550682 Thu Aug 21 07:28:47 -0700 2008 236 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 3974760 At JG school back in the sixties, it was the cornbread: hot, salty, greasy. And the homemade peanut butter cookies. What was the best thing cooked at your school cafeteria? Thu Aug 21 07:28:49 -0700 2008 51616 fluffernutter 1 3974784 Mashed Potatoes and Gravy...all from instant I am sure, (probably why I liked it as my Mother would never use them). I used to trade my chicken friend steak or whatever protein for another pile of those spuds and gravy. Thu Aug 21 07:34:33 -0700 2008 3974760 96905 bubbles4me 2 5003029 I'm with you on that. My mom never made instant potatoes so it was a treat for us. Thu Sep 03 13:51:26 -0700 2009 3974784 180068 Smileelisa 2 5058408 "I used to trade my chicken friend steak or whatever protein for another pile of those spuds and gravy." I like my freiends lightly sauteed and served on a bed of mesclin and a nice mujdei sauce. Fri Sep 25 12:33:23 -0700 2009 3974784 277493 DallasDude 1 3974789 Deli sandwich on a bagel, with tater tots. Thu Aug 21 07:36:27 -0700 2008 3974760 202497 MattInNJ 2 3974903 I just remembered this one. The nice lady from Afghanistan (I believe her name was Najeista(sp?)) made that best meatloaf ever! Me and my brother loved it so much, we got the recipe from her and still use it to this day.... Thu Aug 21 08:12:10 -0700 2008 3974789 202497 MattInNJ 3 3978798 please post the recipe in Home Cooking with a description! Fri Aug 22 12:11:09 -0700 2008 3974903 10991 kiwi 1 3974792 Nothing was entirely edible at our high school cafeteria. They did make white rolls for which they clearly didn't sift the flour, because the top crust was always speckled with little globs of uncooked white flour. We'd peel those off and eat the rolls, which didn't have great texture or flavor but were always warm and much improved by real butter. It's a minor miracle there was real butter, because this was the era when catsup was considered a vegetable by the feds who administered the school lunch program. I can't remember anything else that wasn't delivered frozen and cooked on site. I mostly brownbagged it, or ate the packaged goods that were sold as fundraisers in the cafeteria. Thu Aug 21 07:36:59 -0700 2008 3974760 24126 amyzan 1 3974821 humbling and equalizing work experience - every student in my high school in hawaii was required to work in the cafeteria at least one day, serving or some other relatively safe chore (no knives or stoves). as for food - wednesday was always enchilada day in our jhs in texas. for some reason, i liked those things, though in retrospect they're probably no better than the frozen u-wave stuff from a convenience store. Thu Aug 21 07:46:39 -0700 2008 3974760 13136 Loren3 2 3974996 >>every student in my high school in hawaii was required to work in the cafeteria at least one day, serving or some other relatively safe chore (no knives or stoves). public high school? that is an AWESOME policy. Thu Aug 21 08:32:57 -0700 2008 3974821 64215 cimui 3 5001721 i whole heartedly agree Thu Sep 03 07:38:04 -0700 2009 3974996 264146 kubasd 2 5003149 Today at our little downeast Maine HS we had veggie pizzas w/ home made thin crust topped w/ tomatoes, peppers and onions grown in our school garden, served to me by one of my favorite "problem" students who beamed and smiled as he served me. Cool. Thu Sep 03 14:33:28 -0700 2009 3974821 93538 Passadumkeg 3 5006238 Whoa. Fri Sep 04 18:06:54 -0700 2009 5003149 52237 guilty 3 5009615 Wow - Passadumkeg how did you get the school garden started? We just moved, my daughter is in a nut-free classroom and the teacher sent home a depressing list of processed snack foods that are nut-free. I'd love to get the school more inspired about food. If you prefer, email me - address is on my profile. TIA :) Sun Sep 06 15:34:28 -0700 2009 5003149 138472 maplesugar 4 5009687 Nope, a young biology teacher, upon whom I have a terrible crush. DOM Sun Sep 06 16:12:38 -0700 2009 5009615 93538 Passadumkeg 5 5010837 i hope your wife doesn't read chowhound. Mon Sep 07 08:56:36 -0700 2009 5009687 105717 alkapal 6 5011604 She might have a crush on her too, the bio teacher is very sweet, watched our dog while we were in Korea, lobsters by rowing dory and is married to a wonderful young man. A special person. Mon Sep 07 14:49:31 -0700 2009 5010837 93538 Passadumkeg 7 5015177 ;-). Tue Sep 08 20:16:23 -0700 2009 5011604 105717 alkapal 3 5016139 Wow- I'm so impressed! Wed Sep 09 08:47:27 -0700 2009 5003149 105625 EWSflash 3 5017746 When school gardens and greenhouses are incorported into the curriculum and funding process with the same importance as gymnasiums, we will see progress. Healthy food consumption is part of Physical Fitness. Wed Sep 09 17:12:01 -0700 2009 5003149 17562 FoodFuser 1 3974862 Food in the 50s and 60s was quite good. The best: enchiladas, bierocks, "chop suey", ground meat in brown gravey over mashed potatoes, lasgana, meat loaf, and beef stew. Thu Aug 21 08:00:34 -0700 2008 3974760 36661 Sam Fujisaka 2 4172252 Without a doubt the 'Sloppy Joes'...I loved Sloppy Joe days (what was in those things anyway?) and I can still hear that lunch cart rumbling down the hall and the smell billowing in the air. Ahhh....bring back the early '60's and make me young again :). Thu Nov 13 19:32:52 -0800 2008 3974862 239340 latindancer 3 4174241 Boy Latindancer I agree with you, I have been trying to find out and cannot duplicate them, I had them in about 1960 at University High School in West Los Angeles. Fri Nov 14 13:21:36 -0800 2008 4172252 12130 malibumike 4 5001724 sloppy joes.... man were those things good! that and the clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl. That was my favorite school lunch ever. Thu Sep 03 07:39:00 -0700 2009 4174241 264146 kubasd 3 5007067 Absolutely, sloppy joe days were my favorite too. The few brief encounters I've had with sloppy joes lately though, are not the same. It's like someone dumped a jar of jelly into the mix. Sat Sep 05 07:47:19 -0700 2009 4172252 40486 Cinnamon 2 5069196 Yes, beerocks! And when my kids were growing up, I often made hamburger gravy over mashed potatoes and christened it "Public School Food." Wed Sep 30 07:56:33 -0700 2009 3974862 44682 mothrpoet 3 5122083 served with peas, that's a deconstructed shepherd's pie? ;-)). Thu Oct 22 05:03:52 -0700 2009 5069196 105717 alkapal 1 3974918 in the 60's in elementary school in sw florida, mrs. foss, cafeteria manager, made those great chocolate-oatmeal no bake cookies. every now and then i get a craving.... it looks like i am not alone: http://www.cooks.com/rec/search/0,1-0,no-bake_chocolate_oatmeal_cookies,FF.html thanks to gourmaniac, i remembered shepherd's pie (although probably made with ground beef). yummy! Thu Aug 21 08:16:00 -0700 2008 3974760 105717 alkapal 1 3974939 -yeast rolls -cheese toast with vegetable soup -peanut butter cookies -those no bake chocolate & peanut butter cookies with oatmeal in them Thu Aug 21 08:20:07 -0700 2008 3974760 11990 Janet from Richmond 1 3974945 I came up during the Reagan years, so ... nothing. The ketchup, maybe? Actually, I guess the breakfast was probably the best thing. It's hard to screw up pancakes from a mix. Thu Aug 21 08:22:19 -0700 2008 3974760 177724 tmso 2 3975001 well, tmso, at least you had the option for breakfast. our cafeteria was only open for lunch. when breakfast became available in all public schools (1975), i was already in high school. http://www.educationbug.org/a/the-history-of-the-school-lunch-program.html (but i still don't recall they served breakfast, but maybe that is because i had breakfast at home.) Thu Aug 21 08:33:36 -0700 2008 3974945 105717 alkapal 3 3975542 Yeah, when I was a kid I was always happy when I got to eat breakfast at school. My parents, like most of us who got reduced lunch, usually didn't let me eat the prepared lunches, and I didn't want to either. I think the only ones who ate them were on free lunch, and even some of them brown bagged it. I remember we wrote letters to President Reagan asking for vegetables, and he sent us back a signed picture. By fifth or sixth grade, there was no way you could have dragged me or most of my friends into the caffeteria, and if anyone couldn't afford to bring a lunch, we'd just share. That kept on through high school. Thu Aug 21 10:49:34 -0700 2008 3975001 177724 tmso 1 3974951 1970's Toronto. Shepherds Pie. Would always order it even if I brown bagged. Thu Aug 21 08:23:33 -0700 2008 3974760 13803 gourmaniac 1 3974962 In high school my cafeteria served a jumbo chocolate chip cookie, it was baked on the edges, warm and raw on the inside. IMO, absolute perfection. They had the cookies everyday, and they were only a quarter. On the other hand my college cafeteria cooked nothing worthwhile, I guess I would have to go with the salad bar or the make-it-yourself PB&J. Thu Aug 21 08:25:47 -0700 2008 3974760 11327 lizzy 1 3974971 In the late 60s/early 60s, I was privileged to attend a boarding school in a Phila. suburb whose kitchen staff all hailed from the American south. I honestly can't say that just one dish stands out because it was all sooooo good! A few highlights: - German Eggs - a frequent Sunday breakfast dish also known as Farmer's Omelet - bacon, sauteed onions, home fries and eggs, all in one - Roast Beef & Yorkshire Pudding - maybe once or twice a semester, for dinner. My first experience with Yorkshire Pudding and I've never had better - Southern Fried Chicken and Drop Biscuits - paradise for a weekend lunch - Grits available at every breakfast - mmmm, with a dollop of butter and some S&P. - A mound of perfectly round ice cream scoops presented in a molded ring of cornflakes and - I don't know - caramel? - A very special breakfast offering - usually at exam time - called Bishop's Cakes. They were like beignets - or maybe fritters - rolled in granulated sugar, to be eaten just as is or slathered with butter and syrup. - Oh! and angel food cakes, either plain or cocoa-flavored, and the hollow center filled to over-flowing with chocolate- or plain-flavored whipped cream. Ah, those were the days... Thu Aug 21 08:27:46 -0700 2008 3974760 10787 Deenso 2 4163379 I attended a boarding school in Ireland during the '70s so picture unpeeled, boiled potatoes, "mystery meat" and stale bread. The highlights were fish fingers (you could trade these for about 2-3 breakfast fruit and cheeses), meatloaf, "tinned spaghetti" and the "glorious" tapioca with jam. We sent it back to the kitchen once and the irate nun returned it and made us eat it. On the other hand we had raw milk, warm from the cow, for corn flakes, real butter, and real apple tarts, gooseberries by the ton, gooseberry wine, a REAL apple tart with homemade puff pastry crust, and tea made in a teapot 4 times a day. PAX. Mon Nov 10 18:47:10 -0800 2008 3974971 236645 Joanzing 1 3975011 In the fifties and sixties there was no best thing at the private schools I attended.I can only recall three things eaten without great relutance,Nabisco Saltines,hard cooked eggs and cottage cheese.Nothing "cooked"in the recipe sense was decent.One thing that sticks in my memory to this day,"beef stew"made with ground beef,canned peas and liberal amounts of sugar.A truely nasty plate of food.Much worse is I am sure blocked out,this is a good thing.Those of us that went to private or Catholic school envied our buddies in the public schools getting decent>good food.grass is always greener maybe the case here. Thu Aug 21 08:36:23 -0700 2008 3974760 203919 lcool 2 3975050 lcool, sounds like the grass really *was* greener in your case! Thu Aug 21 08:43:00 -0700 2008 3975011 105717 alkapal 3 3975189 Maybe,but a case could be made for the public school offerings being almost as bad.At least when serving 1,200 plus there is hope for selection The youngest SiL went to public,said the food was so bad,survival required a packed lunch.Her twin however disagrees,and today he is the picky-picky fussy one. go figure Thu Aug 21 09:17:07 -0700 2008 3975050 203919 lcool 4 3975241 i was lucky, growing up in an area with good local produce and meat. and good southern cooks, of course (sw fla.) Thu Aug 21 09:26:23 -0700 2008 3975189 105717 alkapal 1 3975017 tater tots. i'd still gobble them down. Thu Aug 21 08:37:23 -0700 2008 3974760 64215 cimui 2 3975259 Jealous. I wish our cafeteria served tater tots ... I might've been an even more overweight kid. Thu Aug 21 09:29:35 -0700 2008 3975017 11583 ipsedixit 3 3976581 nuckin' futs, man. ;) which school cafeteria *didn't* serve tater tots? i grew up in lexington, kentucky and went to public middle and high school in the 90s where/when tater tots were very much an essential "vegetable". really. you got to choose two veggie sides with your main and tater tots were always on offer as one of them. Thu Aug 21 16:35:51 -0700 2008 3975259 64215 cimui 4 5003605 There you go, I think it's likely a generational thing. Sounds like tater tots have been de rigueur the past two decades, not so in the preceding decades. Thu Sep 03 17:49:18 -0700 2009 3976581 10074 Caitlin McGrath 1 3975120 NYC public schools in 70s and 80s -- Jamaican beef patties (Tower Isle kind). I noticed a huge change in the quality of food from the 70s to 80s. We used to be served semi-decent fare on cardboard trays. I would look forward to some meals. Then when they switched over to styrofoam, the food quality deteriorated quite a bit, and I started bringing my own food. Thu Aug 21 09:00:20 -0700 2008 3974760 10763 Miss Needle 1 3975195 Growing up in New England in the early 80's we looked forward to: 1. Friday - Meatball sub (grinder/ hoagie/ whatever) day overloaded with thick, over-spiced marinara. 2. Once a month they did sloppy joes which was pretty much all the leftover meat from the month right before (or in some cases right after) it went bad, mixed with a ton of spices and served with a mystery 'sloppy joe' sauce that I still can't figure out today. Both were the only days I declined the homemade lunches that mom packed. Thu Aug 21 09:17:52 -0700 2008 3974760 203536 Spends Rent on Food 2 3977433 I'd have to agree with you. I remember what I always called the "All-Purpose Patty", one day it was veal parm, the next they called it chicken parm , then Bacon Burger, Salisbury Steak when they burned lines in it, was it all the same patty ?? Fri Aug 22 01:19:10 -0700 2008 3975195 51489 Jimbosox04 3 5003033 I, too, grew up in New England. Only it was so long ago that we couldn't have had meatball sub on Friday. Friday was still ruled by the Catholic churches so fish and pizza only. No meat. My favorite was the bacon burger. It wasn't a hamburger with bacon but some kind of patty. No idea what it was but I still crave them. :) My least favorite was chicken salad. It made me sick once in 4th grade and I've never eaten it again since. (And that was in 1973.) LOL. Thu Sep 03 13:52:41 -0700 2009 3977433 186925 why_itsme 4 5003368 I'm of the same generation as you. I grew up in a small town in the midwest where most of the Catholics attended the Catholic K-8 school then attended public high school. As I recall, even the public elementary schools and definitely the H.S. always served fish on Fridays. Thu Sep 03 16:10:31 -0700 2009 5003033 169792 lgss 4 5138385 Bacon burger. A bunch of us New England kids ate the same meal. A few of us are still searching for the bacon burger patty. (It possibly contained no bacon.) Vermette's Market, in Amesbury, Mass. was the last sighting of a "real" bacon burger. I bought some last year and they were the same as school. Still trying to figure out their source. Wed Oct 28 14:51:59 -0700 2009 5003033 1119945 yeatthebun 3 5056518 "Bacon burger." My favourite.This was not a burger topped with bacon. It was a patty and possibly had no bacon in it. Went to school in Mass. and this was on the menu during the 70/80's for the entire K-12. A small market here sold "real" school cafe bacon burgers until last year. I am going to quiz them about it. A bacon burger, roll, a single leaf of lettuce, and too much school style mayo...The best. How about "Kangeroo pockets?" Don't get me started. Thu Sep 24 18:11:49 -0700 2009 3977433 1111772 Yeat the bun 4 5069007 Same Bat-time, same Bat-channel. I have periodically searched for the elusive "bacon burger" for years. My latest internet search led me here (I just registered with Chowhound to right this reply). At least I found someone who knows what the heck I'm talking about. I really thought I was going to find the holy bacon burger grail this time (so close and yet so far). Please let me know if you find out anything from the market (any chance I could get the name of the place?). Wed Sep 30 06:57:55 -0700 2009 5056518 1113036 Robertr 5 5122085 yeat the bun and robertr, i suggest that you start a new "bacon burger" thread, if you haven't already done so. otherwise, your quest is buried in this long thread.... Thu Oct 22 05:05:41 -0700 2009 5069007 105717 alkapal 5 5138349 "Vermette's Market" in Amesbury,MA. These were the real deal. A package of 6 patties for $4.00 or less. My cousin and I are "jonesing" big time for them right now. Fried in a thin layer of oil to make them a bit crisp. Mayo, lettuce. and a big bun. Wow. I am still working on a source to obtain "real" bacon burgers. I will keep you posted. Please let me know if you find anymore info. about "real" bacon burgers. Honestly, I still do not know what they are made of but I want more! Wed Oct 28 14:41:32 -0700 2009 5069007 1119945 yeatthebun 1 3975250 Salisbury Steak Hardshell tacos I think with just those two food items, I would be happy on a desert island for several months at least. Thu Aug 21 09:27:49 -0700 2008 3974760 11583 ipsedixit 2 3975981 Totally agree about the Salisbury steak! Thu Aug 21 13:16:30 -0700 2008 3975250 17644 raytamsgv 3 3978740 At my school this was universally known as "Mystery Meat". Fri Aug 22 11:51:18 -0700 2008 3975981 102895 Cheflambo 1 3975505 Southeastern Massachusetts in the mid 70s to the mid 80s: My favorite, which I swear still crave sometimes, was the cheese ravioli and marinara. It was very soft, it had to have been from a can. But I loved it, and if I knew what brand it was, I'd buy it. At the time I didn't like the food, but it was all cooked in house, and pretty decent. And all of the desserts were made in house. We had a lot of bar cookies. "Congo bars" were my favorite. After graduation from college I moved in with my dad. His next door neighbor was the cafeteria lady from my middle school, and she recognized me! She was an absolute sweetheart, and an incredible home cook. Thu Aug 21 10:32:19 -0700 2008 3974760 74556 manraysky 2 3976844 I've discovered Amy's organic canned cheese ravioli. Don't laugh, I even like it cold, straight from the can sometimes. I find it at some health food stores and a few upscale ones have it; I really think you might like it. It's nice to keep in the cupboard for when you really don't feel like cooking anything. Thu Aug 21 18:17:39 -0700 2008 3975505 12520 walker 3 3977420 Oh wow, thanks! I will definitely look out for that. That might be the perfect combination of my childhood craving and not being complete garbage. Fri Aug 22 00:53:41 -0700 2008 3976844 74556 manraysky 1 3975567 Whistle Dogs in the late 80s. Thu Aug 21 10:58:23 -0700 2008 3974760 10626 phoenikia 1 3975768 In my day, the Oakland public schools were well-known for their sweet rolls. In fact, I remember when I got to junior high (not available at my elementary school), my Mom, who had been a high school teacher in Oakland ten years earlier, asked me with longing if they still made them. I assume they were made in a central kitchen then baked on site, but they were delicious, huge, and I think they were 15 cents. They also made really good cookies and amazing short bread (using all that cheap government surplus butter), that was 5 cents for a slab about 4 inches square and an inch thick. I don't think I ever ate an actual meal in the cafeteria, though. Brown bag all the way. My high school had a lovely cafeteria (in a stand-alone building with big windows overlooking the central lawn), but I don't remember ever buying anything there. Thu Aug 21 12:09:22 -0700 2008 3974760 10159 Ruth Lafler 2 3976086 I went to OPS as well, grad in the mid 70's. Mom wouldn't give us money for the sweet rolls, but when i finally got a part time job in my senior year I would buy them occasionally (most of my money went for pizza, albums, and gas.) Aside from the frozen malteds that came from the snack bar, i think that is the only cafeteria food I ever ate in 12 years of public school. I had forgotten, thanks for reminding me Ruth. Thu Aug 21 13:46:21 -0700 2008 3975768 57890 KaimukiMan 2 3977258 King Jr Jr high in Berkeley had tasty sweet rolls, too. This was before the Edible Schoolyard -- there was no wood burning pizza oven in the yard, then. And Berkeley High had great french fries. I never bought anything else since it was an open campus and we usually left during lunch. I suspect that both places have better/healthier food, now. But...those fries were good... Thu Aug 21 21:28:35 -0700 2008 3975768 11231 Glencora 2 3977332 hmmmm.....I went to Tech and graduated in 1971 and I don't remember sweet rolls. But I don't remember much about high school...thanks to graduating early plus a year in Mexico I managed to only spend a year actually at Tech....Besides, all my meals were eaten at Chris and John's or Maria's Bavarian Cheesecake :-) Thu Aug 21 22:32:48 -0700 2008 3975768 10290 janetofreno 3 3978101 I remember the sweet rolls, from both junior high and high school. They were good, but yes, absolutely paled in comparison to Maria's Bavarian Cheesecake (which was located right across the street from the high school, next to Chris and John's Hotdogs, or was it Chris and Jon's?, which rumor had was partially owned by Clint Eastwood, a Tech alum, of course). Janet and I and our friend H had no problem splitting one entire cheesecake between the three of us... sigh. I think it is a fast food place and a video store there now.... Fri Aug 22 08:36:10 -0700 2008 3977332 10158 susancinsf 1 3975932 My elementary school cafeteria in Utah in the mid-80's had the most delicious bar cookies they called peanut butter fingers. It was the highlight of my week if we were having those for dessert. Thu Aug 21 13:03:50 -0700 2008 3974760 12268 mollyomormon 1 3975974 In the mornings before class/homeroom if you came early enough the cafeteria sold fresh muffins- double chocolate chip and chocolate chip , blueberry, lemon, etc that were wrapped up in foil and so tender and warm you'd had to eat it with a fork. I'm sure they were from a mix, but damn if those weren't the best things on a cold morning! Also, Italian subs and fries. And chocolate chip cookies- which were also freshly baked before lunch. Thu Aug 21 13:15:12 -0700 2008 3974760 122570 teamuse 1 3976016 I generally brought my lunch - eternally dieting diet. But when we had: Hamburgers and french fries Pizza I was in line! Thu Aug 21 13:27:50 -0700 2008 3974760 90565 Cookiefiend 1 3976130 went to high school in the mid 70's. my junior/senior year they ditched the school lunch program and had some wonderful ol hippies take over the cafeteria.. so we had things like who wheat pizza.. i actually worked in teh kitchen senior year for credit - one of early steps on the road to foodiedom (yes i call myself a foodie, even here on CH - i don't buy the CH definition at all) Thu Aug 21 14:00:34 -0700 2008 3974760 135229 thew 1 3976357 When I went to high school in the early 80s, the cafeteria had awesome chocolate milk shakes that were so thick you had to eat them with a spoon (25¢) – this may sound weird, but they tasted really good if you ate them with Fritos corn chips. The garlic bread was also amazing (10¢) and really yummy, greasy french fries (25¢). Those were the days . . . of great metabolism! Thu Aug 21 15:06:19 -0700 2008 3974760 52417 mmg 1 3976370 Growing up in PGH PA, I rarley ate the cafeteria food. Horrid wretched crap. 1exception- when they had mexican pizza. Gooey cheddar cheese atop a beef sauce on a chewey crust. Greeeeeasy. The only other thing I can remember because I have mentally blocked out all such food are the chocolate chip cookies, and only because they were the worst I had ever tasted. My daughter just stated kindergarten and I am really curious to know how their lunches are. Nowadays, cookies aren't even an option. How sad. Thu Aug 21 15:09:48 -0700 2008 3974760 123913 chocchipcookie 1 3976374 Age separator for hounds: How many of us remember the term "Lunch Ladies"? I have memories of Bonus Days where they served spinach or kale, which no one else would eat and I piled it high from freebies from friends. The lunch ladies even had a jar of vinegar for me. There were semi-annual "Spaghetti Suppers" as a school fund raiser. Leftovers at the end of the evening were served on the sly to the L.L.'s favorite calorie consumer students. Thu Aug 21 15:11:26 -0700 2008 3974760 17562 FoodFuser 2 3976387 I do, I do! There were never "Lunch Men", only "Lunch Ladies" :). My fave at school was the beef barley soup which they would serve in a styrofoam coffee cup. I would jam a bunch of crackers in it and call it a meal. Also, the sausage and egg sandwich on a Kaiser roll. Loved it! Thu Aug 21 15:16:56 -0700 2008 3976374 113872 diablo 2 3976477 Oh yes, those lunch ladies! What are they called now? I'm probably thinking it's probably gender neutral these days. Thu Aug 21 15:44:50 -0700 2008 3976374 10763 Miss Needle 2 3977257 Oh I remember the lunch ladies- I even remember their names- Ms Tinney and Ms Peden. They made the best cinnamon rolls in the world, some kind of country fried steak that wasn't fried and wasn't steak (it was made from soybeans), but the thing I remember most were the school rolls. I used to skip 10:00 study hall, and go hang around the kitchen while they made 'em- they would always let me sample from the first batch, straight from the oven... Thu Aug 21 21:26:50 -0700 2008 3976374 96658 Clarkafella 2 3978186 Bill Harley is a professional storyteller. "Mrs. Lunchroom Lady" is a scream. Fri Aug 22 09:00:40 -0700 2008 3976374 59951 thinks too much 3 5001764 what else are they called other than lunch ladies? lol Thu Sep 03 07:49:44 -0700 2009 3978186 264146 kubasd 1 3976391 '50s Illinois, the pre-Thanksgiving feast of turkey and dressing and potatoes and green beans. Never varied, and the potatoes were mashed from real ones and the gravy (for once!) not out of a can. The rest of the year my favorite was a hot dish (casserole kinda thing) they called Marietta, which was hamburger, kidney beans, tomatoes and onion, all mixed into cooked macaroni with shredded cheese and baked with more cheese on top. My mother made a skillet dish exactly like that, only without the cheese, until I persuaded her to try putting some in. After that we had Marietta at home, too. I still like it. Thu Aug 21 15:17:12 -0700 2008 3974760 11478 Will Owen 2 4168732 Mid 60's suburban Chicago....the best garlic bread I have ever had. Wed Nov 12 16:11:33 -0800 2008 3976391 14917 mtngirlnv 2 4175350 will, your marietta dish sounds close to "johnny marzetti" http://bestroominthehouse.wordpress.com/2007/08/14/johnny-marzetti/ comfort food, for sure! Sat Nov 15 04:42:18 -0800 2008 3976391 105717 alkapal 3 5005265 "Marietta" may very well have been a poorly-remembered Johnny Marzetti - someone who could remember the dish OK but had to sorta guess at the name. No matter what you call it, I still crave it enough to make it at least once a year. Fri Sep 04 11:32:01 -0700 2009 4175350 11478 Will Owen 1 3976422 I would bring odd things like fried egg sandwiches or a sleeve of saltines and cubed cheese (now they package that up and slap a $3 lunchable tag on it- back then I was 'weird') But in HS I would stand in line sometimes for a bagel. It was 35 cents,only available in garlic, had an oily butter flavor grease applied and it was wrapped in a small piece of foil. They were so good. I was too little when my Mom ran the PTA and instituted 'Hoagie Day' - but my older sisters would tell me that all week long if you pressed your nose to the wooden tables you could smell the italian dressing. Thu Aug 21 15:27:21 -0700 2008 3974760 110426 Boccone Dolce 1 3976485 At my junior high in the early 80's in upstate NY, the lunch ladies used to serve a really good Chicken Fricassee. It had a bright yellowish color and was very full flavored. They used to serve it over fluffy white rice. It had lots of chunks of chicken (and unfortunately some bones from time to time) and was really tasty. I actually still crave this from time to time. Of course, I wasn't allowed to admit that I liked this in front of my lunch buddies because they called it "Chicken Frickinpee". Thu Aug 21 15:48:59 -0700 2008 3974760 58994 Robert R 1 3976495 Big cinnamon rolls, which, of course, weren't included in the regular lunch but at the "snack bar", so many of us skipped the regular lunch and spent our lunch money on a cinnamon roll instead. Thu Aug 21 15:52:44 -0700 2008 3974760 169792 lgss 1 3976601 the BEST cookies I've still ever had! little chocolate chip ones, and big oatmeal chocolate chip ones..crispy edges and a little raw in the middle..they would come out warm the same time every day...yumm.. i STILL crave those! Thu Aug 21 16:41:47 -0700 2008 3974760 115868 burlgurl 1 3976725 Tuna fish sandwich with celery. Our school had the best glazed donuts - donuts and a coke for lunch sometimes - we would be bouncing off the ceiling for the afternoon. Thu Aug 21 17:26:41 -0700 2008 3974760 99845 Donna52479 1 3976753 Out here in California, the best thing was the cinnamon coffee cake it was delicious. I found a recipe and tried to duplicate it, but it didn't come out the same. Thu Aug 21 17:38:07 -0700 2008 3974760 62097 paprkutr 2 5003861 Try the Coffee Cake from the King Arthur Flour Cookbook, I think it's pretty close. Thu Sep 03 20:16:31 -0700 2009 3976753 23106 Flour Child 1 3976760 hot dogs. freshman year i ate the prepared stuff. the next year i discovered the ladies would prepare a few items off-menu. every now and then i would have them grill up a few hot dogs for me and saute a batch of onions. the rolls were toasted. freshmen were jealous. Thu Aug 21 17:41:01 -0700 2008 3974760 10627 steve h. 1 3976827 Either the fries n gravy (surely from a box!) or the chicken Caesar wraps - the dressing was scratch-made and they always sold out. Thu Aug 21 18:09:44 -0700 2008 3974760 171920 jo_jo_ba 1 3976837 My school had excellent food...my favs: - oven baked chicken with rice and gravy - chili con carne (with corn niblets) over rice - garlic bread on hot dog buns - caramel cuts (like blondies, but better) - Portuguese bean soup Thu Aug 21 18:12:54 -0700 2008 3974760 156153 akq 1 3976843 gigantic pieces of homemade cake with milk... sometimes that was all I would eat at lunch!! Could handle it in junior high! Thu Aug 21 18:16:27 -0700 2008 3974760 220409 gizzie 1 3976965 I can't remember anything at my school cafeteria...but I am a teacher, and so I have recent memeories... NYC-collard greens with ham hocks...I would ask for a platefull, and they would add an extra bit of shredded ham...yum. Santo Domingo, D.R.-empanadas de lambi(conch) hot, and toasty with chewy conch. Beijing-they did not make much Chinese food, which was a shame, so very little was memorable(sad). Luxembourg-spinach with cream sauce-again I get a plateful. peace, jill Thu Aug 21 19:06:58 -0700 2008 3974760 16394 jill kibler 2 3977480 jill, you would enjoy fuschia dunlop's new memoir about her experience as an (intrepid) englishwoman in china, mostly about food. i perused the book at borders last sunday, and found it very readable and engaging. http://www.amazon.com/Sharks-Fin-Sichuan-Pepper-Sweet-Sour/dp/0393066576 Fri Aug 22 03:23:11 -0700 2008 3976965 105717 alkapal 1 3977227 In high school, Thursday lunch was fried chicken, dirty rice & strawberry shortcake. The rice in my elementary school grossed me out so much that I refused to eat any rice for a few years. OTOH, they made great pigs in a blanket. The hot dog was wrapped in a really good homemade roll, and there was also chili inside. Another favorite was something I can best describe as a huge, soft breadstick, topped with chipped beef. It tasted better than it sounds. The chocolate oatmeal boiled cookies that others mentioned were also a favorite. Occasionally, platters of really good cheddar cheese sticks were passed around to the classrooms as a snack. Thu Aug 21 21:05:44 -0700 2008 3974760 50494 pattisue 2 3977708 Oh,can I relate to the rice.My school for grades 6,7 & 8 served rice in a large warming table pan "COLD".Served by the jumbo ice cream scoop.It took a power lifter to scoop it,could not get a fork in it,would stick to the wall in a solid mass and also bounced.NASTY STUFF,put me off rice for four or five years. Fri Aug 22 06:21:38 -0700 2008 3977227 203919 lcool 1 3977318 I only ate school lunches for a brief period in 5th and 6th grades (went home or lunch boxedbefore that, brown bagged after that), but I have exceedingly fond memories of the Glorified Rice. It was simply cooked white rice with crushed pineapple and whipped cream, but I loved it. Thu Aug 21 22:08:01 -0700 2008 3974760 19542 Karen_Schaffer 1 3977604 Elementary school, fish sticks, no ketchup, no way. Junior high, brown bag. In high school, I never ate there, we left school and went home, or local fast food, Burger King when they were good, you could actually see your burger come down the conveyor belt, hot and good, no reheated in a microwave. Our favorites were two local BBQ joints, one raised sandwichs to $1.25 from a buck, we still toughed it out. My schools were all Houston ISD and the food was uniformly disgusting, no attempt was made to serve anything with any flavor, time period 60's and 70's. Fri Aug 22 05:27:43 -0700 2008 3974760 198541 James Cristinian 1 3977707 So many things. At my high school junk food was king. -everyone ALWAYS ate on chicken/steak nugget and mashed potato days -Tues and Thurs Bosco Sticks which are giant breadsticks filled with Mozzarella -Mexican Pizza, scary orange and oh so good -canned pear halves -seasoned fries with honey mustard -giant sugar cookies with pink frosting Also, a lot of the time my table of 12 would pool our money, get about 8 vending machine items(generally gardettos, hot fries, doritos, and whatever else looked good) and 4 bottles of soda and just share it all. Ewww! Ew! Eww! Fri Aug 22 06:21:26 -0700 2008 3974760 82243 ArikaDawn 1 3977748 The Rolls! When they were baked golden brown on top and fresh out of the oven you'd think you could eat them forever. When they were light brown on top and doughy in the middle, you could fling little balls of dough to the ceiling and they'd stick forever. Fri Aug 22 06:32:38 -0700 2008 3974760 51743 crewsweeper 1 3977830 Went to a French Lycee here in Montreal my favorite items were: -Coquilles St-Jacques. -Veal coucous -the varous pastries: Croissants, chocolatines, palmiers, chaussons aux pommes etc... Fri Aug 22 07:04:33 -0700 2008 3974760 146613 Evilbanana11 2 3977874 okay, you just made me very very envious! Fri Aug 22 07:22:25 -0700 2008 3977830 105717 alkapal 3 3977897 Unsurprising enough, the day most kids enjoyed the most was the day (only day of the week) that they served fries. Fri Aug 22 07:28:12 -0700 2008 3977874 146613 Evilbanana11 1 3977952 Udon and Soba. Sloppy Joe Fri Aug 22 07:44:46 -0700 2008 3974760 47922 foreignmuck 1 3978007 Japan (80s-90s, Elementary-High School). Bentos with an assortment of gorgeous, delicious, fresh, well-balanced foods. There were times I didn't like certain items, but it was never boring. When I moved to Ottawa, Canada for my last year of high school, the only thing anyone ate at lunch was poutine, and it was good (fresh fries, chicken gravy, squeeky curds). Fri Aug 22 07:59:09 -0700 2008 3974760 202405 tjr 1 3978400 I went to a tiny high school in southern Iowa, class of 2001. The lunch ladies worked all morning to make our food. Yeah, a lot of it came from Sysco boxes, but the spaghetti was homemade and really good. So were the molasses cookies. I STILL miss those. One of the more interesting offerings was what they called a flying saucer. Perfectly round piece of ham, scoop of mashed potatoes on top, then a ladle of cheese sauce. Fri Aug 22 10:02:33 -0700 2008 3974760 112034 spellweaver16 1 3978471 As a staff member at at boarding school, I *still* eat in high school cafeteria every day. And it can be astoudingly good stuff. Some favorite items: 1) tabouleh and avocado/shrimp/corn salad from our salad bar 2) chicken piccata 3) vegetarian quesadillas with black beans and freshly made salsa cruda 4) red snapper with mango-jalapeno salsa 5) a beet/green apple/walnut salad that is to die for Of course, we also get the occasional greasy chicken, frozen burgers and fries too. But the number of good dishes outweigh the awful. When I worrk weekends I also have access to our Sunday waffle bars.... yum. And then there was the time our chef hand-torched hundreds of pineapple pieces and brown sugar as a dessert for a Carribean themed lunch. We are all certainly spoiled. Fri Aug 22 10:27:13 -0700 2008 3974760 74987 elkerette 2 4175788 This is not cafateria food. I hate you. Sat Nov 15 09:36:32 -0800 2008 3978471 142652 madgreek 3 5001791 second that Thu Sep 03 07:55:58 -0700 2009 4175788 264146 kubasd 1 3978514 I love this thread! We had decent cafeterias in our schools so all were equipped a with full commercial kitchens. It was the 70s & 80s in central PA. Some of my faves were; Johnny Marzetti - basicly macaroni in a tomato meat sauce Turkey and stuffing Bananas in orange juice Chocolate peanut butter fudge bars Bologna and butter sammies wrapped in wax paper (I know it sounds disgusting) Why do I hear Adam Sandler singing Lunch Lady Land? Yum, nostalgia. Yum, nostalgia. Fri Aug 22 10:40:02 -0700 2008 3974760 71241 lynnlato 1 3978516 Something about the open-face turkey sandwich... sliced turkey on top of white bread, covered in gravy, with ice cream scoops of instant mashed potatoes and stuffing...yummmmmmm. Probably due to my family being Japanese, we would never really have this at home (go figure), it was always fun for me to get. Fri Aug 22 10:41:01 -0700 2008 3974760 105444 gyozagirl 2 3978685 turkey and dressing with gravy and mashed potatoes was always welcome! Fri Aug 22 11:35:03 -0700 2008 3978516 105717 alkapal 1 3978697 Catholic HS - Meant "Fishwich" & Fries always on Fridays, think McDonald's fish sandwich only bigger. The FF were hot and crispy! And plenty of tarter sauce! To this day I still drag my fries thru the tarter sauce when I have fish and fries. Fri Aug 22 11:38:00 -0700 2008 3974760 135170 kpaumer 1 3978806 On Florida's West coast my favorite elementary school dish from the 60's was Potato Turbate. Sort of a Shepard's Pie sort of thing. This thread prompted me to find the recipe, the attached thread gives an explanation of the name too! http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/recipex/msg0710160227609.html Fri Aug 22 12:12:11 -0700 2008 3974760 111267 meatn3 1 3978868 Went to 3 different high schools in the course of 3 years in the late 90's/early 2000's: Acalanes (NorCal) -- Zombies. Warm buttermilk biscuits with chunks of cheddar cheese and sausage. People would scramble out of class during break to get these. Iona Catholic Secondary (Mississauga, ONT) -- Poutine with shredded cheddar (as opposed to squeeky cheese) with malt vinegar and spicy Jamaican patties. Those are just the things that stick out, I crave that cafeteria food to this to this day. El Cerrito High (NorCal) -- Giant, thin chocolate chip cookies kept warm under heat lamps. They were the size of one's head and exactly as someone else described the cookies at their school - crispy on the edges and mushy in the middle with melty chocolate chips. These were probably the only redeeming thing at ECHS, on the other end of the spectrum were the nachos -- a 99 cent bag of chips of your choice (Doritos, Cheetos, Funions, etc) with a ladle of nacho cheese, chili, and big pile of pickled jalapenos. And, they wonder why there is a problem with childhood obesity in the States. Fri Aug 22 12:29:26 -0700 2008 3974760 43515 adrienne156 2 4160134 I also went to high school in Mississauga (though in the early 90s) and also have memories of Jamaican beef patties and fries + gravy. Our cafeteria was largely staffed by Filipinas so occasionally there was pancit and lumpia. During elementary school there was no food on offer; you had to bring your own. I always went home for lunch since my grandparents were there to feed me. Sun Nov 09 13:28:29 -0800 2008 3978868 16363 mogo 3 4162117 Those fries with a couple of pumps of that industrial size malt vinegar -- yummm. I've been searching all over the SF Bay Area for a comparable poutine since and the gravies are never the same. I think I'm just going to have to suck it up and go buy a can of Bisto. :o) Mon Nov 10 11:05:50 -0800 2008 4160134 43515 adrienne156 2 5080093 Oh, the zombies! We had those at Los Lomas (same school district as Acalanes) in the 1980s, too. I loved them so much I would resort to bumming change off of friends when I didn't have any on me, just so that I could get my daily fix. Mon Oct 05 10:10:47 -0700 2009 3978868 22011 Kitchen Imp 1 3978934 Mac n Cheese that would break a plastic spoon Peanut butter cookies the size of your hand Chocolate milk, I can't remember the brand but ice cold it was heaven at lunch Of course, I wasn't worried about calories or fat content back then :) Fri Aug 22 12:50:53 -0700 2008 3974760 36312 HillJ 2 3979142 Chocolate milk, cold, that's something you can't screw up. Almost. I remember still,(back from the 60's), when some poor kid was seemingly about to savour his chocolate milk, opened it, took a nice refreshing drink, and it was curdled, with chunks of former milk and a foul taste and odor to accompany. This Texas with no A/C and cold milk or ice cream was a true treat. Now they send the darlings home if the A/C breaks. To this day I stop, look, and smell any and all milk. Fri Aug 22 13:52:40 -0700 2008 3978934 198541 James Cristinian 3 3979573 James, I do remember a few not-so-cold chocolate milks myself. Fri Aug 22 16:58:16 -0700 2008 3979142 36312 HillJ 3 3980361 This just completely reminded me of an incident in the cafeteria at my middle school. We were sitting boy/girl/boy/girl b/c we had been unruly the previous day. I was sitting across from a boy I had never seen before. He was being obnoxious and trying to get attention from all the girls around him. Next thing I knew this kid pops his eye out and tosses it in his mouth and he's "peering" across at me w/ an open empty eye socket and an eyeball poking out of his lips! We screamed and laughed at the same time while the boy next to me blew milk out his nose and mouth. It turns out the boy had a prosthetic eye. Sat Aug 23 06:18:13 -0700 2008 3979142 71241 lynnlato 1 3979255 I think my southwest Dade County junior high (Fla) probably had the worst food in the country. The only thing good about it was that it made my mother's food seem palatable. I specifically remember cookies so hard that you could whack them against the edge of the table and they wouldn't break. And the chocolate cake had the texture of foam rubber. It had a strangely interesting burnt taste, so I would say that was the best thing made, for entertainment value. Fri Aug 22 14:31:50 -0700 2008 3974760 71215 mlgb 2 3979918 I also went to Dade County schools and remember the chocolate cake that tasted like dirt. Also,the absolutely revolting "raisin pie" which made you wonder how many of the raisins were flies. Fri Aug 22 19:58:54 -0700 2008 3979255 117621 poptart 3 3980624 Aaaaah, memories. And the slimiest, yellowest collard or turnip greens ever. I guess they were canned. It was 30 years before I would try greens again. Sat Aug 23 09:01:12 -0700 2008 3979918 71215 mlgb 1 3979358 I went to a private Catholic school that was always in a money crunch. They had a big room they called a cafeteria, but no food prep area. During elementary school we all trooped over there with our lunchpails, but there were these bizarre vending machines that supposedly covered the food groups. There was one that had canned items like chili or spaghetti- it came out of the chute hot and you had to carefully take it over to the can opener and try not to maim yourself for life in the process of getting it open. There was also that horrid machine, often seen in hospitals, that dribbles out "chicken broth", and "hot chocolate". The standard ice cream bar vending machine was also present but there was the ever present problem where if your selected bar was "out", you were screwed... The sophistication arrived when they pitched the vending machines and had a catering truck some by at lunch. My favorite was a greasy "taco" almost exactly like the mystery meat Jack in the Box ones and an apple. Fri Aug 22 15:18:31 -0700 2008 3974760 17682 torty 1 3979568 The 50's, Polish cafeteria ladies in NJ. Golumkies (stuffed cabbage), meat loaf and fried chicken. Home made cakes. High school, can't remember except red mashed potatoes on St. Joseph Day. Too busy chasing girls. 70's as a gringo teacher in a small New Mex town. Chile, pinto beans & corn bread, real tacos and enchiladas. Finnish elem. school in 80's, salmon and potato cassarole and pea soup w/ blood pancakes on Thurs. (really!). Maine elementary school in 89/90, the price of lobster dropped below that of hamburger. My wife in Tremont Elem and me in Pemetic had LOBSTER STEW in a public school cafeteria! Bolivia K-12 private school, frozen or canned food does not exist in the third world. Every day soup, salad, maine course and dessert included as part of the job. Great fried chicken, mahadito (rice w/ charque [dried beef] with a fried egg on top) and an addictive meat pie called saltenas. Now, small town high school, brown bag it. Fri Aug 22 16:55:23 -0700 2008 3974760 93538 Passadumkeg 2 3979905 Oooo I bet those polish lunch ladies made some unbelievable food. (My Polish cousinis an incredible cook.) How lucky you were. I'd love to find someone like them and interview them. Can you imagine making golumkies for 200 kids? Fri Aug 22 19:52:13 -0700 2008 3979568 51616 fluffernutter 1 3979613 Elementary school in mid 50's - peanut butter sandwiches. After that school they were never the same. I tried to find a peanut butter to match it. Not until college when someone gave me a peanut butter and honey sandwich did I get a hit. I eat them that way still. Aside from that the peanut butter cookies - dry and crispy, Tuna boats, beef stew. Everything was made 'in house' then. There was no food service running the caf - just local ladies. Fri Aug 22 17:16:17 -0700 2008 3974760 13429 chowmel 1 3979749 My SO went to public school in France for two years and fondly remembers the tongue with tomato sauce. They usually had a pureed vegetable, rice, meat and a pudding. Other kids made fun of the food, but he secretly liked it. Fri Aug 22 18:23:25 -0700 2008 3974760 11231 Glencora 1 3979979 Oooh, the giant homemade cinnamon rolls. I completely forgot about those. Mmmmm. Also, peanut balls, which were probably peanut butter and honey, as previously mentioned. Fri Aug 22 20:45:59 -0700 2008 3974760 50494 pattisue 1 3980385 My junior high school had the best apple crisp as I remember it. I would go home and try to recreate it, which is what put me on the path to baking early on. I'm sure it was just canned apples, but the oatmeal crumbly top was so damned good. It was so uncool to buy lunch when I was 12, but I loved it. People looked at me strangely "you're gonna eat that?" kind of looks, but it was divine. Sat Aug 23 06:37:48 -0700 2008 3974760 112494 corgette 2 3980405 Canned apples? There is such a thing? Sat Aug 23 06:52:36 -0700 2008 3980385 36661 Sam Fujisaka 3 3980621 That's how people preserve their apples on the Prairies;) Canned apples are much tastier than a mealy apples that have been sitting around for a 6+ months. Sat Aug 23 09:00:16 -0700 2008 3980405 10626 phoenikia 3 3981003 Ahh, they're a Sysco staple that I've seen in school/summer camp kitchens. Not too bad, actually. They're best cooked with some sugar and cinnamon in a crumble or as a pancake topping of some sort. Not as incredible as fragrant, fresh, farmer's market apples, but definitely better than some of the grocery store apples I've seen. Sat Aug 23 12:53:14 -0700 2008 3980405 112494 corgette 1 3980550 Believe it or not, the best thing I had was at University High School in West Los Angeles back about 1960; Sloppy Joes served on hamburger buns, somewhat sweet with a tang to it, I have never been able to duplicate it. Sat Aug 23 08:20:29 -0700 2008 3974760 12130 malibumike 2 3980591 Oh, yes, I forgot to add sloppy joes to my list--just as you describe them. And how are things in Mali, Mr Bumike? Been some time since I've seen one of your posts. Sat Aug 23 08:39:34 -0700 2008 3980550 36661 Sam Fujisaka 3 3980759 Shortbread/sugar cookies. The ones with three giant "finger prints". They were marketed here (Chicago) years later as "Schoolhouse Cookies" in individual packages but I haven't seen them for awhile. They served instant mashed potatoes with everything. Even pasta. Sat Aug 23 10:34:24 -0700 2008 3980591 189528 Whosyerkitty 1 3980812 No-bake cookies, and apple crisp. I have found a couple of recipes for the cookies, but I'm afraid to try it, and ruin the memory. Sat Aug 23 11:03:08 -0700 2008 3974760 124908 jeanmarieok 1 3981011 Beans and cornbread. Birdwell Elementary, Tyler TX early 1960's. Everybody else liked the Frito Pie, but I was a purist, even then. Sat Aug 23 12:57:13 -0700 2008 3974760 154091 pickypicky 1 3982900 Cinnamon rolls. I attended elementary school in a small town in the Pacific Northwest in the sixties. Our cafeteria served food that was generally better than average, I suppose. The sloppy joes were a favorite, but nothing compared to the cinnamon rolls, made fresh from scratch. Unaccountably, they were served with a bowl of chili con carne (also made from scratch). The mystical connection between cinnamon rolls and chili persists to this day for me and many of my classmates. Sun Aug 24 12:57:51 -0700 2008 3974760 34704 Luwak 2 4160528 They did the same thing at every school I ever went to! And I went to a few. It was always a cinnamon roll or cinnamon knot with the chili. I'm as mystified by it as you are. Sun Nov 09 17:17:37 -0800 2008 3982900 112034 spellweaver16 1 3983873 I went to Catholic HS in Philadelphia in the 80's and brown-bagged it most days. But in the mornings they had the best vanilla and chocolate glazed donuts I've ever had. Every once in a while I smell fried dough and sugar and it takes me right back! Sun Aug 24 21:58:04 -0700 2008 3974760 12513 Divamac 1 4157685 Weiner Toasties. A slice of buttered white bread wrapped around a hot dog and baked. Anyone in the Minneapolis school district in the 70's and 80's will remember these. Sat Nov 08 03:12:59 -0800 2008 3974760 167008 Tonka 2 4158006 Didn't these also include a slice of surplus american cheese? At least at my outstate MN high school they did. Sat Nov 08 08:56:23 -0800 2008 4157685 195256 jules1026 3 4159641 We did not have the american cheese. But that is a nice addition. Sun Nov 09 08:21:29 -0800 2008 4158006 167008 Tonka 2 5003052 we had them In Waukesha, WI-mid 70's, they were called 'Weiner Winks' on our school menu. -no cheese Thu Sep 03 13:58:15 -0700 2009 4157685 11318 Phillip J 1 4157807 Big cinnamon rolls! Some of us would spend our lunch money on those instead of the regular lunch. Sat Nov 08 06:18:00 -0800 2008 3974760 169792 lgss 1 4158125 peanutbutter & honey sandwiches. for some reason, we had them with chili and it's a good thing - the chili was vile. Sat Nov 08 09:54:26 -0800 2008 3974760 227839 silvergirl 1 4158430 My hot lunches in middle school were horrific with the exception of Peanut Butter Fudge! As long as the corn relish in the tray (they were pre-packaged) didn't leak onto it. Even if it did we worked it out. In HS, we mainly ate from the junk food line. Honeybuns, shakes, Hostess snacks, chips..... I think I ate hot lunch once in 4 years. Sat Nov 08 12:32:22 -0800 2008 3974760 85738 libgirl2 1 4158757 I went to such a small high school that we didn't really have a school lunch program. Monday and Wednesdays was pizza from a local pizzeria, Tuesdays was nachos, Thursdays were McDonalds and Fridays (the BEST day) was chicken nuggets with rolls from a local grocery store. We would always run out. My husbands answers: Chicken Patty Sandwiches! Processed chicken in a patty form served on a bun. Also, "Elsie's Pasta Bar". You could choose from 4 different types of pasta and 4 different sauces. These school lunches were in the 80's/90's in Connecticut. Funny enough, I now work in a school cafeteria as a Catering Coordinator. I get to experience all of the school lunches I missed out on while growing up! Sat Nov 08 15:39:04 -0800 2008 3974760 220914 krisrishere 1 4158778 I remember the pizza, rolls and the sugary peanut butter sandwiches served with chili. Sat Nov 08 15:53:31 -0800 2008 3974760 194430 littledishes 1 4158826 I always loved their chicken a la king. It wasn't meant to be the main dish but I would always skip what ever the main protein was and put a big scoop of rice and chicken a l king on the tray. I also liked their grits for breakfast. I would get a bowl of grits and a pack of Jimmy Dean sausage biscuits. Sat Nov 08 16:18:17 -0800 2008 3974760 23473 nearlywild 1 4159075 Of course we complained at the time - but darn, they baked their own hamburger rolls! My brother works at a school cafeteria now, and you wouldn't believe how dreadful the food is (outa the box, into the fryer, onto the plate) Sat Nov 08 19:29:50 -0800 2008 3974760 14479 wayne keyser 1 4159153 Our school lunch room served "chili, chips and cheese" which was a pile of fritos covered in canned chili and smothered in cheese sauce (not nacho sauce, this was of that consistency, but not spicy) God It was good. They also served a thickish pizza with a side of tater tots. I wish they served tater tots at the school where I work now! Sat Nov 08 20:36:28 -0800 2008 3974760 86221 lulubelle 1 4159313 I went to school (K through first half semester of 6th grade) in Chicago. My school had no cafeteria. Lunch was eaten at home, Henry's Hamburgers, or some local coffee shop. It was quite the shock when I started school in the San Fernando Valley. I lived very close to home, about a five minute walk, but could not leave without a special dispensation from the principal. The best thing at my new school was a dish of roast beef chunks and gravy over mashed potatoes. In junior high it was something called spaghetti but it was really macaroni and beef. If you were too far back in line, it was sold out and wouldn't be served again for a month or more. My high school had the same dish. Same availability issues. In college, the cafeteria manager was Greek and her specialty was something she called "Greek Burgers." They were served on a roll more substantial than a hamburger bun and was topped by a Greek salsa-like concoction Sun Nov 09 00:04:41 -0800 2008 3974760 196419 Kate is always hungry 1 4159452 All girl Catholic HS in Biloxi MS my senior year, IIRC there was hot lunch on Fridays only. My introduction to po' boys and red beans & rice came from that experience! Prior to that, Kaiserslautern American HS in Germany--K-town High Pizza Pie! My friends and I would figure out who had their last morning class closest to the cafeteria and they would bolt as soon as the bell rang to get a place in line because they'd sell out. It was mostly American food there but I seem to recall the occasional bratwurst on brotchen. Sun Nov 09 05:50:32 -0800 2008 3974760 109573 coney with everything 1 4160172 I must have had undeveloped taste buds back then but I thought about everything my school cafeteria served tasted good: flying saucers, spaghetti, pizza, chicken nuggets, open face turkey and gravy sandwiches, salisbury steak . . . and that stuff that looked like mashed potatoes until you stuck your fork in and realized it was some type of sticky rice. Or maybe I was just really hungry then???? Sun Nov 09 13:53:00 -0800 2008 3974760 43622 JenBoes 1 4161090 My favorite school hot lunchs (in the 60's) were shepherd's pie and American Chop Suey. I still make their version of shepherd's pie today: a layer of seasoned ground beef, a layer of corn, topped with mashed potatoes, and baked until the potatoes turned brown and crispy on top. Comfort Food at it's best. DW even requests it, tho she never had it until I served it. Mon Nov 10 00:55:59 -0800 2008 3974760 226942 al b. darned 1 4163245 For me, it was the yeast rolls. These are still the ones, by which all others will be judged. Yes, the palate was young, but they had everything right and they did them on large cookie sheets. Now, if only we had been provided with real butter! Heck, I might have stayed back a grade, or two. The rest? Nothing that I'd ever want to encounter again. Hunt Mon Nov 10 17:53:22 -0800 2008 3974760 11329 Bill Hunt 2 5005545 Phantom reply Bill, but what wine did you enjoy with the rolls? Fri Sep 04 13:07:00 -0700 2009 4163245 198541 James Cristinian 1 4164311 There were these things they called "Bacon Burgers" It seemed to be finely ground up bacon, breaded and fried served on a bun, with shredded lettuce and some kind of sauce. Has anyone ever heard of these? Never saw it other then my late 70's HS years, at Union High, (NJ). Tue Nov 11 07:56:39 -0800 2008 3974760 10147 michele cindy 2 5001677 Yes I use to like them believe it or not and I use to be able to buy around here. I can't now if anyone knows where they can be purchased PLEASE let me know Thu Sep 03 07:28:07 -0700 2009 4164311 1106598 chope 3 5069076 Seconded. I found Chowhounds today due to my semi-annual search for the elusive "bacon burger patty" from my grade school days. Just finding people who know what they are is closer than I have come in the last decade of searching. Wed Sep 30 07:19:15 -0700 2009 5001677 1113036 Robertr 4 5069172 Wow, this is starting to sound like a cult! Wed Sep 30 07:47:49 -0700 2009 5069076 96658 Clarkafella 5 5069605 Yes, cult of the faux (?) bacon burger. Someone just has to find out the recipe. Report back bacon burger searchers! Wed Sep 30 09:50:38 -0700 2009 5069172 10147 michele cindy 3 5159660 Chope, It seems a bunch of us are on the quest for "Bacon Burgers" from our school daze. All our "Bacon Burger" posts are getting lost in this giant thread. I like the fact that a few have suggested that we are a cult..."Cult of the Faux Bacon Burger." (That's funny, Clarkafella.) Vermette's Market in Amesbury Mass. sold them until last year. I would buy 20 patties at a time and freeze them. I was recently told that "they," their source, stopped making them. I am still on the quest. I am glad to hear that the great "Bacon Burger" made it way to New Jersey schools during the 70's according to a prior post. Chope, were did you buy them from? Thu Nov 05 17:49:25 -0800 2009 5001677 1119945 yeatthebun 1 4168136 Sloppy Joes with potato chips, always hit the spot and Grilled Cheese and Tomato soup on Fridays and the ubiqutious seckel pears in the fall!!! Wed Nov 12 12:58:44 -0800 2008 3974760 11562 Hue 1 4168152 Slabs of sausage pizza. Only the sausage though, not cheese or pepperoni, it wasn't as good. It was a thin, slightly undercooked rectangle covered in this weird tasting cheese with ground sausage all over it (not pieces of sausage, but a layer of sausage). I distinctly remember dabbing at the pools of grease with a napkin, as if that made a difference. I crave that awful stuff to this day. Wed Nov 12 13:04:39 -0800 2008 3974760 194076 Stillwater Girl 1 4168765 What immediately comes to mind is hot dogs or pork chops with very fragrant sauerkraut, it probably wasn't the best thing but it left an impression. This would have been at a boys school in the 60s, we had a wounded WW2 war veteran teacher who had special soy sauce (new to young me) provided for some dishes -- pork chops as I recall. Later on, at a different school, the cafeteria had an annual meal with chitlins and collard greens -- that was a shocker. Wed Nov 12 16:25:16 -0800 2008 3974760 18264 steinpilz 1 4173872 Time, 1970s. Public school in southern Indiana. Homemade bread pudding with cinnamon sauce. So very very good. Can't duplicate it even today. Must have been something about the huge quantities they made - large containers cooking up different than traditional home cookware. The cinnamon sauce (butter, sugar, cinnamon, "weeping" of the pudding) was quite runny - maddeningly so. I wanted to be able to get more of it to stick to each bite. Midwest chili soup with spaghetti noodles (NOT Cincinnati chili). Either my 3rd grade teacher or I would remember to bring in a bottle of tabasco. And served by nice ladies who it seemed liked kids. Fri Nov 14 11:38:57 -0800 2008 3974760 227202 vtnewbie 1 4175796 Combo's. That's all I can remember liking. I grew up in the 80's and 90's in Ohio public schools. The food sucked. Sat Nov 15 09:39:16 -0800 2008 3974760 142652 madgreek 1 4176957 The yeast donuts served at the student union cafeteria at Kansas State University in the 60's. Like Kryspy Kream fresh out of the cooker. Tthey made the mistake of placing them at the front of the line so we could jam down three or four and only pay for one! Bob Sat Nov 15 19:49:03 -0800 2008 3974760 107452 SonyBob 1 5001843 I remember being in 5th grade and looking forward to middle school because they served pizza everyday instead of just Fridays. I loved that pizza, in retrospect it was pretty gross. Rectangular shaped slices cut from a giant sheet pan, plastic-y cheese with paste-like sausage/sauce combination underneath. Usually with a french fries and fruit cocktail as my "vegetables." In high school we had Domino's pizza delivered daily, $2/slice. Starting in 11th grade we were allowed to leave campus for lunch (w/ parental permission and good grades), and I rarely ate cafeteria food after that. In college the food was reasonably good for mass-produced institutional food. My favorite was the stir-fry bar - basically a Mongolian-BBQ style counter, pick whatever vegetables you want from the mini salad bar then hand the plate to the cook and tell him what protein and sauce you wanted. I had that for lunch 3-4 times a week, to the point that the cook and I were on a first name basis and he knew my "usual." The desserts were also very good, especially the hand scooped ice cream bar featuring Breyer's. Is it any wonder kids gain weight their first year away? Thu Sep 03 08:13:42 -0700 2009 3974760 135311 mpjmph 1 5002311 A 60 cent pastrami sandwich, in the same vein but (IIRC, it was a long time ago) much better than Johnnies or the Hat here in SoCal. Very thin sliced on a french roll with mustard and lots of sap. A couple of those and an ice cream sandwich made my day. 60 cents was a lot of dough back in the mid 60's so I guess that $9.00 for the same thing ( but inferior) today isn't unreasonable. Thu Sep 03 10:20:44 -0700 2009 3974760 14405 TomSwift 1 5003639 The best thing at my high school's cafeteria was the shepherd's pie and the poutine! The chow mein was horrible *shudders* Thu Sep 03 18:06:01 -0700 2009 3974760 238606 alissers 1 5003814 Iowa in the 70's; relatively large junior and high school. After reading all of this I realized that I cannot remember one single thing I ate for lunch in six years. I do remember having a glazed doughnut and chocolate milk almost every single day for breakfast in high school. Senior year we left campus every day for lunch - those were the good old days. It's was McD's or Shakey's Pizza buffet almost every day. Thu Sep 03 19:46:18 -0700 2009 3974760 253542 cycloneillini 1 5004069 In elementary school, in Burbank CA, (in the mid 70's) our school made fantastic chocolate chip cookies. Warm and fresh, we'd run down as soon as the bell rang, to make sure we got them! Sloppy Joes were always good, as well. I still mainly took lunch from home, tho Junior high, once a week on Fridays, we got Taco Bell! That was the only day worth eating there, as the cafeteria's food was just BLECH. High school for me was an open campus, so we could eat all the horrid fast food we could manage. BUT! Going for breakfast was really good, they did a great french toast, and the cookies were still good. Yup, we had some cranky lunch ladies at our place. Thu Sep 03 22:24:46 -0700 2009 3974760 23858 Honeychan 1 5004247 sloppy joes Fri Sep 04 04:40:19 -0700 2009 3974760 105717 alkapal 1 5004906 Cheese enchiladas w/ red chile sauce, Mexican rice, fideo. www.thelunchbelle.com Fri Sep 04 09:38:18 -0700 2009 3974760 110996 LeahBaila 1 5004999 Toasted raisin bread with real butter. I always got the end pieces and asked for them well toasted. Mmmmmmm. The only other thing that was any good was the mashed potatoes -- real with actual lumps (though possibly topped up with instant). I lived on fries and gravy back then, though. Maybe that's why I still don't mind dark brown gravy from a mix. This was in the mid-'70s. My junior high cafetorium had rubber fries that they brought in already cooked, and hockey puck burgers on stale buns. Ate the fries anyway...but wouldn't touch those burgers. The best thing in that little servery was a bag of potato chips. Fri Sep 04 10:02:35 -0700 2009 3974760 192183 CeeQueue 1 5005026 60s - Catholic elementary school, low budget, no cafeteria, brought our own. 60s - Public Junior High, cafeteria food, tater tots, salisbury steak, etc, I had no taste so I ate it all, except the fish. 69 - 72; High School - open campus. Went to Carrols every day with a g/f for grilled cheese and a soda. The low, tiled roof of the cafeteria was covered with those little square cardboard mats that butter pats came on. Fri Sep 04 10:11:44 -0700 2009 3974760 12752 MsDiPesto 1 5005339 From elementary school, I vividly recall mashed potatoes w/ flourescent yellow gravy that I liked a lot. (But am disturbed by now!) Also the BEST mexican pizza, shaped like an octagon w/ cheese that was a very unnatural shade of orange. Fri Sep 04 12:01:37 -0700 2009 3974760 225785 kb8240 2 5006730 Every Friday our elem. school cafeteria rotated the menu serving either rectangular slices of sausage pizza or those octagons - they were called "fiestadas". Fri Sep 04 23:57:49 -0700 2009 5005339 10705 deibu 1 5005875 'Best' is not necessarily appropriate, as I don't recall anything being really good in any way. I think I probably had something close to 500 tuna salad sandwiches in my Bayside, New York high school cafeteria. It's the only thing I remember......... had pickles in it. Mines much better these days. Fri Sep 04 15:09:25 -0700 2009 3974760 11405 Midlife 1 5006265 SoCal, San Gabriel Valley, elementary school in the 60s... tacos! They were actually quite similar to the Jack in the Box tacos, very greasy but oh so good! I still remember getting the monthly cafeteria menu and circling the days that they served tacos. Otherwise, I brought my lunch in my cute little Barbie lunchbox. High school in the 70s... our cafeteria served the best "peanut butter chews", a delicious, peanutty, slightly greasy concoction made of corn flakes and peanut butter, etc. , (think rice krispy square). They also had terrific chocolate chip cookies. I had one every day... aah, memories! Fri Sep 04 18:21:59 -0700 2009 3974760 233553 schmoopy 1 5009372 I grew up in SoCal-I used to volunteer to work in the cafeteria on Chicken Fried Steak day, so I could eat as much of that and the mashed potatos that it came with. (This was strictly in elementary school-I wouldn't be caught dead working in the cafeteria in HS) My HS actually made the cafeteria a no mans land, because not only were we allowed to leave campus for lunch (the beach was about 1/2 mile away), but they also had Pizza Hut and Subway on campus. And Taco Bell too, I think. Sun Sep 06 13:10:23 -0700 2009 3974760 212582 schrutefarms 1 5011304 I once walked through the school kitchen right before lunch and there wa a 20-gal steam jacketed kettle full of cherry pie filling. I wanted to jump in. In a word, pizza burgers. Mon Sep 07 12:36:37 -0700 2009 3974760 1095104 bushwickgirl 1 5011378 Elementary school cafeteria in the late 50s: they made huge pans of berry cobbler with thick crumbly crust on top. I volunteered in the cafeteria so I could have extra. Mon Sep 07 13:13:13 -0700 2009 3974760 91684 Emma47 1 5011557 Home(school)Made Rhode Island Clam Chowder for 5Cents............ Most school lunches were pretty bad, but in Jr High School there was one cook who made all the soups from scratch. At that time 1966-8 a full Type A Hot lunch was 35 cents, but soup was 5 cents ala carte. So, on Fridays I'd spend my 35 cents for 7 cups of chowder................. It was heaven. The other really good edible was the spaghetti in meat sauce. The on-site made Boognese was better than most I've had since. Turns out the cook worked days at the school for the health benefits for her family and cooked noghts and weekends at her familiy's Italian Restaurant on Wooster Street in New Haven. In grade school, we went home for lunch, no cafeteria. Whe I got to High School, everything cam from a central commisary and NOTHING was edible. Mon Sep 07 14:33:17 -0700 2009 3974760 274541 bagelman01 2 5015185 ""So, on Fridays I'd spend my 35 cents for 7 cups of chowder................. It was heaven.""" ~~~~~~ a true young chowhound! Tue Sep 08 20:18:48 -0700 2009 5011557 105717 alkapal 1 5012121 steamers. Mon Sep 07 18:36:52 -0700 2009 3974760 10627 steve h. 1 5012184 My initial reaction was "nothing", but I did manage to remember a few gems. My elementary school in PA had a breakfast pizza on French bread that I crave to this day (about 20 years later). It was just sausage, cheese, and some kind of white sauce, but it was delicious. My elementary school in FL gets a nod for always having good salads with your choice of ham, tuna, or turkey. Middle school in CT was largely disappointing, but they always had some kind of soup, and most of them were decent. High school had a great veggie lasagna. Pretty short highlights list for 12 years of my life... Mon Sep 07 19:05:46 -0700 2009 3974760 204860 theferlyone 1 5012301 I replied last November re: donuts at college but I got to thinking when this popped up again. In the 40's, Overland Park Grade School served, I think on Thursdays, chipped beef on toast and creamed spinach with little pieces of egg in it. Nobody really liked the chipped beef and everyone despised the creamed spinach. I really liked the beef and I LOVED the spinich. Because I was the only one that liked that stuff, I ate like a king. Everybody gave me some of their beef and all of their spinach! Those were good times. Bob Mon Sep 07 20:01:55 -0700 2009 3974760 107452 SonyBob 2 5028093 SB, funny. When I think of grade school lunches, the chipped beef stands out in my memories too, along with the square pizza. Maybe it was WWII chipped beef stored in the caves, since I went to Roesland and then Old Mission and SMN a good 10-15 years later and they were stilll serving it. I remember the spinich with hard boiled eggs too. We too had fish on Friday. Cathoic strongholds! Mon Sep 14 07:01:08 -0700 2009 5012301 10651 bbqboy 3 5043143 I graduated from SMN in 1960. Think Allen's after school for french fries and cruising Winsteads (cherry limeaids and frosties). Oh yeah, Smacks and Hank Bauers, too. Bob Sat Sep 19 21:36:24 -0700 2009 5028093 107452 SonyBob 1 5017002 The grilled cheese and even that wasn't very good. The funny thing was that all of the white bread sandwiches were on the hot tray with the cafeteria lady behind. If you asked for whole wheat, she'd pick one out and flip it over onto your plate. The back side of the sandwich was whole wheat. This was LA beach cities, second half of the 70's. Wed Sep 09 13:10:51 -0700 2009 3974760 280735 tcamp 1 5017046 I remember liking cafeteria food up till about junior high, after which things got mediocre to downright gross. The one thing that springs instantly to mind, though, is the yeast rolls. I used to sneak into the lunchroom during recess to do some light chores in exchange for one right out of the oven. MMMmmm. Wed Sep 09 13:20:21 -0700 2009 3974760 1107796 The Cats Other Mother 1 5017137 I went to school in central NJ in the mid/late 60's. The school cafeteria lunches we had were actually of quite good quality in general, since they didn't resort to instant potatoes, or heavily processed food in general. It was good, wholesome, home-style food. But the standout I best remember is the once or twice a month Wednesday spaghetti lunch. Now, I know spaghetti doesn't sound special, but the meat sauce they served on the pasta was extraordinarily good... made fresh on premises and incredibly delicious...and every bit as good as the best ragu bolognese I've ever had in ANY good Italian restaurant (and better than some of them). Wed Sep 09 13:43:32 -0700 2009 3974760 116047 The Professor 2 5017197 Can't remember too much about my school food.The only thing I do recall is the enchiladas at James madison Elementary School in San Antonio. Wendsdays were always mexican food days,but I love the enchiladas the best,still do. Wed Sep 09 13:57:45 -0700 2009 5017137 28392 HollyDolly 1 5017842 Milk. They sold milk and that was all that was edible. Wed Sep 09 17:47:01 -0700 2009 3974760 71350 lergnom 1 5020037 High school: St. John's, Newfoundland: best beef burgers EVER with really great, greasily, delicious grilled onions...man, our breath must have blown away the first teacher we faced after lunch on burger day! University: Victoria College (U of Toronto) Wymilwood cafeteria: the most delicious mince pie (my husband who I met in that cafeteria) tells me it was just at Christmas, but I remember eating it every day of my university life and remaining 115 lbs! Thu Sep 10 13:01:31 -0700 2009 3974760 24738 LJS 2 5022699 I grew up in Northern California and went to an elementary school with less than 300 kids. The lunch ladies used to make turkey with mashed potatoes and gravy from scratch once a month. Yum. My younger sister ended up going to a very small (under 200) private elementary school in SF years later and she used to rave about their homemade pizzas in the cafeteria. Her 5th grade class even had a cheese making seminar with someone's parent and made fresh mozellera for their pizza day once. Fri Sep 11 12:17:27 -0700 2009 5020037 112612 calalilly 3 5027889 calalilly, i'd forgotten about the turkey dinners! i grew up in s.w. florida, and our lunch ladies were good southern cooks. i can still eat a turkey, dressing, gravy and taters dish any time of the year. it makes me happy! (esp. with some wiggly cranberry jelly). Mon Sep 14 05:13:41 -0700 2009 5022699 105717 alkapal 1 5028072 No bake cookies (melted butter/cocoa/peanut butter/sugar/oats all stirred together) and apple crisp. I don't know why I though the apple crisp was so good, but it's still my benchmark for good apple crisp. Also, they had remarkably good turkey/chicken stuffing. It was really light, and kind of souffle like. Mon Sep 14 06:52:28 -0700 2009 3974760 124908 jeanmarieok 2 5028503 dang, now i'm cravin' turkey and dressing!!!! Mon Sep 14 09:19:40 -0700 2009 5028072 105717 alkapal 3 5029461 Alkapal, now I am too! I even just tried to search for a restaurant in my area that would service it this time of year, but I think I'm out of luck unless I get my better half to make it for me this weekend! Mon Sep 14 14:12:57 -0700 2009 5028503 112612 calalilly 2 5033249 Oh lordy, I loved the apple crisp at my school cafeteria, too! I have no idea how they did it. Tue Sep 15 21:59:58 -0700 2009 5028072 112034 spellweaver16 1 5032323 Soft, gooey snickerdoodle cookies (sugar & cinnamon). I wish I had a nickel for every lunch I had in middle/high school of snickerdoodles and chocolate milkshakes (nothing else!). What a complete, balanced meal! Tue Sep 15 14:32:02 -0700 2009 3974760 15139 Diane in Bexley 1 5033218 In elementary school, it was haystacks (tortilla chips and various toppings) and baked potatoes. High school my favourites were pizza (greasy and delicious), and vegetarian corn dogs (they were really sweet). Each day a different class sold lunch to raise money for that class's various projects and field trips. Tue Sep 15 21:36:10 -0700 2009 3974760 285186 Popkin 1 5042703 Meatloaf and gravy bread Sat Sep 19 16:21:28 -0700 2009 3974760 141732 tusti 1 5043085 Growing up in NYC in the 80's, I always looked forward to lunchtime in elementary school. My parents would never let me have anything but chinese food under their control, but school was fine as long as it was free. My favorites: fried chicken "Boat" pizza/ round pizza sloppy joes with taco shell on the side buttered rice beef stew! breaded chicken parmigan meatballs tator tots beef patty old fashion donuts ravioli I wished my school serve soup but they never did. Sat Sep 19 20:34:17 -0700 2009 3974760 98136 DarthEater 1 5044200 Public elementary school in L.A. in the 50's... Definitely the great big sugar cookies. They were delicious! I think we called them Flying Saucers. Then I went to Catholic school, and there was no cafeteria at all. Oh, how I missed those cookies! Sun Sep 20 13:59:33 -0700 2009 3974760 1099762 CookieWeasel 1 5044342 LOL, I can barely remember anything served in my h.s. cafeteria. I always looked forward to pizza day. What I often think about is what they served in my college cafeteria. A lot of times we needed help identifying the food, so I was more than happy to make a dinner of Captain Crunch cereal and ice cream! Sun Sep 20 15:11:43 -0700 2009 3974760 255446 Gigi007 1 5056564 All of us "idiots" searching the web for school cafe food that we loved and still remember should write/contribute to a book. I went to school in Mass., and I crave a few recipes that appear to be "lost." I read other postings from around the globe and it appears to be the same case. A regional school cafe recipe book seems to be in order. Just a thought. Thu Sep 24 18:33:10 -0700 2009 3974760 1111772 Yeat the bun 2 5057845 That's actually a great idea! Fri Sep 25 09:27:27 -0700 2009 5056564 112612 calalilly 3 5057864 http://www.nfsmi.org/Templates/TemplateDefault.aspx?qs=cElEPTEwMiZpc01ncj10cnVl This school recipe resource will help you get started! Perhaps what is more appealing is a school cafe recipe book with portions adjusted! Fri Sep 25 09:33:27 -0700 2009 5057845 36312 HillJ 2 5058364 Iowa Pizza! http://www.roadfood.com/Forums/tm.aspx?m=263707 Fri Sep 25 12:13:26 -0700 2009 5056564 10651 bbqboy 1 5071461 Chocolate concrete. Spam fritters started out good, then became a little too much. Thu Oct 01 03:45:19 -0700 2009 3974760 180623 Soop 1 5077591 Hot Chocolate...made by Nestle... Oh their roasted lemon potatoes were great...I'm not sure it's two dollars great though. Their scalloped potatoes weren't bad either...but they only served it with the main (which usually sucked) and hamburger toppings they called a salad with this watery crap they called a ranch dressing. And this is why most of the students rather brave the Canadian winter and eat at...McDonalds...=/, that was the better alternative. Sun Oct 04 00:39:11 -0700 2009 3974760 212885 AngelSanctuary 1 5077631 McIntosh Junior High, Sarasota FL, early '70's..Fridays were my favorite day, fish filets, cheese grits (loved them) and the best biscuits..dense, flat things that for some reason I just adored. I usually would have 2 or more since nobody seemed to like them. I also have fond memories of the pre-holiday turkey lunches... Sun Oct 04 03:22:33 -0700 2009 3974760 64830 alidrum 1 5080188 Wednesday was chili beans with whole wheat French bread baked especially at the local bakery. Yummy and healthy too. Mon Oct 05 10:44:35 -0700 2009 3974760 65193 EdwardAdams 1 5080299 I remember good food in my 1970's Polish grammar/middle school combo (1-8grade), no cafeteria in HS-you brought your own sandwiches. I remember several big, scary looking ladies,dressed in white cotton uniforms. But boy, did they cook well. They made homemade soups (sour pickle and tomato were the best), pierogi, various noodles, roasted chickens, to die for goulash and one of our favorites-hard boiled eggs in sweet and sour dill gravy with mashed potatoes. But what really stands out in my memory is a plate of mashed potatoes with kidneys in gravy. The best I would ever have in my life so far.... Mon Oct 05 11:33:29 -0700 2009 3974760 147538 polish_girl 1 5081536 it was made clear by my stay at home mom that she was not into making lunches for me to take to school..so, meal tickets here I come. 80s/90s midwestern suburb They had the un PC "g****** grinder" on the menu! Can you believe that. Not sure if I can say that word on Chow. My New England mother told me never to say that word, but why would it be on the lunch menu, I wondered? It was a favorite of mine, racist or not. Also fav's - steak fingers, roasted chicken, and the salad bar (I loaded my plate w/ cottage cheese, ranch dressing, ham cubes, and cucumbers) We never had dessert as it was extra cost ..cookies were not included. Sad! Mon Oct 05 19:47:35 -0700 2009 3974760 88683 stellamystar 2 5084195 Elementry school, They made Texas goulash. It was good. Never heard of it outside that school in Irving Texas. High school, Fried burritos. Tue Oct 06 18:34:19 -0700 2009 5081536 183005 horseshoe 2 5122090 stella, now i'm wondering....what is g*******? gonads? goolies? Thu Oct 22 05:10:09 -0700 2009 5081536 105717 alkapal 3 5122380 alkapal it's an old (and AFAIK little used)derogatory name for a person of Italian decent... (ok even I can't type it) in another context it's a small furry animal bigger than a hamster called a "G_______ Pig" Thu Oct 22 07:28:21 -0700 2009 5122090 138472 maplesugar 4 5122769 I thought it was a word that rhymed with Bingo! Thu Oct 22 10:32:54 -0700 2009 5122380 10147 michele cindy 4 5124745 i had to think hard, because growing up in sw florida, we were limited in the ethnic slurs (i can only think of two that i heard -- and not in my family --). i wonder how the term "guinea" came to be a slur of italians, anyhow? ah...let us refer to the "racial slur database." http://racialslurs.org/search?q=immigrant&sort=slur """Pronounced "gi-nee." Came from "Guinea Negro" and originally referred to any Black or any person of mixed ancestry. This dates back to the 1740's. By the 1890s it was being applied to Italians--almost certainly because they tend to have darker skin than Anglo-Saxons/Germans. By 1911 the term began being applied to Hispanics, although the reference to Italians is the most common. Derived from Sicilian immigrants who paid in Italian currency, Guineas. Used in the film 'True Romance' as separate from WOPs from Northern Italy, and in The Godfather by a Northern Italian character when referring to Southern Italians and Sicilians."""" a-may-zing!!!! do people still use these terms? stella, re-reading your post, i'm quite astonished that they actually wrote "guinea grinder" ON THE SCHOOL MENU???!!!!! wow! and that was in the '80s and '90s? in "enlightened" (cough cough ;-) new england? wow again! Fri Oct 23 05:42:31 -0700 2009 5122380 105717 alkapal 5 5124796 She said her mom was from New England, but she went to school in a Midwestern suburb. It's kind of funny actually, because I'm Midwestern, about the same age, and that's a term I never heard used. My neighborhood was heavily Italian, and there were some derogatory terms, but that was not one of them. In fact, I don't think I've ever heard anyone say it--I've read it sure, but never heard it. Fri Oct 23 06:14:27 -0700 2009 5124745 86221 lulubelle 6 5126527 lulubelle, thanks for the correction. i think the ethnic slurs would've been more prevalent in cities (vs. small towns), where there was a diverse ethnic population. maybe that's why i didn't hear much of that business growing up, either. Fri Oct 23 18:19:10 -0700 2009 5124796 105717 alkapal 1 5138373 without a doubt, the cigarettes I bummed from the cafeteria ladies Wed Oct 28 14:48:09 -0700 2009 3974760 158016 cassoulady 2 5164868 Rib-whiches.. You know those boneless rib shaped ground mystery meat patties, served on a hoaggie. Damn those were good! I think my palette wouldn't agree today, but back in highschool, they kicked ass. Sun Nov 08 07:51:36 -0800 2009 5138373 1120293 jtothe 1 5168072 Wow! Thought I was the only crazy that STILL craved food from my high school cafeteria... 1. Cheese pizza slice with salsa verde on top- my school made a great cheese slice and my friends and I started adding the salsa verde to it... The tangy bite of the sauce really complimented the greasy goodness of the cheese... 2. I was a cheerleader and we practiced after school. So we would get the hot chocolate chip cookies baked for the next day and put a scoop of raw cookie dough on top. The dough would melt like icing! So good! Mon Nov 09 14:06:41 -0800 2009 3974760 1107508 trixie67 1 5168274 Home made rolls: big, plump, tender...tasted like giant Parker House rolls. Five cents each, baby! Uhmmmm :-) Mon Nov 09 15:08:45 -0800 2009 3974760 70211 Beckyleach 1 5182673 Deli sandwhichs! We'd get to choose our own cold cuts,and rolls. It was heaven. We'd line up around the block on deli day! Sun Nov 15 04:31:34 -0800 2009 3974760 322213 YAYME