School Days

If you were functioning on the subway this morning, you probably saw a steady stream of backpacked kids parading around with wide mouths and unsure stares.  That daze was the stern face of school, the great unknown and the official end to summer.  Standing amongst those kids, I tried remember my own back-to-school feeling, the churning stomach, the moment when I knew it was all over, and that I'd have to enter those classrooms again. I thought fondly on art class, walking in lines, passing notes, and playing kiss-n-catch on the playground because my classmates and I were that innocent.  Buried amongst those feelings, amidst the deep nostalgia about random school events that were probably much more sinister than I remembered, sits school food. My classmates and I alternatively ate it and hated it, and yet talked it about all the time.  We studied the calendar, made sure we were ready for pizza, got "sick" when it was meatloaf day.  Here was food that wasn't our parents', wasn't from McDonald's, and didn't look anything like either.  Even as kids we knew that it was bad, yet we ate it anyway.  And strangely, as the time went on, we started to enjoy certain staples of school cafeterias. Well, here at the Paupered Chef we're going to look back at those old culinary delights, and try to shed new light on neglected food. You know, in the spirit of school starting.  Because we believe they have more to teach us, and we're always in for a nostalgia trip. Monday: Sloppy Joes Tuesday: Snack Pack Wednesday: Corn Dogs Thursday: Salibury Steak Friday: Chicken Nuggets

School Days, Uncategorized