Public School (Jail) Food Chronicles
When the words “elementary school lunch” come to mind, I am immediately met with a negative feeling. The day had begun with feelings of excitement; the cafeteria had BBQ ribs that day. They were a first for us amongst a sea of cheese pizzas coleslaw, finally some semblance of flavor. But that day, I was sent home early due to a stomach bug contracted from said BBQ ribs. The next time the school served BBQ ribs, I avoided them like the bite-sized bits of plague they were. Up until the ninth grade, I never tried anything new when it came to food. When it came to school cafeteria food (also known as jail food in some cultures), I had two staples that could never do me wrong; mozzarella sticks and chicken strips.
First things first, there’s absolutely no way known to man to do mozzarella sticks wrong. Deep-fried anything, for the most part, is cause for taste buds ecstasy. Every time the school served mozzarella sticks (with complimentary marinara sauce), people were going back online for seconds or trying to make deals on the café floor for more mozzarella sticks. Four was not enough. Though they weren’t as impressive as the mozzarella sticks, the chicken strips were tasty in their simplicity. I never wasted a single strip, and they left me feeling full(ish). This story’s moral is to send your children to school with Lunchables, they’re the elite meal, and I was always jealous of the kids who had one.
