Let's talk about food

What are we feeding our kids today? I’m asking this question to the parents and chefs who prepare meals for their children and students before they begin their day at school. My name is Chef Roger Urso and I work for a sorority house on the University of Michigan Campus in Ann Arbor, MI. Welcome to my food blog.

I think it is important to know who you’re preparing food for, what their allergies are and how much food they consume. I also believe strongly in communicating effectively and by the way, you should pay more attention to listening and not talking, this ensures you are not wasting your time or the time of the person you are communicating with. I run my kitchen alone. What does this mean? I manage the budget, create the menu, shop for the groceries, prep the food…..from scratch! Serve the food, clean the dishes, and request feedback on every meal to ensure I am doing my job properly for the young ladies I cook for.

I believe strongly in food safety. Lets make sure the raw meats are stored properly, check the dates on the perishable food items, lets not freeze expired meats, test your bleach water to ensure the proper level of dilution so people aren’t being exposed to harmful chemicals, make certain your cutting boards are labeled for meats and separated from boards used to prepare fruits and vegetables and PLEASE, properly clean all of your tools.

Lets discuss allergies and how cross contamination can play a part in placing our children and students in danger. Salad dressings should be bottled and not jarred. Lets face it, if one salad dressing gets into another there could be a problem. Are we taking the necessary precautions on a daily basis to know what we are feeding to who? There is more to being a professional food service representative aside from cooking the food. Let me explain this from my perspective.

I cook for multiple young ladies on a daily basis. These young ladies are vegan, vegetarian, kosher and some even have allergies. How do I look at my place in this house that is so diverse and full of woman? I look at it like this. Each young lady who attends this sorority has a set of parents who trust their child is safe and in good hands. Each young lady deserves to be respected and treated like a human being. I ask the girls what type of food will they eat? Not what do I want to cook for them and when I get ideas from the young ladies, I ensure the food looks good, taste exceptional and is safe for everyone to eat.

Helpful hints for being successful in the food service industry. Manage your budget with spreadsheets. Prepare your menus a minimum of 4 weeks out. This allows you to better forecast your spending and manage your time more effectively. Be clean at work and dress as a professional. Always wear a hat and don’t show up to work sick….EVER! If you don’t know how to cook, then one of two things need to happen. Learn or don’t cook. Your reputation is always judged in the world of food by YOUR FOOD.