CHEF spotlight
Personal Chef, Menu Engineer, Sustainable Food Service Consultant, Culinary Trainer Chef Isaiah-Ruffin
ounce pieces, dredging it in flour and other seasonings, and oven frying it is too foreign or what I have been told too many times, “I didn’t take this job to actually cook”. Some might argue that that would drive the labor costs up. But the other side of that coin is the ability to drastically reduce your food cost, have greater control over the quality of the ingredients, and put some actual love into the food. The restaurant-inspired breakfasts provide multiple benefits. Lowering food costs, managing nutrition
Restaurant Inspired School Breakfasts
CC, SNS, Culinary Supervisor Minneapolis Public Schools Chef Rebecca Polson
The expectation of school breakfast has changed rather quickly in the last decade. The combination of efforts of one First Lady Michelle Obama, popularity in cooking shows on the Food Network, and the somewhat drab foods we have subjected our future to have driven chefs into the fight to improve school food. The mornings of warming frozen egg-and-cheese sandwiches are slowly disappearing from operations across the country. There
The restaurant-inspired breakfasts provide multiple benefits. Lowering food costs, managing nutrition content, and school food pride is the first to come to mind. “
I’ve made so far was using the Bakecrafters French Toast Bites and making a very simple Berry Syrup by reducing a commodity frozen Mixed Berry Fruit Cup. I know that sounds crazy easy, because it is. Where I put the effort in is the presentation. Put down a tablecloth. Use cloth napkins and nice plates/serving platters. Offer lots of different drink options (ie. milk, OJ, maybe even a sparkling water). Get some fresh flowers (I love the $3.99 bouquets at TJ’s). Garnish your food. Offer fun condiments as well, and just sit and enjoy this special time we have with our families right now. It may not be ideal, but let’s make the best of it! “Brunch is cheerful, sociable and inciting… It is talk- compelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.” Guy Beringer, 1895 *For NSBW “Sunday Brunch” could easily be adapted for Breakfast or as an amazing marketing campaign the week before as a “Brunch for Lunch” to get those who may always eat lunch with us excited about Breakfast! ABOUT REBECCA: Rebecca Polson C.C., SNS, is the culinary supervisor for Minneapolis Public Schools in Minnesota. She began her career in the foodservice industry in 2011 after graduating from Johnson & Wales University with a culinary arts degree. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in merchandising and business from Florida State University. She now oversees menu planning and culinary training for 72 sites, serving over 8 million meals throughout the closure of schools due to the pandemic for the children of Minneapolis. When she’s not in the kitchen creating healthy recipes, Rebecca enjoys working out, posting to social media, exploring her new hometown, and spending time with her dog Roxy.
Let’s Talk about Brunch!
has been a push for “restaurant” chefs to join the exclusive club of school nutrition professionals and incorporate foods that have higher appeal and less stigma. Many school nutrition directors, many of which are chefs themselves, are upping their district’s breakfast game by including things like omelet bars, custom smoothies, and ever so popular items like fried chicken in biscuits.
content, and school food pride is the first to come to mind. One item often overlooked is the stigma of school breakfast. Many districts have gone out of their way to bring breakfasts to students in a way that avoids the cafeteria. So many people feel that eating breakfast in the cafeteria is a sign of being poor, and consequently stigmatizes them against eating breakfast. By approaching the food like a
March 17th should have been the day where we celebrate St. Patrick by pretending we’re all Irish and eating corned beef and cabbage. However, there was no cause for celebration as Minneapolis Public Schools shut their doors and the Culinary & Wellness Department had to do a complete 180 and start curbside service. Nobody knew then, but we would go almost 11 months without any students in our schools, let alone cafeterias. As the pandemic raged on, our department plan and offerings evolved as waivers were passed and efficiencies found. Eventually, we settled on a school meal box that contained 7 breakfasts and 7 lunches with bulk items like fresh fruits and vegetables. I started sharing recipes and videos on how to use items offered in our box (it was such a fun way to connect with the community). This is how I started my “Sunday Brunch” series. For a little bit of history, Brunch originated in England in the late 1800’s and made its way over to America in 1930’s. What I truly find fascinating is that it really gained popularity when women joined the workforce. They too needed a break on Sunday, yet still craved family time. Rather than slaving over a hot stove all day for Sunday Supper, a big Brunch out after church was just what a working family needed. With families staying home and not willing or able to eat out in restaurants, I started to think of ways we could make some of our meals in the box seem special. Each Sunday I post a photo with items from our box that would make a beautiful brunch spread for some inspiration, in hopes that Moms and Dads can get some rest too, but still teach their kids about the social ritual. I think my favorite brunch
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restaurant and instilling high (restaurant) quality foods on the menu can alleviate this perception. For example, if breakfast was served from a food truck and prepared in a way that students would see outside of a traditional educational setting would not only reduce the stigma of school food but also engage learners in a way that is worth the investment.
These trends may be effective, but they have a long way ago before they are considered the go-to for school breakfasts. The major resistance to incorporating restaurant-style foods for breakfast is training and attitudes towards cooking…yes I said it. For many districts, the idea of bringing in raw chicken, cutting it into three-
ABOUT ISAIAH: I am an award-winning Chef who originally hails from the District. I served 13 years of military service in the Army. During that time I traveled the globe and gained an appreciation for food like no other. That passion led me to obtain a bachelor’s in Culinary Arts from Johnson & Wales University. I have been a personal chef to the highest military leadership and a state governor, sous chef, and an executive chef, I have held the chef title in Iceland, Italy, Denmark, and throughout the US. But while traveling I felt there was more I could do with food that just feeds people. I want to make a difference in this world. That drive led me to get a master’s degree in Sustainable Food Systems. With the knowledge I have gained from that program I hope to improve the food system through food service. In addition to being an active member in school and restaurant kitchens and a proponent of sustainable food systems, I am pursuing a Ph.D. in Education. My research is examining food literacy in school-aged children and how it contributes to their academic success.
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