Chef prepares meals at Liberty schools
By Jarod Wells
Monday, November 02, 2009 at 5:32 p.m.
Read more: Local, Education
LIBERTY, IL -- There are few things better than a home cooked meal.
That may be true, but lately many kids in the Liberty School District are looking forward to a school bought lunch.
That's because a chef prepares those meals.
KHQA's Jarod Wells gives you a taste.
Chris Hogge attended Starkey International Institute in Denver Colorado. There he learned to be a butler and a chef. He was then a family butler for several years. Now he serves a different group. Hogge is the cook for the Liberty School District.
"I'm fixing for kindergarteners all the way through 12th graders," said Hogge.
Before coming to Liberty Hogge ran the smokehouse restaurant at GameMasters in Quincy. He has brought some of those same cooking techniques to Liberty. A few times a month Hogge prepares lunch by smoking the meat.
"Well it's obviously better for you than frying it. I think it holds some of the natural juices in more. You don't have to season it as much with salt because you get the natural flavor from the smoke," Hogge.
There is no longer any fried food served in the Liberty School District and it seems the students have no complaints about that.
What do you think about the lunch you can get here at Liberty?
"It's really good," said 6th grader Levi Obert.
What's your favorite thing that he cooks?
"The smoked hot dogs," said Obert.
"They're really good and they're a lot better than they used to be," said 6th grader Makayla Buckley.
What's you're favorite meal that you guys can get here?
"Fajita bar," said Buckley.
Some other favorites are pulled pork, tenderloins and a beef and bean burrito. But students are also offered a salad bar and fruit.
"I just take pride in what I cook so I think that shows in the end product," said Hogge.
Hogge says kids and teachers really seem to like his cooking, which is evident as more and more students and staff are choosing a school lunch over a brown bag. Monday for example about 540 students bought a school lunch, thats out of 605 students.
Hogge says the lunches are bringing more revenue to the district.
But because the school is serving more people expenses are up as well.
So there is not much of a difference in the amount of money Liberty makes off its lunches.
