What are the building blocks for any great recipe? Is it Mirepoix (meer-PWAH) - the aromatic flavor base made by lightly cooking onions, celery, and carrots? Is it Mise en place (MEEZ ahn plahs) - the French term for having everything in its place? You have your ingredients measured, cut, peeled, sliced, grated, etc. before you start cooking; pans are prepared; mixing bowls, tools and equipment are set out. In school we learn that macronutrients are the primary building blocks of nutrition consisting of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Being a child nutrition professional with a strong foundation to your program is vital to the work that we do on any given day! In our experience, stacking the important structural building blocks of a collaborative team, a well thought out menu and stakeholder engagement provides the foundation for a successful program. Without attention to the foundational blocks the structure is often fragile and not going to function to its full potential. THE TEAM The kitchen team drives the menu and a successful program. Ever wonder what is the best foundation for a successful team? The best teams are built on shared goals, collaboration, and interpersonal relationships. They work together to accomplish a shared mission. When you look at a sports team, all the team members must work together to have a successful season. The same is true for kitchen teams. While a baseball team has those that shine at pitching, fielding, and batting; each person on the kitchen team possesses their unique talents too. Perhaps, while one person is efficient another is more creative; one might be detail oriented while the other is a bigger picture thinker. How do you maximize the unique abilities of each member on your team to inspire them to be the best they can be? Engage in regular and open communication with your team. Listen to this podcast on coaching and communicating with staff in a way that will make the team most effective. Variety is the Spice of Life is a presentation we love to host on professional development days - SNEAK PEAK take this personality quiz and call us to lead discussions as to the strengths of each member on the team. Every member of the kitchen plays a vital role in the flow of the day. Strength is in the foundation Without attention to foundational blocks a structure is often fragile.
Who wants some new menu ideas? Thinking about engaging not only your students but the families you serve? Welcome to our column featuring bites of nutrition knowledge and insight for your team’s menu creation needs. We love a good theme at Pisanick Partners and have curated and crafted some of our favorite “Harvest of the Month”, “Simply Fresh”, “Global Trends’’, and “Comfort Classic’’ recipes to ignite your team’s idea engines. Our free digital cookbook resource is full of these recipes. Coming soon we are launching a first edition print cookbook that is packed with easy to prepare recipes which are scaled for both your school
kitchens and for the homes of the families we serve! Many of these recipes are inspired by trends in copycat recipes, nostalgic foods and upcycling ingredients. These are recipes that can spark joy in your creation and elevate participation. Sign-up to be the first to know when this book is available for purchase.
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