GREAT AMERICAN DINE OUT

From September 19 -25, Share Our Strength in concert with restaurants across the country, will implement the first-ever Great American Dine Out. Learn how you can help beat childhood hunger in America.

THE SHAME OF OUR COUNTRY: One-in-four children are hungry today. Over fourteen million children live in poverty. Almost half the children in our country will receive food stamps at some point during their lives. Our currently weak economy has put families which were formerly stable at risk. Learn more about how you can help by spreading the word, making donations, involving your restaurant, and/or initiating or participating in a neighborhood bake sale for The Great American Bakesale by visiting Share Our Strength's site.

The percentage of Americans struggling below the poverty line in 2009 was the highest it has been in 15 years, the Census Bureaure ported Thursday, and interviews with poverty experts and aid groups said the increase appeared to be continuing this year.

With the country in its worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, four million additional Americans found themselves in poverty in 2009, with the total reaching 44 million, or one in seven residents. Millions more were surviving only because of expanded unemployment insurance and other assistance. MORE [New York Times, September 16, 2010.

The Mission Statement:

Share Our Strength® is the leading national organization working to make sure that no kid grows up hungry in America. We use the funds raised through programs like Share Our Strength's Great American Dine Out® to support No Kid Hungry™, our national campaign to end childhood hunger in America.

Through No Kid Hungry, we fund the most effective anti-hunger organizations across the country, connect needy children and their families with nutritious food, teach families how to cook healthy on a budget,and provide leadership that brings together public and private decision-makers to end childhood hunger, state by state. Through all these means, we are working to ensure that all of America’s children have nutritious food where they live, learn and play. Get involved with the Great American Dine Out and make a difference.

ROMAN EGG DROP SOUP, La Straciatella

Yet another luxurious farmers’ market haul with a few veggies from a friend’s garden, providing a wealth of vegetables to flavor the soup and nourish the body.

Picture it:  Brooklyn, New York, early 50s and my first intro to Roman Egg Drop Soup (La Stracciatella, i.e., torn or ragged, which is the way the eggs look) came courtesy of my Aunt Mildred, a world-class cook and a world-class lady.  Though she made all the usual Brooklyn Italian dishes from scratch and the best-ever meat sauce, for this particular recipe she actually used Lipton soup. It made an ersatz but quick and kid-friendly version.  The recipe that follows, though, is the real deal.

Note: If the broth is purchased not homemade, be sure that it’s gluten free.

Roman Egg  Drop Soup

Serves six

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large white onion, chopped
• 6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 6 cups of rich wheat-and-gluten free broth, vegetable or chicken, homemade or packaged
• 2 celery stalks including leaves, minced
• 2 small hot (mince) or sweet peppers (rough chop)
• 2 green squash, shredded
• 6 cups of baby spinach
• 1 cup of fresh parsley, minced
• 2 omega-3 eggs
• 1 tablespoon of water
• 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
• 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, best quality you can find and afford
• Sea salt and freshly grated black pepper to taste

Put the oil into the stock pot and then sauté the onion.  When it begins to get golden add the garlic.  Sauté both to golden brown, being careful not to burn the garlic or it will be bitter.  Add broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and add the celery, simmering for two or three minutes. Add the rest of vegetables, except the spinach and parsley. They can be added after about five minutes. Continue to simmer until the vegetables are almost tender, about ten minutes. Meanwhile, whip the two eggs with the tablespoon of water, the nutmeg, and the Parmesan cheese. When the vegetables are almost tender, bring the soup to a boil and slowly poor in the egg mixture while stirring the soup with a fork.  This will break up the egg mixture so that it cooks in pieces (i.e., little rags).

The finished product, La Stracciatella (Roman Egg Drop Soup), wheat-and-gluten free and chock full of vegetables.

This is a very free-form, very forgiving soup.  You can be quite creative with it.  You can use any combination of vegetables that appeals to you or added cooked diced, chicken or turkey or tofu. You can top each serving with a basil chiffonade or some pesto or pistou or even a dollop of top-quality extra virgin olive oil.

Actual product ingredients may differ from than that which is shown or suggested on this blog. Please remember that you should not rely solely on the information presented here or anywhere online and that you always read labels, warnings, and directions before purchasing and consuming a product. 

MOM'S Marinara Meat Loaf

*

Photograph courtesy of Wikipedia.

MOM'S MARINARA MEATLOAF, GLUTEN-FREE

This recipe

Serves six

• 1 1/2 c. homemade or store-bought marinara sauce, gluten-free
• 3/4 c. whole oats, certified gluten-free*
• 1 large omega-3 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 cup yellow onion, shredded
• 1 medium carrot, shredded
• 1/2 cup Parmesan, grated
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper, freshly grated
• 1 cup fresh parsley, finely minced
• 1 1/2 lb. lean ground beef, less than 9% fat, or ground turkey breast
• 1/2 lb. mozzarella, sliced

Pre-heat oven to 375º F.  Grease a loaf pan.

Set aside a half-cup of marinara and the mozzarella cheese.

Combine the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl, using your hands to mix well. Be sure all ingredients are well incorporated.

Place half the mixture in the loaf pan and smooth to fit pan. Top with the mozzarella and then the rest of the meat mixture. Spread the reserved half-cup of marinara over the top.  Bake for 50-55 minutes until internal temperature is 160º F if you're using ground beef or 165º F if you're using ground turkey.

* Oats are naturally gluten-free. However, due to crop rotations, they may become contaminated. I rely on Bob's Red Mill for quality and consistency. It offers three oat products. You'll also find some excellent recipes on the site.

Actual product ingredients may differ from than that which is shown or suggested on this blog. Please remember that you should not rely solely on the information presented here or anywhere online and that you always read labels, warnings, and directions before purchasing and consuming a product. 

NEGOTIATING: The Path of Java Jolt

Petr Kratochvil, Public Domain Pictures.net.

Starbucks says they are going to start putting religious quotes on cups. The very first one will say, 'Jesus! This cup is expensive!' Conan O'Brian

I stopped with a friend at a Starbuck's for a quick fix the other day. Her conversation with the young barista might sound familiar to you:


Friend: "I'll have a small coffee."
Barista: "You'll have a tall coffee."
Friend: "No. I just want a small coffee."
Barista: "Oh, yes. A tall coffee is a small coffee."
Friend: cross-eyed by now, "Ah, okay."
Barista: "Miss, will that be a decaf." (It was almost four in the afternoon.)
Friend: "No thank you! I just want a small, plain, caffeinated coffee."
Barista: "Okay, a tall, regular coffee."


Wow! I think it took me less time to negotiate the mortgage on my first house. And not to point a finger at Starbuck's, I believe it's a little like that almost anywhere these days. And that conversation didn't get into the challenges of flavored coffee drinks: "I'll have a small - no make that  a tall - decaf mocha with whipped cream - make that a nonfat, decaf mocha with whipped cream - no hold the whipped cream ... do you have soy? - I'll have a soy decaf mocha with whipped cream. Small. No! I mean tall. Make it iced. Oh, wait a minute. Is your soy gluten-free? I better not take a chance. I'll have a tall, iced nonfat mocha without whipped cream.Thanks! How much? An arm and a leg. Okay, and here's my right eye for a tip. Good job! Thank you." It's all a bit of a jolt: java included in the packaging.