Making School Cafeteria Pizza from the 1980s & '90s

Tiktok ► TastingHistory

Send mail to:
Tasting History
22647 Ventura Blvd, Suite 323
Los Angeles, CA 91364

#tastinghistory #pizza

[Mike-lshe]

Former facility cook here; the reason all the big facility cooking recipes tell you to whisk your flour for so long is because we get flour in 25 pound bags, and stacked them ten tall on a pallet. The bottom couple inches are always compacted. No long whisk, and you'll have hard lumps. Older recipes also had you dissolve your sugar in hot water for same reasons.

[kburke]

Retired lunch lady here. I went from making everything from scratch to serving pre-made, pre-packaged items. We were always so happy to serve our scratch made meals. Friday was always pizza day, Thursday was fresh fried chicken and Tuesday was chicken tenders or nuggets. Thanks for the memories!

[thehoodgamer]

I remember in middle school, this sweet lunch lady would notice that i didnt get free lunch and i would only eat if my friends shared with me or given me their leftovers. So she would go to the back of the cafeteria and bring me all kinds of food and snacks, and when pizza day comes she would sneak me an extra one to take home. She was such a sweetheart and may god bless her, I will never forget that lady

[xphoenixrising]

I think what I loved most about this was the slow wonder and almost tearful look you got in your eyes as you took that first bite. That was wholesome.

[sarapenn]

The look on Max's face as he takes that first bite... you just know how hard it hits the nostalgic button.❤

[TheDownrankTrain]

You should 100% make the "School Lunch" a series. Different cultures around the world all have their own way of doing it, and it is fascinating (and often quite sobering) to read the stories of how schools fed large numbers of hungry, often impoverished kids.

[AlexisDE]

My grandmother was a school lunch lady. She prepared these pizzas and the likes her entire life. It’s not a glamorous job, but she always took pride in it and I honor all lunch ladies for their dedicated service. She also inspired my passion for cooking and baking. Her banana bread is something I treasure to this day.
I miss you gram, but you are always in the kitchen with me ❤

[VaxVaxter]

That moment when Max takes a bite, looks into the distance and seems to get lost in his childhood memories was really heart-warming. Really put a smile on my face as well.

[Chris_W.]

15:19 Cue the Ratatouille’s Anton Ego childhood flashback. I could see the years instantly disappear from his eyes when he took that first bite.

[Tulipstremble]

Seeing Max’s eyes LIGHT up when he took a bite in immediate nostalgia and recognition and innocuous joy has to be one of my top 10 favorite moments of Tasting History

[beatrizsandoval]

I didn’t go to school in the US because I grew up in Mexico but my husband did. He was telling me one day about a coffee cake they used to serve at LAUSD and he loved so much. I found a recipe and when I made it he almost cried happy tears. He said it was exactly like he remembered and brought him back to his childhood. I’m going to ask him about the pizza now.

[elizabethramos]

I am so going to make this for my girls. I'm an 80s kid. I remember this pizza and the biscuits, rolls fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and all great food we got in our small town, not the trash they serve now. Thank you for taking me down memory lane.

[mimclaire]

I have to make this pizza for my mom. She was a dietician for our school district, which means for all of the schools in our county, she made up the menus, purchased the food/ingredients, processed free/reduced lunch applications, regulated the kitchens and so. much. more. She held this position from about 1980 (maybe a couple of years earlier than that) until 1993 when she retired due to M.S. It was truly her most rewarding work. She fought for our breakfast program, which wasn't granted until a couple of years before she retired. And that bagged milk? Knowing what I know of the purchasing process and getting to help with the purchase lists, that was 100% the cheapest option they could get for that time period. As soon as the cartons undercut the bags (or that manufacturer went out of business), they went back. My mom would have me highlight the lowest price on the lists, but there were some things she absolutely would not compromise on regardless of how the prices fluctuated. She's in her 80's now and I cannot wait to try this out for her! Thank you for sharing!!

[MrGuy]

i recently showed this to my dad who was an 80's kid. we ended up making it and holy cow i've been missing out on this??? its weirdly unique for a pizza, and nothing quite compares. its actually my new favorite type. thank you for making this video!!! very fun to experience things that are part of my dad's past.

[shrimpymuscles]

I am 75 years old. I started getting school lunch in high school. The lunch ladies made all the food. I loved their large chocolate cookies. I wish I had that recipe. It was at Chatsworth High, in Chatsworth, California, 1967-1969. They cost a nickel. I don't remember our lunches, just the cookies. I recently started watching your vids and subbed. Thank you for your vids.

[danieladownie]

Max's reaction was so sweet! Nostalgia is such a unique human experience and one we rarely see on tasting history. Great episode!

[KLEANTRIX]

In elementary school, we had a lunch man for a few months who was a genuinely kind person. On pizza days, he would always make extra, and since we fifth graders were the last to get lunch, he would offer us a second slice if we wanted it. Those were good times. I remember he was let go after just a few months, and looking back now, I wonder if that might have been the reason. I will probably never know, but he definitely brought smiles to the faces of every kid in our tiny inner-city school, including mine. Much love Pizza Lunch man, where ever you are.

[ishtarlopez]

I loved my time as a Lunch Lady. Hearing the kids say Miss Miss and seeing the happy faces and rowdiness of the cafeteria are great memories. The kitchen was loud but it was a job i really loved. Hard work but worth it. It was my first job because i always remembered how nice the lunch ladies were to me while i was in school. And i really appreciated that such programs exist because growing up poor you do go hungry. So always thankful!!!

So many Thanks to all the Food Service staff and school districts for such a great provision. Thank you! ❤

[RuggedSource]

Pizza & Hamburger days were the only two food days I remember when we never started a food fight in the cafeteria. One day one of those small milk cartons came flying at my head and it was like slow motion, I saw the milk slowly pour out and float in mid air. Next thing I recall was being under the lunch tables laughing with my friends. I somehow never managed to get food or drinks on me when the food fights were finished.

[DarthVader-igci]

Max's face flashing with many emotions while his mind rushed through thousand memories as he took the first bite, probably the best moment in this channel's history... I have to admit, it made me tear up a bit❤