Meet Our Kitchen Staff

By Ed Bruske
aka The Slow Cook

Here are the ladies who prepare the meals at my daughter's elementary school here in the District of Columbia. Last week they asked me if I would like to photograph them for the blog. But yesterday the kitchen manager--the woman on the right, affectionately known as "Mrs. G--said her supervise at Chartwells had instructed not to give their names.

That's a shame, don't you think. These are, after all, the real heroes of the cafeteria, the women who feed and nourish our children. They should be celebrated, not hidden away in anonymity. You know they try to serve the best food they can every day with the resources they have available. They put a lot of pride into their work, and parents should be grateful.

Today's entree was a spinach and cheese salad that "Mrs. G" triumphantly claimed as her own creation. "I told you I made it myself," she insisted. Also on the menu: steamed broccoli and a whole wheat roll.

This is so much better than chicken nuggets, no?