Monday, October 13, 2014

“Top Chef” star Tom Colicchio likes what he tastes in SF school lunchroom


U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi donned an apron Thursday to cook up some yogurt-based ranch dressing with television chef Tom Colicchio at San Francisco’s Mission High School to show support for healthy food in schools.

The cooking demonstration was a far cry from reality TV food competitions, Collicchio — head judge on “Top Chef” — gave the food high marks.

“This is what you get in school?” Colicchio asked assembled students as he tried the ranch dressing on a sample size of turkey chef salad served in district cafeterias. “This is awesome.”
San Francisco contracts with Revolution Foods, which uses whole grains and fresh produce in its school breakfast, lunch and supper meals.

Superintendent Richard Carranza said it was an opportunity to show off the district’s commitment to fresh, locally grown and healthy food despite the extra expense.
“It’s not an expense,” Carranza said. “It’s an investment.”

Colicchio said he was impressed by the sample meals he tasted — noting that his mom ran a school lunchroom when he was a kid and that the food didn’t look anything like what he ate at Mission High Thursday.

“How can we as a country not afford healthy food in schools,” said Calicchio, a board member of Food Policy Action, a nonprofit focused on high quality foods.

Student Tanusree Chakraborty could barely contain her excitement as she watched Colicchio cook and tour the school garden.

“I was so excited,” she said of meeting him, adding that she loves to cook and watch reality television cooking shows, although she admitted her favorite is “Cutthroat Kitchen.” “I think this is the first celebrity chef I’ve seen,” Tanusree said.

It wasn’t, she said hopefully, the last in her future career in hospitality or cooking.

Original Article and Photo Sourced From:  http://blog.sfgate.com/education/2014/10/09/top-chef-star-tom-colicchio-likes-what-he-tastes-in-sf-school-lunchroom/ 

No comments:

Post a Comment