THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, March 31, 1996 TAG: 9603290175
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Mr. Roberts' Neighborhood
SOURCE: Frank Roberts
LENGTH: Medium: 55 lines
Sure it was a tough job, but somebody had to do it.
When the Suffolk Health Department needed judges to assess some delicious and nutritious dishes, I courageously volunteered.
My chief roles: judging appearance and taste-testing.
``Appearance is neat,'' I mumbled to myself. ``Let's get on with part two.''
The foods were prepared by four sections of the Health Department, each competing for a free pig-out at Ryan's, across the street.
That was not at taxpayer expense, by the way. Money for the steakhouse treat was raised in a soup sale.
The Health Department efforts were part of a National Nutrition Month promotion. Other judges were Ben Moseby, food director of the Western Tidewater Regional Jail, and Councilwoman Marion ``Bea'' Rogers.
They were real nice, taking respectable samples from the plates before them. My samples were much larger.
One of the criteria was low fat content - no more than 22 grams per serving. Each serving also had to represent each of the food groups.
The winning team was from the Family Planning Department, which served herbed tomato soup, creamy turkey-basil pasta, bran muffins with dates, a tropical fruit medley and an orange-banana shake.
Its setting was in a fancy picnic basket. The others were table settings.
The WIC Department came up with barbecue strips, a five-cup fruit salad, green beans, rolls and margarine, macaroni and cheese.
The Nursing Department offered blueberry salad, chicken and wild rice, spinach/broccoli casserole and strawberry yogurt pie.
Want an example of low fat? The chicken and wild rice dish had 5 grams per serving; the salad and pie, 3 grams each; the casserole, 1 1/2.
The Clerical Department offered turkey and cornbread dressing, sweet potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce, artichoke dip, sugar-n-spice apples.
I checked with my co-judges to see which dishes they favored. Both flipped over the tomato basil soup. Rogers helped herself to an extra bowl. She also liked the fruit salad. Moseby's second choice was the bran muffin.
He was a little blase about the feast, explaining, ``I work with food all the time.''
My favorites? Just about everything they put in front of me.
What an assignment.
Now, how do I treat that hour? I was working and eating, so do I credit it as a work hour or take another hour to recover? ILLUSTRATION: Photo by FRANK ROBERTS
Councilwoman Bea Rogers samples dishes for the health department.
by CNB