Luka traded his third grade classroom for the kitchen recently as he stepped into the role of “Chef for the Day”  and fully embraced every part of the experience.

Working alongside the Unquowa Chefs, Luka spent the day learning what it takes to prepare lunch for an entire school community. From grilling more than 140 grilled cheese sandwiches to prepping fresh ingredients and serving lunch to his classmates, he quickly discovered that a busy kitchen requires teamwork, focus, and a lot of energy.

Throughout the day, Luka learned how to make tomato soup and marinara sauce, practiced knife skills while cutting cucumbers and romaine lettuce, and even prepared homemade ranch dressing from scratch. He also helped toss and serve the Caesar salad during lunch service and proudly wrote the day’s menu on the board before announcing lunch to students and teachers.

One of the sweetest parts of the day came when Luka joined Chef Helen to make Strawberry Shortcake Cups. He learned how to use a piping bag while topping desserts with fresh whipped cream. A skill he was excited to master!

Behind the scenes, Luka also worked preparing pizza dough for the next day’s lunch, getting a firsthand look at how much planning and preparation happens long before meals are served.

Luka’s Chef for the Day Menu Included –

• Grilled Cheese
• Cucumber Sticks with Luka’s special Ranch dressing
• Tomato Soup
• Caesar Salad
• Rainbow Sherbet

As a Chef, Luka even added a special item to the salad bar: egg noodles – one of his favorite foods!

By the end of the day, Luka wasn’t quite ready to leave the kitchen. In fact, he asked if he could come back to help with dishes and cleanup because, as he put it, he wanted “the full chef experience.” It was such a great day!