Lead / Create / Contribute
235 Hope Road, Tinton Falls, NJ 07724  /  732.542.4777

More Stories

List of 10 news stories.

Celebrity Chef Bal Arneson On Campus

Ranney Dining introduces Celebrity Chef Series to expand young palates
Story updated October 2, 2015

Students may have noticed the subtle changes made to Ranney’s dining experience, managed by FLIK International, this fall, including the use of washable plates and utensils compared to disposable ware and the introduction of more healthy and unique meals. And this, week students experienced an even bigger treat—the introduction of FLIK’s Celebrity Chef Series.

On October 1 and 2, Celebrity Chef Bal Arneson was on campus to help serve and interact with students in all divisions. Her Indian-inspired, international spice-infused recipes were the basis for the lunch served in the Upper School on October 1 and in the Lower School on October 2. There were eight different tastings available for students to try. “This event gave students an opportunity to try foods that we would not normally serve on a regular basis,” said Chris DiStefano, Director of Ranney Dining Services.

For example, no-butter chicken, Basmati rice, Indian pizza, naan bread stuffed with beef masala, yogurt sauce and shrimp curry were among the Indian-inspired foods presented by Chef Bal in the Ranney dining hall. Herbal spiced Chai Tea and Mint/Cardamom drinks were also available.

Chef Bal circled the tables to see how students enjoyed the food and signed autographs, with the Lower School line for signatures wrapping across the cafeteria. (see photos)

Known as the “Spice Goddess” on her cooking show, Bal has published three best-selling cookbooks, including Everyday Indian and Bal’s Spice, and also appears on the “Spice of Life” show. She travels the world sharing her food, which is celebrated for incorporating a modern flare into traditional Indian recipes.

"I was a first-grade teacher for 10 years before focusing on being a chef full-time,” said Chef Bal. “My heart and passion are with children, and I was so blown away by my experience here at Ranney. I thought only children from Asia may enjoy my food, but in fact all the students seemed to love it and kept asking me when I’m coming back! They totally embraced it.”

Indeed, students from Kindergarten to 12th grade gave the food a thumbs up!

“Often, adults assume something may be too spicy for a child, but young children may not know what spicy is just yet,” added Chef Bal. “I believe it’s so important to let kids experiment with different spices and textures at an early age to develop a wide palate.”

You can read Chef Bal’s recipes and more at www.balarneson.com. A second celebrity chef will be coming to campus in the spring-details coming soon!

....
Also on the docket for Ranney dining events this fall is a FLIK Cruise Ship experience, in which Caribbean-style food will be served from a large cruise-ship display as part of FLIK’s Traveling Flavors program. In addition, Mr. DiStefano and the FLIK team are excited about continuing to provide students with monthly Super Foods and Fruit Matters programs. For example, in September, the supper food was tomatoes, offering antioxidants and memory-strengthening lycopene. This month’s fruit is the peach—with fun yogurt-peach smoothies being served, among other peach-infused dishes.

In addition, Tasty Tuesdays have returned to the dining halls with sample tastings of less common foods, such as quinoa, provided each Tuesday. “Our younger students may not necessarily want to try quinoa, for example, but once we mix in some strawberries or a healthy amount of dark chocolate, they look forward to it,” says DiStefano.

You can view the daily school menu as well as FLIK’s special food-service offerings at http://myschooldining.com/ranney/
Back

Ranney School

235 Hope Road
Tinton Falls, NJ 07724
Tel. 732.542.4777
Our mission is to know and value every child, nurturing intellectual curiosity and confidence, and inspiring students to lead honorably, think creatively, and contribute meaningfully to society.