Thaw any frozen foods needed for the next day (meats, bread, etc)
Take note of ingredients that are missing or needed for the next day, but do not go buy them, unless it is an essential item and you can be reimbursed!
Make sure the kitchen is clean- This should be done by chefs, but if it is not completely clean when they leave, it is the responsibility of the kitchen staff to maintain clean kitchen facilities (see “Daily Cleaning” section)
If there is enough laundry for a full load, start a load and switch it before you leave for the day. The next morning, place clean laundry on tables for campers to help fold - The washer and dryer are located in Milam 207
Check aprons and oven mitts to be washed as well
Use the KidSpirit laundry soap, not the MFC laundry soap, you may need to purchase this before camp begins
Move all trash bins with food in them into the hallway to have bags changed by the janitor
Bring leftover food to the staff area in Langton for staff to enjoy (if there are left over chopped vegetables or other food that could be used in a recipe later that same week keep them in the kitchen for the campers to use. Only bring food over to Langton that would go to waste otherwise.
Assign what recipe(s) each kitchen will be making the next day
Write the agenda for the day on the white board with times of each activity
Each station will be cleaned daily by the chefs themselves - DO NOT clean for them!
The staff should “inspect” the kitchen before the chefs can leave
Cleaning inspection checklist: Clean countertops, swept floor, no food left in the sinks, kitchen supplies washed and stored nicely.
Cleaning is as important of a skill to learn as cooking, so make sure this final step is not skipped over or de-emphasized
The kitchen staff should not be left with excess cleaning after class is over, and the chefs are gone
During the first couple of days or weeks of the session the chefs are still getting into the habit of “cleaning as they cook,” so be sure to communicate with parents and office staff if chefs are running late to check out due to delayed cleaning.
Specific Milam kitchen cleaning (go over this at the staff training!)
Counters should be wiped down with a cloth and bleach solution kept in a spray bottle (1 teaspoon bleach to 1 bottle water). See Candace Russo for clarification or instruction on how to do this
No steel wool or rough cleaners should be used on the stove surfaces
Stove top cleaner is located in a plastic container in the black bookcase
All group discussions should be interactive and not feel like a lecture or campers will lose interest
Refer to campers as chefs and call them by Chef followed by their name. Example: Chef Jason
For Chefs in Motion, have fun group conversations during the Dynamic Stretching that relate to the topic of the day
Table Talk is an important part of the day during lunch where the staff should be mingling with campers and having appropriate conversation while eating. Make connections with the topic of the day to the food that was prepared by asking guided questions. Example: Day three is MyPlate day so during lunch, ask “How many food groups are we eating? Where is the protein?” etc. This helps reinforce what was learned earlier and brings the day full circle
Chefs are allowed to experiment a little more while cooking by using additional spices, garnishes and whatever else they would like within reason and after asking permission
Remove negative talk by changing the way things are phrased. Example: “Broccoli is gross” -> “I don’t prefer broccoli because it has a sharp spicy taste”
Encourage campers to try new foods by acting like a food connoisseur whose job it is to try all kinds of food to taste and experience different flavors. If they do not prefer the taste, they must say what about the food they did not prefer and what they would do to improve the taste. Emphasize that tasting is also a part of the cooking process.
Campers may taste dishes while cooking for evaluation by using a clean tasting spoon and placing it in the sink afterwards
The campers are there to have fun, so if there are dishes to be done and still cooking to be done, have staff wash dishes to allow the campers to do what they signed up to do. If there are dishes at the end of cooking, campers should help wash them because washing dishes is a part of cooking. Another way to manage this is staff can wash 5 dishes and in turn campers can wash 5 dishes.
On the last day of camp for the summer, assign campers very specific tasks to help deep clean the kitchen (this will save the kitchen staff time and energy later). In addition to the regular cleaning responsibilities, assign the following tasks
List of final day deep cleaning tasks:
Dust all surfaces
Sanitize surfaces
Sweep floor (split up between sides of room)
Clean refrigerator
Wipe walls (spot clean)
Wipe/sanitize storage shelves
Clean stove tops with specific cleaner
Wipe down windowsills
Wash utensil holders, stools, and silverware containers
Wash/fold laundry (wash any dirty aprons)
Wipe out microwave
Refill bleach bottles (should be done by an instructor)
Scrub sinks
Deep clean ovens (do this after the campers have gone because the cleaner is very harsh)