Everyday, ILS students are eager to indulge in food at lunch time, but what doesn’t go into thought is the effort put into providing meals for the whole school. Staff need to have a way to choose what is served and plan the preparation, with many more factors to take into consideration.
Naturally, each student has his or her own preferences on school dishes, including popular favorites. Dishes ranked as popular by both staff and student body are always kept on the menu, featuring items such as like the sweet and sour chicken nuggets.
Specifically on the grilled cheese and tomato soup combo, sophomore Maria Crevatin is a fan.
“It brings me a sense of joy. It’s like a little slice of heaven on a regular school day,” she said.
This shows that the school lunch goes beyond just filling the school’s stomach, it’s a way for the ILS community to a take a break from academics for a delicious delight. These favorites can be measured through emails to Head Chef Luiz Maroni, in-person recommendations to the staff, or the suggestion box located near the cereal and ice cream machines.
Outside of favorites, the challenges and staff’s capability of making a dish is also considered.
“If the preparation is too difficult or if the final taste is not close to my expectations, I cannot include it on the menu,” said Head Chef Maroni. By regarding this, meals are ensured to be provided in sufficient time with consistent taste.
With the capacity of the kitchen and its equipment, meals are catered to its practicality.
For sophomore Brandon Sanchez ILS’s menu is, “The best lunch in all of Florida’s education system.”
All of which is served is made possible by calculating what equipment each food requires in order to be made.
Making ethical cost and budget choices also matter. Feeding a whole student body along with staff already costs an immense measure, meaning the cost of what is being made needs to be a reasonable amount.
Just like amateur home chefs at ILS, the SAGE staff may see a recipe that seems interesting to try. They will usually make a small quantity and offer it as a test at one of the lunch stations.
“If it is well received, we include it in the next menu,” says Head Chef Maroni.
Essentially, a good menu doesn’t stay stagnant as change allows students to constantly stay engaged to what may come up next for lunch.
As the menu varies, so do the seasons. Fruits, vegetables, and greens in season are incorporated as options.
Ultimately, there is much more behind the trays of food that momentarily stay full with a whole procedure behind what refills them.
“I’ve always wondered the work and thought process behind making those huge amounts of food every day,” pondered sophomore Daria Pereira.
Fundamentally, that work consists of taking student and staff preferences, suggestions, difficulty, kitchen equipment, cost, new recipes, and seasonality all into account.
