With Healthy Corners, DC Central Kitchen is partnering with small business owners like Jimmy to change the way his whole community eats.

We recently stopped by to ask what made him want to get involved in Healthy Corners. Here is his story:

Jimmy: “When I first opened this store and stocked healthy foods, they never sold. I was always taking them home to eat so I wouldn’t have to just throw it all away. So I started asking my customers what they wanted in the store.

All of their suggestions were for junk food – sticky buns, soda, cookies, etc. I couldn’t figure out what was so great about this junk food so I decided to try eating like my customers. I gained nearly 100 lbs over the course of one year. I wore size 48 pants and I couldn’t fit into regular shoes.

Then I started cooking at home again and I lost nearly all the weight I had gained. When the Healthy Corners program came, I started eating fresh produce from the store.

Now when people come into the store and see how much weight I lost, they ask me how I did it. I tell them I changed my diet and started eating healthy. Now they ask me to stock more healthy foods.

Healthy Corners made it possible for me to do that because the prices were cheaper than Sam’s Club and other wholesale stores.”

New Culinary Instructor Afiya Howell explained how the class prepared all week by making test versions of the dish and learning to work in teams. Marianne Ali, Director of Culinary Job Training, expressed how learning to work with others is an important component of the program.

Zachary Mason, Class 88 Student, said of his experiences thus far: “The past 6 weeks for me have been beautiful. I learn something new every day. I like the hustle bustle, the rush of kicking it out.”

Congrats to Clyde, Millena, Kaprina, Loretta, and Haywood from Team Dim Sum and Dim Sum More, who took first place. Thanks to all of the judges who asked very enlightening questions to our students.

The nine teachers who participated were given recipes and instruction on preparing corn-crusted catfish, collard greens, buffalo chicken tenders and cheesy meatballs from scratch.

Chef Ed encouraged the teachers to use the recipes provided as a guide, leaving room to make the final dish their own. The hands on portion of the class involved teachers breading their own catfish and rolling out their meatballs.

The cooking class provided a perfect opportunity for Chef Ed to tell teachers a little bit more about DC Central Kitchen and emphasize that students look to their teachers as role models for healthy choices in the cafeteria.

We love to see the teachers getting involved and are especially grateful to all of those who we see modeling healthy eating habits and engaging the students in conversations about their food every day in the schools!

We are incredibly proud to announce the release of the 2011 Annual Report. This year’s theme is how we’re redefining nutrition by combating food deserts, serving healthy school meals, supporting local farms, and creating jobs.

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This Heritage Day featured three chefs: Reuven Sugarman of Cuba Libre, Kate Jansen of Willow Restaurant, and Anthony Lombardo of 1789. The three chefs stressed the importance of perseverance and working hard as the students begin their careers.

“It’s not like you just graduate from this program, get a job, and you’re set for life. You’ve always got to push forward and work hard to stay ahead,” said Chef Lombardo.

Students helped the chefs prepare three fantastic dishes: Beef Picadillo, Spring Asparagus Bisque, and Lombardo Meatballs.

A special thanks to the chefs who made this a memorable Heritage Day.

3rd Street Market, a beautiful new store located at the corner of 3rd & P St., NW is the latest store to begin offering healthy products such as apples, bananas, oranges, peppers, spinach, lettuce and other staple items to customers who would otherwise have to leave the neighborhood to purchase fresh products.

In addition to working with the store owners to make sure that they are keeping their shelves stocked with fresh fruits and veggies, our Healthy Corners team has also been busy providing tastings of products and recipe suggestions in stores, as well as attending community events to increase awareness of the program.

Kristen Pelzer Thomas, our Healthy Corners Program Coordinator, most recently attended a baby shower hosted by Chartered Health for fifty new and expectant mothers to provide samples of trail mix, banana bread and fresh fruits along with information about program offerings and locations.

Our next outreach event is coming up on May 6th when members of our team will take part in a discussion of healthy, affordable food and urban farming at the 2nd Annual North East Pie Contest.

This contest is part of the Sunday Suppers initiative to engage neighbors and create a greater community in Wards 5 and 6 via the shared connection 

of food.  Our neighbors from Wards 5 & 6 are invited to join us with their pies and/or appetites: http://bit.ly/JDzYum

• Sodexo
• DC Central Kitchen
• Holiday Inn College Park
• Old Ebbitt Grill
• Crystal Enterprises at NOAA
• Cheers Hospitality Services
• Fresh Start Catering with DCPS

We would like to thank Jim Vance and former CJT graduate Jeffrey Lustre from Class 75 who told his incredible story at the event. Thanks to all of the people who attended. This was one of our most well attended graduations and it really shows the family and community support for the program.

Below a scene from one of the afternoon’s most touching moments, when Robert Egger surprised one of our graduates, Michael Parsons, with a job.

He wants to pass his enthusiasm for giving back on to his children, so he searched for volunteer opportunities around the country over spring break and came across DC Central Kitchen. The family made the trip to DC to spend two days volunteering at the Nutrition Lab.

Aiden and Annie said that they’ve never been on a trip like this before, though they’ve spent plenty of time volunteering with their dad as their scout leader.

While they expressed a little bit of reluctance about the plans at first, Aiden said that they’re having a lot of fun here in DC and at the Lab. On their first day the Olson’s helped peel 500 pounds of carrots. Tommy said that they’re all eager to go back to St. Paul and share their stories of the time spent here at the Lab with Annie and Aiden’s classmates.

What do the kids at Deal think of the meals that you are serving? 

They like what they are getting. Over time they’ve started to show more curiosity, asking questions about what is being served instead of simply refusing it. If it’s something that they’re unfamiliar with or unsure of, I’ll offer them tastings off the line to encourage them to eat it.

What sort of involvement do the teachers have in the lunch period?

The fact that they come down to eat with the kids every day is important. You see the same teachers sitting in the cafeteria and eating their lunches with the kids every day.

What do you enjoy most about working in this setting?

Being with the kids! After graduating from culinary school, I worked in restaurants and corporate dining. While the cooking itself is similar, getting the kids to eat the food is a lot different than getting adults to eat what you’ve prepared. I enjoy being able to build rapport with the kids as they come through the line each day, asking them questions about what they eat at home and trying to figure out how to get them to try out new things.

What are some of the kids favorites items that we serve?

Not surprisingly, they like the cheesesteaks, tacos and mac & cheese, but they also love the fruits that we serve. It can be tough to get them to go for whole fruits, but they love sliced cantaloupe, orange segments and applesauce. The salad bar has also been a big hit since the very beginning of the school year. We’ve added more to it over time including some new pasta salads and most recently pita bread and hummus that we make ourselves.

The more years I spend at DCCK, the better I’ve become at dishing out thousands of meals to those in need. But unfortunately the same can’t be said for DCCK’s ovens. These ovens cook unevenly and slowly – and sometimes not at all!

By purchasing a combi oven, we’d be able to bake, roast, smoke and braise in larger batches and in half the time. We could do our jobs faster, safer, and more efficiently – enabling us to redirect our energy to volunteers, technique, and nutrition.

Please help us raise $40,000 to purchase a combi oven for DC Central Kitchen. Your contribution will keep us cookin’ for years to come.

We need a newer combi oven -- these ovens are so old!

Music at this year’s event is curated by Eric Hilton of the Thievery Corporation, including Bone, Fur Feathers, The Archives, and Nappy Riddem, with a DJ Set by Eric Hilton. There will also be a cocktail competition involving three of DC’s hottest mixologists from Oyamel, The Passenger, Fujimar, and The Gibson. And of course, food from thearea’s favorite food trucks including Pepe and Borinquen, as well other beloved restaurants.

Tickets are $40 and go on sale Thursday, March 22.  Be sure to join DCCK and the 9:30 Club May 20^th for music and food that will change lives.

William Ferrell, Culinary Job Training Class 81 Graduate and Production Cook at DC Central Kitchen talks about how the program changed his life.

How did you find out about DC Central Kitchen?
I came to DC Central Kitchen after spending 17 years in prison. After prison and spending some time in a half-way house, my whole plan was to make myself more marketable.

I had done telemarketing before doing time and my approach was to learn as much as I possibly can about what I would be doing. I was good at my last job. I thought I would be fine when I got out of prison, but the guy who interviewed me for a telemarketing job said I was basically overqualified.

They invited me back to a second interview and they told me they were concerned about the amount of time I had been incarcerated and how I’d adjust.

At least he was honest and I can respect that, but that was when the reality set in. I had no idea that this was my calling. DC Central Kitchen gave me a second chance because people are not judging you here.

What did you think about the Culinary Job Training Program?
I thought the curriculum was really challenging. The Life Skills curriculum in particular really got me to open up. We all learned a lot about each other and I am always trying to learn more.

What have you gotten out of working at D.C. Central Kitchen?
I have a second chance now. I had a chance to work other places after graduation from the program but I decided to stay here because giving back is really what I want to do. When I see a homeless person on the street, I can now say that I am helping him because of the work I do here.

What do you like about working at DC Central Kitchen?
I like working with the volunteers. I think most kids don’t have a lot of direction and I can help make an impact on their lives when I interact with them here.  Volunteers are what make this place run, along with donations and contributions.

What have you learned from other graduates?
I learned that a lot of the graduates had the same life experiences that I had, having just gotten out of prison. We all lean on each other and support each other.

What is the best advice you could give someone who is considering the Culinary Job Training Program?
I would say the first thing you have to do in order to change is change how you think about things. You have to be honest with yourself. It’s a thought process – How you respond to things and how you think about things. If you change the way you think about things, you can change your life.

Chef Allison Sosna is DC Central Kitchen’s executive chef based at Walker Jones Education Campus. We took the time to interview her about her passion: how healthy school food can build stronger communities.

How do you think DCCK is changing the role of nutrition in schools?
DCCK is shifting the culture of food in communities and in schools. We are providing not only good meals and exposure to many ages but we are focusing on the WHY of food. Why it is important to your body? Why it is important to live longer? How do fruits and vegetables effect how you feel?  When you directly relate food to health, to not only saving money but living longer, it strikes a chord. That chord is being struck by children finding this out for themselves while we are providing the tools. DCCK is at the forefront of creating a better food system because we focus on the micro and the macro effects of how one little carrot can make you and our community better, stronger.

How do you think teachers can play a role in encouraging nutrition?
Teachers, just as parents, directly influence how a child perceives food. If a child is unsure of something they usually mimic the actions and views of someone older. When faculty brings in soda, they want soda. When parents say they hate beans, their kid hates beans. That’s why it’s crucial to encourage trying items. Teachers don’t have to love eating healthy but we need them to help us promote trying new things. If every teacher took five minutes to talk to their class everyday about trying something new, we would be able to create healthier communities a whole lot faster.

What are the challenges of preparing scratch-cooked meals in a traditional school cafeteria?
As with anything seasonal and made from scratch it involves a whole lot of innovation and creativity. Apples might not have gotten enough rain this season to grow so they are smaller, kids see that. Vendors may come late to drop off fresh fruits and delay food service, this influences the school menu. The beauty of scratch cooking is that it allows creativity and a connection to the food and where it comes from. You see the farmers you are helping, you see the cooks smelling and tasting, and you see a connection to the faculty and cooks when you see them smile while they eat. There is a pride that you don’t find in traditional school cafeterias.

What do students think of the meals. Do you ever get any compliments?
Like adults, kids will always complain about something. It’s about keeping those complaints minimal and addressing changes you can make and bargaining with the students. In the schools I have worked with, I have always taken it upon myself to meet the student council, hold demos, host meet the parent nights, talk to students about what they eat and why they are eating it and what they think. Kids will always want French fries, burgers, and pizza. But if you tell them what you are trying to do with your budget and tell them what it’s like to be a chef in a school, a light bulb goes on that makes them realize that we don’t just come up with anything for the menu. We have a lot of factors that go into menu planning. That being said, after six months the kids really begin to eat more of the healthy items, they are more open minded, and they are eating more fruits and vegetables. It just takes time and that’s what people have a hard time understanding.

Do students ever switch from bringing their lunch to eating at school after seeing the healthy meals?
Yes, we have actually had a few parents tell me this and it’s fun to hear. We want all kids to want to eat at school and parents more time to relax. I have heard more and more how great the fruit and vegetable program is for kids.

Is there anything we’re finding that kids won’t eat?
Beans, unless they are BBQ… We hard time getting kids to eat them which is something I talk about a lot especially with student athletes because they are so good for you and cheap.

We’re totally stoked that The Boss has again chosen to support DC Central Kitchen for his April 1, 2012 concert at the Verizon Center. We’re auctioning off 4 Tickets with ESL passes, with 100 percent of the proceeds benefiting DC Central Kitchen. Be sure to check out our eBay auction to snag tickets to this sold out show.

Well, a few weeks ago a Leadership Team member noticed a large number of kidney beans in the pantry that would expire in the next few months.  Instead of letting the beans expire, students got creative and searched the pantry for other items that would work with the beans to make a meal.

With the help of Grace Knight, Lead Manager at Allison Dining Hall who kindly volunteered her Sunday, volunteers were able to use the beans in a chili.  Grace helped students choose a recipe, cut up vegetables, and showed the Leadership Team the secret to perfectly seasoned chili. Sunday is just one example of how Sodexo and its staff support the CKNU.

Sodexo has supported CKNU since the kitchen was founded in 2003, and has donated almost 7,000 pounds since August alone. Sodexo has also supported CKNU during various seasonal events. Last November, they supported CKNU during TurkeyPalooza by donating over 1,500 pounds of food and helping volunteers cook and slice turkeys, and in the summer of 2011, Sodexo helped distribute 22,000 meals through the Feeding Our Future program.

Sodexo District Manager Steve Mangan recognized the importance of the partnership. “Feeding the hungry goes hand-in-hand with our dining operation at Northwestern and is a part of Sodexo’s commitment to the communities we serve,” Mangan states. “The Campus Kitchen at Northwestern University has been an integral partner in our efforts for many years. We look forward to growing this relationship and moving it forward.”

Sodexo and CKNU do not only share a common kitchen, but also a common goal: teach, reach, feed, and lead. We look forward to the next cooking shift and any challenges it may pose – does anyone have any ideas on how we can cook with peanut butter?

Kids are really open to trying new things they just have to see that it’s okay. The food has to be well prepared and appetizing. The staff is really on board. When the kids see the adults eating the food, that’s another level of buy-in. Then the kids can take it back to their parents.

What’s smart about what D.C. Central Kitchen does is they make the foods kids want to eat healthy and they make it all here from scratch. Hot Dog Day, for example, could not be more popular – but the kinds of hot dogs and the whole wheat buns that we’re using, kids love it. They are eating all these things they’ve always loved, but in a new healthier form.

How has the Walker Jones urban farm been incorporated into the curriculum?
The farm has influenced the conversation in the classroom, especially for the younger kids. The kids are learning about life-cycles, making observations, incorporating the urban farm concept into their art. The younger kids in particular are more willing to try new things.

How has the DCCK School Food Program influenced nutrition education at Walker Jones?
Chef Allison has really been a real advocate for what the kitchen is doing downstairs and bringing that message into the classroom.

She’s done a lot of regular chef demos on Fridays. She’ll show kids how to make their own salad dressing. We did an 8^th Grade Combo Science Class where the kids made ceviche, with product donated by Whole Foods. It’s chemistry in action. It’s the citrus elements cooking the fish and the shrimp without any heat. Our science teacher and the kids were thrilled about it because they are learning to prepare things that can be made home.

What changes have come about in the classroom as a result of the school food program?
We now have breakfast in the classroom, which is a real community builder and it gives the kids a chance to get settled into the classroom. There is also the fruit and vegetable program that exposes kids to different foods they may not be used to and it provides a regular snack period, also in the classroom. Most of our kids come from high poverty environments where they don’t bring snacks so they now have a snack break period during the day.

5 years down the road, what kind of things would you like to see happen in DC Public Schools?
I’d like to see all schools have healthy meals processed on-site with no processed foods. I’d also like to see us be able to bring the food we’re growing outside into into the cafeteria so we’re growing our own produce for school lunches. We now have a food lab that I would like to see become a standing kitchen classroom where chefs can come and demo.

Last month we added a few new products to the shelves including red peppers, grapefruit, green apples, red onions, and homemade banana bread courtesy of our very own Jamillah Linkins. Our Fresh Start trail mix remains a hit with all of our stores and we continue to develop new healthy products.

In the initial stage of the program, stores received all deliveries and products free-of-charge, but as of January, stores who had been receiving free deliveries for over a month began paying for products. Store owners responded well to this change; they could now pick and choose the items they wanted and seemed to feel more ownership over the program.By the end of March, all 28 stores will be paying full wholesale price for the products they receive.

In an effort to expand the reach of the program, we took out ads in The Washington Informer, Mid-City, and East of the River. The ad in the Informer was distributed on February 16^th. It can also be found online at: http://ow.ly/9dYm6. The ads in Mid-City and East of the River will come out on March 12^th. Additionally, all participating Healthy Corner stores can now be found on the DC Food Finder (a food resource map): http://dcfoodfinder.org/.

See what customers and store owners are saying about the program:

“More people are asking for [fresh produce]. At first almost nothing was being purchased, but step-by-step things are moving”. – Frank Haan, A-1 Grocery

“People are coming in specifically to look for fruits and veggies”. – Andrew Cho, MLK Grocery

At Marbury Market, a store located in the basement of an apartment complex, one customer commented that bringing the program to her building has been helpful for her and other seniors as they no longer need to rely on public transportation or walking to get to the nearest grocery store. She would like to see this program spread to senior wellness centers across the city.

This past weekend, the Campus Kitchen at Atlantic City (CKAtlC) presented at the New Jersey Farm to School Network Winter Conference, which took place in Atlantic City, NJ. The conference brought together a collaboration of K-12 schools, community groups, non-profits, businesses, higher education and statewide organizations, all of whom are working to bring good food to all NJ citizens.

CKAtlC represents a unique Campus Kitchen model because instead of only being associated with one school, the kitchen operates with five community partners, including: Stockton College, the Academy of Culinary Arts at Atlantic Cap Community College, the Atlantic City Board of Education, Sodexo Food Services, and the Atlantic City Boys and Girls Club.

It was a powerful presentation as representatives from each of the five partners spoke about the program’s success and impact in the community. Additionally, representatives from the CKP National Office, the Atlantic City Food Bank, Atlantic City High School volunteers, and Atlantic City residents talked about CKPAtlC’s importance.

Some highlights included hearing about the mentoring role that many of the Academy of Culinary Arts students have taken on for the Atlantic City High School volunteers in the kitchen.

The audience also heard from people who receive meals from CKPAtlC, one of whom is now a student at the Academy of Culinary Arts thanks to connections made through CKPAtlC.

It was very impactful to see all the many components of CKAtlC together, and they left a great impression on the audience at the conference.