Well, maybe not everywhere.

If the prisoners have a hankering for chili or tacos, Wouters tries to accommodate every now and then. Although the kitchen operates on a fixed budget -- each meal costs between $1.80 and $2.20 to make -- he occasionally manages to squeeze treats like arctic char and muskox onto the menu.

Prison doesn't amount to a gourmet restaurant, Wouters insisted. Strip loin, New York steak and seafood (other than freshwater fish) won't be found on the menu.

But the menu does changes daily and is on a four-week rotation.

The cooking staff consists of four certified cooks and several inmates who either have some previous training or are acquiring experience in the kitchen. On average, they cook for between 150 and 200 inmates and an additional 40 staff each day.

Close to 200,000 meals are served there each year, frequently keeping the aging kitchen's two confection ovens and two baking ovens working at full capacity.

The monstrous grocery list is tendered out on a monthly basis.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served each day. Dinner usually consists of a serving of meat, vegetables, bread, a beverage and dessert. Seasoning and spices are used sparsely to avoid making the meals unappealing to more picky inmates. Special meals are prepared for those with allergies, diabetes and religious specifications.

As far as the grade of the food, it's "the standard you would eat at home," said Wouters, who has been with the institute for 14 years.

The portions are regulated by the Canada Food Guide and all four food groups are represented. A dietician from Stanton Regional Hospital checks the food for nutritional quality.

Naturally, security is always top priority, even in the kitchen, Wouters noted. Frisks, knife checks and headcounts are conducted regularly. Minimum-security inmates file through and eat together in a large room adjacent to the kitchen. Those in "lock-up" are served in their cells with unbreakable trays. Everything that goes in and out is accounted for.

Robert Butler, who has been a cook at the YCC for a year, said he generally doesn't get much feedback from the prisoners but he still finds his job gratifying.

"The guards have said they've enjoyed the food the last few nights. That makes my day right there," Bradley said. "We try to please as many people as we can ... I don't here a lot of complaints."

For those who are really hungry, there is usually extra bread, soup and salad available.

"By no means does anybody ever go hungry here," Wouters said. "In fact, it's the opposite. A lot of inmates leave here with five or 10 pounds strapped on."