being able to make great food. Chefs speak in rather vague terms like, “cook it until it is done” or “add to taste,” and “oil to coat.” These terms make sense to most chefs because our brain and muscle memory can translate how much oil to drizzle for 5 pounds as well as 50 pounds. The way food glistens and feels in our hands tells us everything we need to know… unfortunately for a recipe to be standardized and used by others “vague-booking” isn’t the most effective format. One technique that works well and can be translated easily to K12 is a recipe ratio. Some recipes are more about the relationship of its parts. A basic example of this is a vinaigrette dressing at a 3:1 ratio. Three parts oil and 1 part vinegar. So at home to make 1 cup of dressing use: ¾ cup oil and ¼ cup vinegar. For a large batch to make a gallon use: ¾ gallon (3 quarts) oil and ¼ gallon (1 quart) vinegar. To make an even larger batch in a 5 gallon pickle bucket use: 3 ¾ gallon oil and 1 ¼ gallon
vinegar…. You could even make enough basic vinaigrette to fill a cement truck using this ratio :) . . .you get the idea.
Here are the TOP 5 ratios I love and I think you will too: Vinaigrette - 3:1 three parts oil to one part vinegar Brown rice - 2:1 two parts water to one part rice Roux - 1:1 one part fat to one part flour (by weight) Brine - 16:1 sixteen parts water to 1 part salt Cookie dough - 3:2:1 three parts flour, two parts fat, one part sugar For each of these ratios different flavorings can be added and the relationship of parts can be tweaked a bit. Some examples of alterations are adding mustard to the vinaigrette, vanilla to the cookies, and herbs to the brine. These small touches take it from basic to special. Another reason I LOVE this for school food preparation is because not all school kitchens are built equal. As I visit with districts around the country, some are not very well equipped and do not have the budget to support new equipment purchases. A ratio creates complete ease of measuring. You do not have to have a specific measuring utensil like a cup or a gallon, just a “part”. You could use any vessel even a #10 can.
Shout Out to Daniele Lajeunesse For being selected by Land O’ Lakes for WFFs (Woman’s Foodservice Forum) Change Maker recipient! Daniele has sat on the Board of Orlando Taste of the Nation for nine years, where she has raised over $5 million to fight childhood hunger through Second Harvest Food Bank
Submit your Shout-Out for our next edition HERE! Don’t wait, spots fill-up fast!
Shout Out to From the Show Floor Vendors and Attendees
THANK YOU to everyone that participated in From the Show Floor last year! Because of your participation in this innovative project, the New York School Nutrition Association has been selected to receive the Association Excellence Award for Meetings & Expositions by the Empire State Society of Association Executives! This category honors excellence in association meeting, convention and/or exposition marketing and execution - and other associations in various industries are now talking about this amazing new concept. So, thank you for taking a risk and trying something new and we look forward to working with you on an even better version of this platform in 2021! Submitted by Jennifer Martin, MBA, CAE, Executive Director, New York School Nutrition Association
of Central Florida and the Coalitionn for the Homeless in Orlando, FL. Submitted by Anonymous
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So take two parts knowledge and one part courage and try one of these recipe ratios in your home or K12 program.
Resident Chef, NxtGen Network; Owner of Evolution of a Lunch Lady, LLC Director of Food & Nutrition Services, Gretna Public Schools Since childhood Sharon was on a quest to make healthy food taste great! That love of all things delicious led her to The Culinary Institute of America. After completing her externship at The Food Network, Sharon discovered a world of how to share great food through media. Owner of Evolution of the Lunch Lady, LLC, and Director of Food and Nutrition Services for Gretna Public Schools, Chef Sharon Schaefer, SNS frequently takes her culinary chops and K12 experience on the road as a highly sought after Key Note Speaker and school nutrition trainer.
Sharon Schaefer, SNS
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