By Joshua Garrison
Lunch is one of the most important times for the typical high school student, whether one is going out or staying in. Lunch provides a much needed moment of reprieve from consecutive hours of demanding classes that a student is met with on a daily basis. However, LREI differs from some schools within New York in that it is a private school which means the food is included in the tuition each student pays. While all New York schools have school lunch, only a handful have lunch with the same standard of quality as LREI. Most private schools pride themselves in their gourmet healthy meals that they provide to their children and LREI is no different.
To understand more about the philosophy behind LREI’s lunch food and what kind of preparation goes into cooking and selecting the food, Knightly news had a chat with none other than Eric Baer, the head chef of the LREI menus. The interview proved to be enlightening in understanding who Eric is and how he manages the LREI lunch experience.
KN:What do you enjoy most about your job?
ERIC: I like seeing smiles on peoples faces, and knowing that we’re the ones who put them there. Life can be difficult – even in the best of times it’s complicated. You never know what someone may be thinking about or struggling with. A gesture of kindness, a thank you, a plate of something delicious – sometimes that makes all the difference and helps turn a tough time around
KN: Where do you get the inspiration for the recipes to make for the school lunch?
ERIC: We gather inspiration from personal experiences, from published recipes or cookbooks and from other people. Some of our menus were even the suggestion of LREI students.
KN: which menus were suggested by students?
ERIC: Jerk chicken Grilled cheese and tomato soup Just to name a few
KN: What is your personal favorite/which one do you think is not appreciated enough?
ERIC: It’s hard for me to nail down a favorite meal. I struggle to do that with food in general. I kinda love it all. Our taco menus are great. Jerk chicken and gumbo are really good too.I think people sleep on the soup and vegetable options too much. Vegetables are great and so essential. You’d be surprised what you like if you just tried it.
KN: Are you happy with the student reception of the lunches?
ERIC: We don’t get a lot of feedback from students. Faculty and staff usually have a lot of positive things to say. It feels like you’re afraid to interact with us. We’re just people.. stop by, say hi and tell us what you liked. The biggest feedback we get now is when many of you decide to go out for lunch. We understand and aren’t hurt by it – but it would be great if there were a way for you to let us know you aren’t coming so we know how much food to prepare.
KN: What has proven to be the greatest challenge in your job?
ERIC: The last few years have been hard for foodservice and hospitality. So many people were displaced. There are so many obstacles that we still face post pandemic. Our deliveries don’t always show up on time, or sometimes they don’t even have all the ingredients we ordered. If equipment breaks down… it can take months to source the parts and have it repaired.
KN: When did you first discover your love of the culinary arts?
ERIC: Both of my parents worked hard to make ends meet. My brother and I spent a lot of afternoons with our grandparents. They lived across the street from my elementary school. I would spend a lot of time with my grandmother, in her kitchen, watching her cook this and that. When the whole family got together for celebrations, we would sit around the table – which was really their dining room table and a card table pushed together and covered with a few tablecloths. Everyone would be smiling and laughing while they ate. When the time came to start thinking about what I would do/ what I would be, the choice was a simple one. Food makes people happy. I want to make people happy. I need to work with food.
KN: What is your favorite food?
ERIC: We grew up.. not poor, but not wealthy either. My parents worked hard to make sure we had all they could provide. Soup was a constant in our home and still one of my favorite types of food. I tend to gravitate toward cuisines I didn’t eat as a kid though. Vietnamese food is one of my favorites, and pho is at the top of that list. There’s something really comforting about a big bowl of soup.
KN: What is one thing that you would want to change about the Lunch menus at LREI?
ERIC: We make changes all the time. I would like to be able to have more interactive menus for the high school students.
KN: How did you find yourself working at LREI?
ERIC: I worked in corporate dining for a time, and was looking for something new. A friend worked in school food service on the upper east side and said there was an opening. I applied, got the job and was at a few schools uptown. During the summers, those schools were closed – so I would come downtown to LREI and help during the summer camp program. When a position opened up here, I jumped at the chance. That was September 2011 – and I haven’t looked back since. It’s been the highlight of my career, sincerely. I never thought I could love any job as much as I have here at LREI.
KN: What is done with the Leftover food?
ERIC: We try to have as little leftovers as possible. We track how much you eat of each menu, so that we can prepare more or less in the future. If there are leftovers, we eat them when we take our lunch break, set some aside for the maintenance crew that works at night, or try to find a way to repurpose them for another dish. An example would be roasted chicken breast being cut up for soup or the salad bar.
KN: Do you ever feel restricted by the Budget that the school provides for the Lunches?
ERIC: We have a budget, but I wouldn’t say I feel restricted by it. We just try to maintain a little balance, as you would with anything. There are a lot of high-quality items we provide – but don’t expect to see seared ahi tuna make an appearance on the menu or salad bar.
KN: Do you pay attention to the Menus of other private schools for Comparison/collaboration?
ERIC: The company I work for, Cater to You, has teams in over 20 schools in NY and NJ. We all talk, share ideas and find ways to collaborate when we can.
KN: Do a majority of students enjoy the vegan and vegetarian options that the school provides?
ERIC: Many of the students and faculty members enjoy the vegan and vegetarian options we offer. I wouldn’t say a majority, but enough to make keeping those options available worthwhile.
KN: What was the first thing you ever cooked?
ERIC: Probably mashed potatoes or something simple.
So there you have it, A full investigation into the preparation of the Lunch served at LREI.