PUBLISHED BY MOSHOLU PRESERVATION CORPORATION

Chef Tackles Tough Mission: Pleasing the Littlest Palates

By HEATHER HADDON

Between 10:45 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., 108 eggs were cracked, scrambled and shipped out from John Graves’ kitchen last week. Eight trays of potatoes were quartered, seasoned and roasted. Over a dozen loaves of rye bread were sliced and buttered.

Graves’ own lunch, however, amounted to a strawberry Ensure shake.

Graves heads Mosholu Montefiore Community Center’s kitchen for its child care programs. During the week, 1,200 kids get fed up to three meals a day at five different sites run by the Norwood center. There is breakfast, lunch, dinner and two snacks to coordinate for children ranging in age from 1 — when forks are still playthings — to mature teenagers.

“They eat all day,” said Graves, deftly maneuvering between skillets and saucepans. “If you stand here long enough, you’ll see a million people walking through.”

Graves, 57, runs the operation with a slim staff of five at the DeKalb Avenue facility. Four other workers help at childcare satellite sites, but most of the whisking, baking and garnishing happens in his tight workspace.

“I try to run a happy kitchen,” said Graves, a wiry man who sometimes sings as he stirs. “It’s small, so we can’t have a lot of tension.”

Doreen Rivera, his assistant, says the work is hectic but rewarding. “John is my mentor,” said Rivera, 45, an East 205th Street resident. “Every day I’m rushing over here to hear what’s on his mind.”

Graves must be inventive with the diverse palates and customs of local stomachs. Because the Center is supported by Jewish philanthropies, the kitchen is kosher, with meat and dairy items getting separate pans, knives and refrigerator shelves. A large Bangladeshi population means meat is out for children who abide by Islamic laws (meat is permitted, but only if proper prayers are said). And kids with allergies need their own special foods.

Then, there’s making enticing meals for picky eaters. In 13 years cooking for the Center, Graves has found that children will expand their tastes — typically limited to chicken fingers and French fries — with enough prodding. Last week’s eclectic menu included veggie burgers, egg salad in pitas and chicken meatballs.

“I’m a creative soul,” said Graves, who has a library of cookbooks and the Food Network on TV at home. “I’m trying to keep things exciting for people.”

His creativity takes many forms. Born in New Jersey and raised in Harlem, Graves dreamed of acting since age 5. The U.S. Army had different plans for him. In 1969, Graves was drafted, and with the Vietnam War raging on, he wasn’t eager to pick up a gun. An Army staffer asked him how he could serve his country, and Graves thought of a cake.

“When I was 14 years old, [my neighbor] taught me how to make a pineapple upside-down cake. I was so happy about that,” Graves said. After basic training, he was sent to culinary school, cooking for troops in Vietnam.

Graves left the heat of the kitchen for the stage in 1970, acting and singing in various troupes for 12 years. In 1981, he went back to cooking for groups, including campers and seniors. He taught drama at the Center and later became their cook for the childcare program.

Graves clearly loves making food for kids. “He knows all the kids by name,” said Vidia Cordero, the Center’s educational director. “He’s so warm.”

Twice a week, Graves works directly with his customers, teaching an after-school cooking class for children and teens. Donning aprons and short-order cook hats, the young chefs practice using measuring spoons and making desserts. They are kept away from the knives.

“I like it, because after we make it, we get to eat it,” said Michelle Salas, a 10-year-old participant.

Graves’ days typically run from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., though he works until 8 p.m. when he teaches. Removing his apron, he goes back to his “office”—his Wayne Avenue apartment—to craft orders and menus. He does not cook at home.

“I eat out as much as possible,” Graves joked.

He saves his culinary energy for the kids. During lunch last week, each plate of Spanish omelet was served with a green onion garnish and a quick wipe around the edge. A future menu included a special meal for Cinco de Mayo, featuring bean tacos and lime Jell-O.

His customers seem satisfied. “It tastes good,” said Joshua, a 4-year-old student who has grown to like string beans.

Jose Rivera, from DeKalb Avenue, approves of his daughter’s meals. “They seem very nutritious,” he said.

The variety in Graves’ menus helped Cordero’s 3-year-old, who attends the Center, to become less picky. And Cordero is a big fan of his macaroni and cheese.

Graves enjoys feedback from parents, but most of his satisfaction comes from watching the smallest kids eat his food the best they can. While he would love to run his own restaurant, he doesn’t seem eager to sling someone else’s hash. “I don’t have the stamina,” Graves said.

But he’s energetic enough to consistently churn out huge batches of nutritious food on a razor sharp schedule. “Never panic,” said Graves, as he clamped down on a fire flaming from a skillet. “Somehow, I always land on my feet.”

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