Chef Lynne Arrigoni Brings Flavor and Creativity to DeKalb 428

At DeKalb Community Unit School District 428, OrganicLife's Executive Chef Lynne Arrigoni is redefining what school meals can be. As part of the OrganicLife team, Chef Lynne oversees district menus, ensuring every meal is fresh, scratch-made and presented in a way that looks as good as it tastes.

Chef Lynne is constantly introducing new options to keep menus exciting and appealing to students. She believes scratch cooking is one of the key reasons students love the food, focusing on quality ingredients, thoughtful preparation and flavors that stand out.

One of her most popular creations began with a simple request from the district's food service manager, Mike Chamness — create a signature sauce unique to DeKalb. After researching ideas and experimenting with recipes, inspiration struck one evening while Chef Lynne was cooking dinner at her home. She combined ingredients, including honey and Sriracha, into a creamy aioli and asked her 19-year-old son to taste it. His reaction was immediate: "This will go with anything."

He was right.

The honey Sriracha aioli, now known as Barb Sauce, named after DeKalb's athletic teams, the Barbs, quickly became a student sensation. When supply orders for other sauces began dropping dramatically, Chef Lynne knew she had a hit. Today, she and her team produce four gallons of Barb Sauce every week to meet demand and students put it on everything from chicken sandwiches and burgers to pizza, paninis and fresh veggies.

For Chef Lynne, it's simple — serve food that's fresh, flavorful and exciting, and make every lunch something students look forward to.