CIA students 'took over' Red Hook lunch menus for one NY November day

It’s not every day a school lunch tray is packed with freshly made gnocchi in butternut squash, roasted chicken and baked apples topped with oats.

But, it’s also not every day Culinary Institute of America students determine, prepare and serve the school’s menu.

Last week, the Red Hook Central School District welcomed three chefs-in-training to each of its buildings for a “menu takeover.” It’s the latest step in an ongoing relationship between the district and the Hyde Park institution.

Previously, the same nine students visited the schools in October to learn from Red Hook’s kitchen staff and assist in the preparation and serving. Food Services Director Sam Pride has been working with the students’ Food for Good class as they developed the menus, each of which not only conformed to child nutrition standards but were entirely sourced from New York producers, in line with the district’s New York November initiative.

In addition to the aforementioned menu at Linden Avenue Middle School, Red Hook High School students on Nov. 5 enjoyed homemade chicken pot pie topped by a wheat biscuit, alongside edamame salad and a berry and cherry pudding topped by fresh granola; the menu at Mill Road Elementary School included both buffalo and barbeque chicken, butternut squash mac and cheese, glazed carrots, fruit salad, and a cherry smoothie.

“It’s been a phenomenal experience,” Pride said. “We’ve created some really wonderful food. The response from the kids have been incredibly positive. It’s been a lot of fun all the way around.”

More than one Red Hook student, as they moved down the serving line, had a similar question for those serving them: “Are you really from the CIA?”

Reham Jawdat, one of the students at Mill Road, said her group gave careful thought to how to create a dish the youngest – and often pickiest – eaters would enjoy while still being nutritious.

“They like some specific things … So, mac and cheese would work, but we also wanted to be healthy,” she said. “So, we put butternut squash and veggies inside their max and cheese.”

They found the right recipe in a fitting place, considering the audience.

“It’s actually my Mom’s recipe, that she used to make for us,” student Hallie Hermiller said. “She was super stoked to hear that.”

The students are part of the CIA’s farm-to-table concentration, which focuses on cooking with Hudson Valley ingredients and connecting with area farms.

Dr. Taylor Reid, a CIA professor who focuses on food systems, sustainability and farm-to-table, said though most of their training is in fine dining, many CIA students are interested in child nutrition and high-volume production.

“We have four restaurants that they can work in,” Reid said of the Hyde Park campus. “But they don’t ever get to be in a system that looks like this.”

Pride said working with the CIA benefits both sides. While the students get valuable experience with institutional cooking that must meet state standards and be cost effective, the Red Hook staff gets to observe the Culinary students’ techniques. The benefit for Red Hook’s students is fairly obvious.

CIA student Ryan Benbow said it was a very different experience being in a school kitchen, compared to his own years of walking through the serving line.

“There’s more put into this work than I thought,” he said. “Keeping these students happy and healthy is just a lot to think about.”