Day in the Life: Ernie Wilson

For ex-Army cook Ernie Wilson, shopping for school supplies means meats, milk, fruits and vegetables. He's the lunch guy at Blessed Sacrament Catholic School in Belleville - Chef Ernie to the children.

Each day, he and his assistant cook and serve hot lunches for most of the 212 students and the staff. When the head count on a given day hits 150, Wilson's happy. "That's how I know they like the menu," he said.

Since his favorite part of the job is pleasing the kids, the head count matters. "The best perk is when the little kids' eyes light up when they see me. Sometimes they hug me, too."

Unlike most schools, Blessed Sacrament hasn't succumbed to shrink-wrapped lunches delivered by catering companies. It's steam tables, cafeteria moms and the homemade goodness of food made fresh each day.

School days, the affable Wilson opens the kitchen at 5:30am. "I donate two and a half hours each day," he said. "This job is 8am to 2pm, but I need to get ready before anybody comes in."

He reads through the day's menu and checks again to see that he has each item. Next, the milk cooler gets a once-over to make sure it's adequately stocked. He wipes down the tables, too.

By 8, his co-worker arrives and starts washing vegetables for the salad bar. "If I'm cooking bacon, I get it started. If we're having pasta, I put the big pots of water on to boil." Some days, he bakes big sheet cakes. "That cake aroma floats around this whole building," he said. At 9, he learns how many students he'll serve that day. Wilson takes the un-knowingness in stride.

When he started last year, he learned the latest in food safety and sanitation. He handles cooking chores plus paperwork, purchasing and compliance duties with calm assurance. "Even as a young puppy, no job ever stressed me out," he said.

Wilson likes to keep the menu interesting. Sometimes, he'll make breakfast foods for lunch, like French toast or sausage on a stick wrapped in a pancake. "They love chicken, any way. Cavatelli in a tomato sauce and OBG spaghetti - oil, butter and garlic. Hamburgers and cheeseburgers, of course.

"When I introduce something new, I'll walk out with samples and say ‘Let me know what you think.' They like that." This year, Chef Ernie wants his students to eat more fruits and vegetables. Bets are he'll find ways to go beyond peaches, corn, peas and beans to make new healthy choices fun and delicious.

Get a glimpse here at some of the yummy lunch menu items on Chef Ernie's lunch menu for Blessed Sacrament Catholic School in Belleville.