“I cook with love both at home and school,” Sally Cooper explained, when asked how she managed cooking daily in two different locations. She is a member of the cafeteria staff at Achilles Elementary School until around 1:30 p.m. five days a week, and then prepares the evening meal for her husband seven days a week.
Sally is a native of the Philippines who met her husband, Jackie, when he was a Marine stationed there. She grew up watching her father cook. “He was a better cook than my mom. That’s how I learned to cook and still practice what I originally learned. I didn’t go to any cooking school. I cook by instinct and it always comes out good.”
The Cooper family has resided in Gloucester since 1995; Sally has spent many years sharing her knowledge with two school cafeterias. She stresses the importance of good seasoning. “I know how to combine spices and I use them in my cooking as well as school cooking.” She was at Abingdon Elementary ...