Have you ever thought about what you feed your body in a day? Every morning, we start our day the same way, by seeing the same smiley faces of our kitchen staff members. I don’t think we ever actually take the time to think about all the hours of preparation needed to make all the food we eat. I spent a day with some of our kitchen staff members, and in this article, I will briefly describe a day in the life of Northwood’s kitchen staff members.
Adrianne’s arrives at Northwood at 5:30 a.m. She is the first one in the kitchen. “I start by getting a cup of coffee,” which is understandable at such an early hour. Once the coffee is done, she’s in charge of preparing the hot breakfast, which includes eggs, bacon, potatoes, and, of course, our weekly Friday chocolate pancakes. An hour and a half later, she is ready to open the doors for Northwood’s community.
Jim arrives at 6:00 a.m. He oversees the cold breakfast. He cuts the fruits almost every morning and then places the yogurt, cereals, and cold beverages. He also takes care of our delicious cookies that we enjoy so much each Friday at lunch.
When breakfast is over at around 9:00 a.m., the preparation for lunch starts. The menu for lunch is packed. Students have the choice to have the main meal or go for a panini or sandwich, some pasta, a bowl of soup, a salad bar, and even a quesadilla bar. This year, lunch opens 15 minutes earlier than last year, which is practical for students who need to eat quickly before class or sports practice.
Adam Fisher is the executive chef. His day normally starts at 9:00 a.m. He starts by looking out for Adrianne and the other kitchen staff to see if they need anything, and then he gets down to business. He cooks for lunch and dinner. When I was with him, he was preparing lunch, so I asked him what his favorite meal to prepare was, and he said, “jerk chicken and some braised dishes like Asian pork.” Dinner opens at 5:30 p.m., but by 5:15 p.m., the line is growing.
There is a lot of variety in Northwood’s kitchen. Students can always get their vegetable and protein portions.
When we just stand in a line and ask for our plate of food, we don’t always realize the hard work that comes before receiving that plate. The Northwood kitchen staff show up every day and cook great meals. This article is dedicated to them. Please join me in thanking them.