CHEF spotlight
For us, the biggest way we have changed the perception about school food is just making sure the community knows what we do. Social media has been huge! Reaching so many parents and students. Café Gwinnett kitchens are really good! Our managers run very successful programs. So, being able to share exactly who we are and all the details of our program with the community has been a game changer. We have also found that this is a great way to interact with students directly, instead of trying to approach them in person…in the middle of lunch, or via surveys. By utilizing social media, it almost gives us more of a human presence among the students. We have a menu planning team and we are influenced by a lot of things: what is trending, social media, our students, our community & parents, restaurants (Quick-Serve & Fast-Casual), industry partners, etc.We gather information and listen really closely, then take all that knowledge to create the next menus better than the ones before. The goal is always to have a menu that kids crave, managers can execute well, offers color & variety and elevates the ingredients we procure. I find inspiration in everything from Instagram accounts that I follow to photos, books & magazines (I read a lot!), chef friends, travel, seasons and holidays. I am continuously looking. I think about how I want the students to react to a new entrée. I am always pushing our limits and thinking ahead. And for every cool new fruit or veggie or dish that hits the menu, there are plenty that just don’t make the cut. Q: Where do you get your menu inspiration from?
When it comes to our menu, we will not compromise! We have a very clear vision and it is our jobs to turn that vision into reality. The bar is set VERY high and we will not settle. There is nothing when it comes to our menu that we cannot do. We think about things differently. Quality is very important. Every ingredient is very important. No detail is too small to be overlooked. The ingredients, all of them, from spices to proteins and starches must be the highest quality we can procure. Cooking skills, packaging, presentation and flavor. It all matters! Q: How could other districts benefit from adding chefs to their foodservice team? There are aspects to food service that one really won’t understand unless they have this type of expertise. As a chef, you understand how all the moving parts work together. By bringing on a chef, they can offer input into operations, food safety, equipment, labor needs, how to organize a work schedule for maximum efficiency, cross utilization of ingredients, innovation, menu and recipe development, presentation, the list goes on. Every district, even if they can’t hire a chef full time, would benefit from a consultation visit from a knowledgeable K12 chef.
Gwinett County Schools Q&A with Chef Rachel Petraglia
Parents & Community: @Gwinnett County School Nutrition Program
Managers/Industry Partners: @Gwinnett County School Nutrition
@cafegwinnett @thepetraglias
Q: What is your culinary background? I earned my BA in Science from Johnson & Wales in Miami, FL. Most of my culinary experience before school nutrition consists of fine dining. Some highlights of my career include cooking at the James Beard house in New York, and traveling to Africa. While in Africa, I learned the importance of seasonal cooking, and utilizing ingredients when they are at their peak. From this experience, celebrating and highlighting seasonal and local items has become a priority for me. Cooking has always been my passion! I love the stories behind recipes, the details (notes & tips), and the connection I feel to a culture and their traditions by experiencing their food. For me, that is really exciting. Q: How did you get started in school foodservice? The culinary industry can be pretty demanding and the hours LONG! I was actually looking for something that would be stimulating, in the culinary field, but would also provide a nice work-life balance. Gwinnett County Public Schools is the largest school system in the State of Georgia with over 180,000 students. I grew up in Gwinnett County and I am a proud alumnus of this school system. I knew even then how good the schools are, and how great and diverse the community is. So, I knew when the position became available, it would be both rewarding and fulfilling. I was hired and haven’t looked back!
Q: What is your role at Gwinnett? A big part of my job is creating recipes and overseeing food safety for our district. I help write the menus with Taylor Blake, our registered dietitian, and assist with marketing strategies alongside our director, Karen Hallford. I am able to work my passion for school food alongside my colleagues and local stakeholders including students, parents, teachers, industry partners, and even the director of our local public health department. We are an innovative system that strives to be the best we can. I love that in my role I get to help challenge us to push the barriers of what school nutrition traditionally is into new territory. Q: What are some of the things Gwinnett County has done in the foodservice program to change the perception of school food? We strive for excellence in Gwinnett. The “Gwinnett Way” is a philosophy that has no real definition, but all who work in this district know it is the mindset of leadership, quality, and the pursuit of excellence. The Gwinnett County School Nutrition Program is known for serving delicious, beautiful, colorful and nutritious food. We use high quality ingredients and follow a seasonal menu. Our managers are culinary experts, who share our passion of ensuring our entrees are flavorful and cooked well! Gwinnett County School Nutrition has a very clear vision: “what can we do better and what are the right things to do?”.
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