Meet A.J. Moll

I would like to take the opportunity to introduce myself and the Farm2School lunch program developed by Bistro Kids.

I come to you from the corporate headquarters of MasterCard in O’Fallon, Missouri, where for the past four years I was in corporate dining, as the Lead Cook/Sous Chef.  My formal culinary training was completed at The Quartermaster School, U.S. Army at Ft. Lee, VA where I graduated class valedictorian with a diploma in food service specialties.  I hold certificates in foodservice layout and design, and Serve Safe sanitation through the national restaurant association. I have also been trained in kosher dietary laws both at the St. Louis Kollel and Aish HaTorah in University City, Mo.

I am an active member of B’nai Torah in St. Peters, Mo where I am a past officer of the board and current Hebrew teacher with an emphasis in B’nai Mitzvot Prep.  I am married to Robin Canis-Moll and have a 4 year old son, Noah and a one year old daughter, Michaella.

For students returning from Saul Mirowitz RJA, I regret to inform you that Chef Monica has accepted a position elsewhere. I know that I have some big shoes to fill, and I wish Chef Monica well in all her endeavors.

The Bistro Kids mission is simple, but powerful: to become an integral part of the school community by empowering, teaching, and feeding as many students as possible, kid friendly meals that are healthy, seasonal, delicious, and whenever possible, locally grown.

• We never add msg or artificial colors and flavors.
• We do not use corn syrup or high fructose corn syrup.
• We use whole grains in our breads and desserts.
• We do not fry foods, with the exception of latkes at Chanukah.
• We do not use tree nuts or peanuts, however; the kitchen at B’nai Amoona does use tree nuts and peanuts. I do my best to clean and sanitize all utensils and contact surfaces. This does not guarantee that your child will not become ill if they are highly allergic.
• All food served is under the strict kosher supervision of B’nai Amoona and their mashgicha, Betsy Enger.
• I personally pledge to you I will follow the Bistro Kids program guidelines, with one exception, if I cannot source kosher food that matches those guidelines, I will substitute a kosher product that meets those guidelines the closest.  These circumstances are rare.

I will be glad to assist you, if you or your child has special dietary needs, you have suggestions for the menus, or any other concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.    As a busy parent myself, I understand we don’t always keep “business hours.”  I am available to speak with you most evenings and on Sundays.  Please do not hesitate to call me.  I am here to serve you and your child/children.

Wishing you a healthy and happy new year

L’shana Tova,

Chef A.J.

Thanks Chef, welcome aboard….we are happy you joined the Bk Team.  While we are at it, here’s just a sample of some of the delicious food Chef prepared last week:

The Saul Mirowitz Jewish Community School – All The Right Ingredients

Chef Monica Cooks Up Healthy Kosher Passover Foods for Saul Mirowitz Kids

By: Chef Monica Watson BistroKids*
Every month at SMJCS , as part of Bistro Kids Farm to School Lunch program, we have a “featured food or food group” February is grain month.  In addition to preparing lunches from scratch here on site, I teach the culinary education classes and work with the kids in our school garden. (We’ve just finished planting our seeds for the upcoming growing season). the importance of eating whole, organic and healthy food!
During grain month we made this Chocolate Quinoa Cake. One of the things I try to do is create healthier versions of the foods they already love (hence the chocolate cake!) as well as recipes that are kid favorites that parents can easily prepare for or with their kids at home. This was a special treat for the kids with the addition of the quinoa making it healthier and perfect for Passover!
The cake is not an original recipe of Bistro Kids…I did modify it somewhat from a version in “Quinoa 365”. Other months have featured broccoli, pumpkin and even honey. Our goal  is to “feature” foods prepared in different ways in an effort to get the children to try them and explore new ways of eating something they may have thought they disliked. Believe it or not at SMJCS, broccoli is as popular as chocolate cake!
Bistro Kids makes healthy fun. We teach from seed to soil, pan to plate. It is a process but they learn what making healthy choices means. That knowledge hopefully takes root and grows!
Research shows that homegrown, whole foods positively impact performance in school, attendance, even behavior. That’s why Saul Mirowitz Jewish Community School will have a farm-to-table lunch program, and serve only the healthiest locally sourced or organic foods. “Planting the veggies we eat for lunch is as locally grown as it gets,” says Tamar Lerner, a fifth grade student. Each class will be responsible for planting and then harvesting a different vegetable for the garden.
The school contracts with Bistro Kids for their lunch program. Chef Monica Watson prepares the school lunches from scratch using only locally sourced, organic, all natural foods — including carrots, beets, brussels sprouts, beans, tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, kale and herbs that students have planted in the school garden. Only hormone free and antibiotic-free milk is served. Washable lunch trays are used, and students compost their waste for the garden. In addition to feeding students, the program provides an educational component: visits from farmers who teach students how produce transforms from seed to table; chefs who guide students and parents in hands-on cooking classes; and lessons in nutrition and healthy food choices.
“The program aligns perfectly with our values,” says Cheryl Maayan, head of school. “Our students will grow up with the knowledge that everyday decisions —choosing milk at the store, for example—are not just fiscal decisions. They are decisions that impact everything from their bodies to the economy to the earth’s atmosphere.”

To read more and get two new delicious Passover recipes, click the following link: http://www.jewishinstlouis.org/page.aspx?id=253109

The Gala is Coming at SMJCS. Don’t Miss Out

The gala is NEXT WEEKEND! And your RSVP was due a few days ago! BUT…we want every parent to attend…so we’ll extend the deadline JUST FOR YOU!

Please let Beth know you are coming right now. We expect the event will sell out. (We have almost 500 RSVPs already!)

Then…plan to bid on these fabulous auction items:

Hungry and Healthy
Bistro Kids will satisfy your child’s culinary cravings by providing $500 worth of delectable school lunches. Donated by: Bistro Kids Value: $500

Beach Getaway
Experience beautiful beaches and radiant sunshine of Fort Myers Beach, Florida. Spend seven days and six nights relaxing at a condo that is walking distance to the beach and sleeps six adults. Dates are mutually agreeable.
Condo Donated by: The Vickar Family Value: $2,000

Pearly Whites
A full Orthodontic treatment using braces and retainers. You will be in good hands with Dr. Rob Shapiro. Donated by: Dr. Robert Shapiro Value: $5,000

Los Cabos, Mexico
A seven-night vacation at a lovely Mediterranean-style resort noted for casual elegance. Pueblo Bonito Los Cabos in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, offers the full-service amenities and services found only at the world’s finest hotels. Overlook the Sea of Cortez, offering stunning views of Land’s End and a room that sleeps four. Dates are mutually agreeable. Donated by: Dr. Harvey and Fran Cantor Value: $1,400

Westin Pop-Up Challenge
The Westin Pop-Up Challenge will take place prior to the start of a
Cardinals game and will allow you a chance to catch 3 baseballs shot into
Center Field from a t-shirt gun at home plate where 20,000 fans will be
watching. Each ball caught will give you a prize provided by the Cardinals
and the Westin. The purchaser of this package will have 3 additional tickets and field passes to watch pre-game batting practice and stay for the game. Parking for the game will be provided by The Westin St. Louis. The Challenge will take
place on on July 25th or September 19th of the 2012 baseball season.
Donated by: Westin St. Louis and The Cardinals Value: $4,500

A Clarification on Saul Mirowitz Jewish Community School’s Policy on Kashrut

The following appeared in the St. Louis Jewish Light in “Letters to the Editor”. 

You can visit their website at www.stljewishlight.com

 

Merged day school’s policy on kashrut

A Nov. 2 letter to the editor asserts that the new Saul Mirowitz Jewish Community School has no kashrut policy. We would like to correct this misperception and explain our approach to the merger process.

 

When a Reform and a Conservative Day School merge, compromises must be made. For example, Saul Mirowitz Day School-Reform Jewish Academy (RJA) families cannot expect non-kosher food to be served as part of the school’s lunch program, and Solomon Schechter Day School (SSDS) families cannot expect every family to adhere to a single definition of Jewish practice. In every decision we make together, we must respect the individual family’s choices. The agreement to merge was made in the spirit of a continued commitment to acceptance of multiple definitions of Jewish practice. It is in that spirit that we will develop our understanding of one another and our traditions and strengthen our diverse St. Louis Jewish community.

Kashrut is one example of the many decisions we face, many of which have not been addressed yet. Just like so many of the other details we have yet to address, the food served at Saul Mirowitz Jewish Community School will be a combination of both RJA’s and SSDS’s commitment to Jewish values, in this case the holiness of the food we consume.

Like SSDS, all food served as part of the school lunch program will be prepared in a supervised kosher kitchen. Meat and dairy will be served on different days. As at RJA, food served will be locally sourced or organic. Food will be cooked on site from scratch, using healthy ingredients and methods. Milk will be hormone free and antibiotic free. Cheese will be local and made from grass fed cow’s milk. Students will be involved in planting, tending, and harvesting some foods in an organic garden in the schoolyard. They will learn about seasonal foods, cook them in culinary class, and be able to articulate why it is Jewish to eat foods that leave a smaller carbon footprint on this earth.

Families can choose to order lunch from our kosher, healthy lunch service, Bistro Kids, or they will be able to bring their own lunch from home. Beyond that, all family choices will be honored in a dignified way…free of judgment and monitoring, and reflective of our commitment to respecting diverse family definitions of Jewish practice.

Food shared for birthday parties at Saul Mirowitz Jewish Community School will be store-bought and kosher. No personal food brought into the building is to be shared, not only for reasons of kashrut, but for protection of children with a variety of allergies.

Next fall, students at Saul Mirowitz Jewish Community School will tell you how eating is holy, for their school has a thoughtful, intelligent and inclusive kashrut policy that embraces both Jewish tradition and modern Jewish practice. As we work to create the policies that will govern the Saul Mirowitz Jewish Community School, this is our approach to each issue or question we face. Our goal is to bring together the rich traditions of both schools for the benefit of our children and our community.

Transition Committee for the Merged Schools: Marc Blustone, Margie Hartman, Galia Movitz, Milton Movitz, Michael Rubin, Alan Spector and

Bruce Waxman

Cheryl Maayan, Head of School, RJA

Bill Rowe, Interim Head of School, SSDS

How does your Garden grow?

About 10 years ago, our custodians threw away 4 or 5 large bags of trash each lunch period. Today, our students barely fill one! What has changed? For one thing, we traded in paper plates and plastic forks for washable trays and silverware. Where multiple trashcans used to stand is a center for recycling. Your children compost their scraps for the school garden.
And look how our garden has grown! The process of planting, tending and harvesting not only creates a culture of healthy eating, but helps children understand the value of choosing locally grown produce.

This week, Chef Monica sent second graders on a hunt for treasures in the garden. They found okra, banana peppers, green peppers, lemon cucumbers, tomatoes, gourds…and even sunflowers ready to shed their seeds for the salad bar.

RJA students are well-aware that the veggies grown at school are better for the environment.They learn early to be diligent in their stewardship of the earth, and they take that responsibility seriously. Our message to our students is always the same: you don’t have to be a grownup to participate in the repair of the earth.

Spinach and Dip @ SMDS-RJA

If Popeye were to visit RJA, he’d find himself in good company. Even those RJA kids who get hives a the thought of green veggies learned that they actually DO enjoy spinach!

This month, they enjoyed spinach lasagna, spinach salad…and even spinach yogurt and pancakes! (We know! We were surprised, too! But the kids loved them!)
This week, the students planted spinach seeds in the garden with Chef Matt…and then made their own spinach artichoke dip. Mmmm…it was delicious. Did you get to taste it? If not, here’s the recipe. You can make it at home!

Spinach Artichoke Dip
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 package cream cheese (softened)
- 8 ounces of Fresh Spinach
- 1 ounce Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup artichoke hearts
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 Tbs garlic salt

Chop spinach and artichokes. Whip softened cream cheese with mixer until light and fluffy. Add 1 ounce of olive oil to saute’ pan over medium heat. Saute’ spinach until soft. Add to cream cheese. Add the Parmesan, artichokes and seasonings. Stir until combined. Fold in sour cream. Serve with tortilla chips, fresh cut veggies.

Frog Cupcakes from SMDS

I wanted to have a healthy birthday snack, and I was so excited the Chef Monica was able to help my mom make these frog cupcakes. They have sunbutter, bananas…and raisins for eyes. There’s a secret green ingredient in the icing, but I don’t think anyone will be able to figure out what it is!

Dara H. who
celebrated her 11th birthday today!

 The secret ingredient was…(drumroll)…SPINACH! 

Awesome Chef Monica!  Healthy birthday snack, happy customer!!!!

Chef Monica making Lox at SMDS….Cool!

Chef Monica took some pics of the Lox she’s preparing at SMDS.  It takes two to three days to cure. 

Now for those of you who don’t know what Lox is, here’s some interesting information for you.  Who knows?  You may just want to try this at home!

Lox, or smoked salmon, is a very thin fillet of salmon that has been cured and cold smoked. Smoked Salmon is consumed in many parts of the world. However, in Canada and the United States, it is commonly referred to as lox. This is especially true on the East Coast. The word lox is a Yiddish word for “salmon.” The word is also related to the German (Lachs), Norwegian (laks), and Icelandic and Swedish (lax) words for “salmon.” Furthermore, the Old English word for salmon is læx.

Although lox is cured and smoked, it is not cooked. Therefore, the fish remains smooth and pink. Lox does not resemble fillets of cooked salmon. In the United States, lox is served in very thin slices and is enjoyed primarily as a breakfast food. One of the most common ways that Americans enjoy lox is with bagels. Bagels with cream cheese are often topped with lox. In fact, lox and cream cheese have become such a popular combination, that some dairies and bakeries serve cream cheese with lox already mixed in along with other flavored cream cheeses such as vegetable, chive, and date. Bagels with cream cheese and lox are often garnished with sliced red onion and capers. The acidity of the capers and sweet bite of the onions add lovely flavor dimensions to the dish. This dish is also sometimes served on Melba toast instead of bagels.

In addition to serving as a popular breakfast food, lox is also served as lunch and dinner hours. Many delis and sandwich companies serve lox sandwiches for the mid day meal. Furthermore, some restaurants incorporate lox into appetizer plates. Some restaurants serve it with fruits, such as sliced apples and grapes, and mild cheeses.

Lox is also enjoyed in England and Germany. In England, smoked salmon is eaten on toasted brown bread with cream cheese and a garnish of fresh lemon juice. In Germany, lox is served on toast or black bread. Lox is used as a cooking ingredient in many different parts of Europe. In France, for example, it is sometimes folded into crepes with fresh cream and chives. Some quiches also call for lox as part of their filling. In Europe, you may also find lox scrambled into eggs, or as a pasta sauce ingredient.

As locally grown as it gets

From our friends at The Saul Mirowitz Day School Academy:

The seedling-to-table experience is complete. Yesterday, your children — gardeners, scientists and environmental stewards that they are — harvested the veggies they had planted in September. In their place, they spread the compost that had once been their leftovers. And today, their salad bar had options that were VERY locally grown! “We didn’t even need a car or truck to bring them here,” says Aviva K.

The Post Dispatch came to take photos of Chef Monica preparing lunch and the kids eating it. Look for them in the weekend papers!

That’s awesome stuff SMDS!  And we hope to get a copy of the article to post right here on our blog!!!!