Abernathy Chef Honored by First Lady

I’m neck deep in finals at PSU, but this story floated across my desk and I thought FoPo neighbors might be interested.  Abernathy Elementary School’s chef, Nicole Hoffman, was professionally trained at The Western Culinary Institute. As one might guess, she does not serve the rubbery pizza and overdone tater tots I remember from the elementary school lunchroom. Instead, she serves up curries, brussel sprouts… whatever tickles her culinary fancy. Abernathy students also learn about the food cycle in their school garden. This unusual arrangement has not gone unnoticed–Michelle Obama has invited Hoffman to the White House to help kick off the “Chefs Move to Schools” program, which will partner professional chefs with schools for meal planning. You can read the full KGW story here, and view a video straight from the lunchroom here. I would love to hear your comments on this program– are you already seeing similar happenings at other local schools? What do you think about this new approach?