College Food Banks

 Universities and food banks usually don't go together but they do. There are hundreds of students and their families that are food insecure. They need fresh produce as well as nutritious basics to thrive in a school situation of intense classes and coursework.LUckily this is where their schools fi  in offering all sorts of  necessities for a healthy collegiate life.

What's in a college food bank ro pantry? The same that's in a regular food pantry. At Fairleigh Dickinson's Teaneck -Hackensack campus the food pantry is the size of a small convenience store. It's called the Knight's (after the school mascot) Pantry, located n  topfo the cafeteria and next to the campus bookstore.It offered easy meals  like Ramen and Hot pockets to make at the Student Union Building (r any dorm with a small microwave) There are also containers of Mac and cheese as well as canned soups.There are important foods such as cereal,granola bars and crackers. Sometimes there are apples and bananas a,especially in the fall when the students go back. This is open for both dor students and commuter ones. Commuter students can bring home some basics for their families too. The school's Madison New Jersey campus has their own pantry The Devils Care. Both have an Amazon wish list   which includes kitchen items like oven mitts and spaulas, ,OTC medications and such basics as hot cocoa mix, instant soups and boxes of pasta.

Other schools have this too. Rutgers has a similarly named Knights Pantry along with a mobile pantry. They too have the basics. Unlike FDU RUtgers offers such dairy products as milk and yogurt along with meats and produce They also offer baby products like wipes and diapers for those students who have little ones. They take both monetary donations as well as actual ones. F you are an alumna of any of these schools then donate There are so many students coming from finance challenged households  (Rutgers ,Newark campus has one in four students who  face food insecurity) Kids simply cant afford decent meals . These help them combat hunger .A well fed student is one that doesn't have concentration problems and can focus better without hunger gnawing at them. Donating to a school's library or garden is nice Donating to their students' food pantry is infinitely better. Campuses themselves can also chip in. Many have enough land to create gardens such as Montclair College in Montclair ,New Jersey where one thousand square feet is dedicated to growing veggies and fruit. The harvests are then donated to the school's food pantry, Red Hawk Pantry.

If you want to do good by your alma mater, then donated to your school's food pantry. The next generation of students will appreciate this. Give to the school that gave you your education

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A Good Quick Meal

  What's your idea of a good quick meal It could be a grilled cheese? Or is it ramen soup with a rare and expensive egg?  Do you prefer Sunday leftovers on MOnday where' there's no prep but plenty of reheating

Le'ts hear your ideal quick meal. MIne would have to be ramen,  any soup for me is a good quick meal that's also hot and filling.

Warm Sips

 This is the time of year for a good warm sip of something soothing. it could be a cup of soup or a cup of hot cocoa. We all need something warm to keep us toasty from our heads to our toes. These could be had anytime, from breakfast to late night.

A cold morning deserves a hot drink. Thanks to Dunkin Donuts , Starbucks and Panera anyone can have a good strong cup of espresso to start the day. However it's a cup of foamy cappuccino that 's  also a lift. Morning sips deserve simplicity. Save all the candy bits and whipped cream for later in the day. A good cup of Earl Grey also is the perfect heater for a frosty December morning. You could always make it at home and pour it into a Stanley Thermos Cup. This cup are perfect for hot homemade drinks.Fiil your travel mug or thermos with any of Celestial Seasonings. They now have a Black Enrgy Black Tea that will wake you up, helping you power through a busy morning. They also offer a Green Energy Green tea along with a Fast Lane Caffeinated Tea. These are also perfect for those weekend mornings when you have a lot of to do , from house cleaning to holiday shopping.The same thing can be said for coffee. Try some of the stronger brews like Cafe Bustelo or Chock Full O Nuts Uptown Express. Another good hot sip is Lidl's Bellarom brand.It's tasty with or without  a creamer.

As for a hot sip during lunch time. nothing can beat ramen, whether you;re at home or at work. Nowadays there are so many different flavors from spicy shrimp to chicken. Maruchan has the most flavors.They have everything from creamy chicken to lime chili shrimp. Surprisingly enough  you can make homemade ramen.  It's an egg noodle recipe and any broth can be used. Add fresh veggies bits  like chopped carrots and cabbage.Add a teaspoon of frozen peas and corn to make it more authentic Fresh ginger can zing it up. One of the best warm sips is hot chocolate. Yes there are so many different kinds , from Swiss Miss with its' packets full of marshmallows to Lidl's  Holiday Peppermint and Hazelnut varieties.Then there are the in house brands, from Acme, Shop Rite and Stop & Shop. These in house brands are just as good as the national ones. Instant hot cocoa packs are great for a quick hot sip, especially after dinner when you want something sweet and warming but not too heavy. Add a puff of Reddi-Whip and you can settle in with a good drink and a good book to read.

Hot sips are wonderful during these frosty days.Savory or sweet , they are perfect for warding off winter chills. Have a cup today and enjoy the heat seeping through  you.

Welcome To Korean Street Fare

 One of the most tastiest and trendiest food is Korean street fare. It's big in the Koprea Towns that dot this country. There is also Yopokki which has the food and flavor in a cup/

A good freind  who is Korean gave me them for the Lunar New Year. This excited me because I do love Korean food from bulgoki to galbi. This was something different and easier to make.

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It's sort of similar to remane, with rice "cakes(which resemble penne) anda liquid  flavoring. (there's also a humectitant to kepe the rice cakes moist).Its' filling the cups with water then the seasoning packet. Like any instant cup food it only takes a few minutes to cook.The flavoring were done in the tteokbokki .I also received jajang flavor or black bean. 

The flavors were intense and spicy.This is true Korean street fare

It's an interesting mix, especially the tteokbokki . This reminded me of General Tso's chickn , a powerful sweet flavor cooked with chili crisp.

Try Yokkipokki if you want the inreresting Asian fare that is a breeze to make. It's a great introduction  to Korean street fare. Try it and discover the delight.

The Comfort Of Ramen

 There'snothing like a good comfort food. Cold or hot it warms the soul and heart.It could be something homemade or something bought. Either way it's like a culinary hug.

I recently discoivered this with ramen soup. Life has been very stressful for me lately.I turn to the "foods fo my kittenhood" as my Mom used to say when life gets to be too much. However I started to funnily crave ramen soup. I don't know why. I've had bricks of it sittng in my kitchen for months, never used. I had to throw them out. Yet the other night I was craving a mouthfiul of noodles in a rich , tangy broth.

My local Acme has a good variety of different ramen soups, i chose Nissin's chicken flavored one. This a tub of noodles with the usual packet of powdered chicken broth , dried veggies and a flavor packet.It's just cooking the first three up with the noodles and enough water to cover them. Then the flavor packet, a sweet , goopy soy sauce variant is stirred into it, turning everything a rich brown.Four minutes later it's comforting spoonful after comforting spoonful of long , yummy strings. It's satisfying without being too heavy. I may get a bit more adventurous and try their shrimp version. The ramen soups just feels good - and right after a stressful day.

Happiness is comfort food. That could be a bowl of ramen soup.It's a warm soothing hug wrapped up in flavored noodles and broth.

Ramen,The Perfect Summer Soup

If it's too hot to cook then think ramen.This Japanese import and new American standard is a great way to have a light ,hot meal without too much effort.What is extremely likable is that home chefs can customize it to their tastes.Have it as a broth or a really quick pasta dish.Toss in what's good and what"s fresh and it's a 1-2-3 dinner for one person or for a family. A brief history of ramen is that it was originally Chinese called lamina and a cousin of lo mien.The noodles are soba or wheat.It was starting to become popular as early as the 1900'sin Japan where it was mispronounced ramen. The soup hit the States in the Eighties ,courtesy of Momofuko Ando , the Taiwanese founder of Nissin Foods.It was an instant success, first being slurped down by dorm students and busy professionals.Original Japanese ramen is very thick and rich with all sorts of meats, vegetables and fish.Different regions such as Tokyo have their own spin using a soy and chicken broth and topped with pork cops,egg nori, chicken or even seaweed.Yokahama is known for it's ramen chock full of pork and onions.Hakata ramen has the zing of mustard greens.There are even ramen stalls throughout the big cities there as there are here in the States.Such cities such as New York, Chicago and Los Angeles boast some of the best soba noodle restaurants int the world.There are also homemade ramen recipes but save these for the winter. This is the height of summer.Buy the easy pre made kind.It's only three minutes on the stove and then it's done. One of the best parts of ramen is that you can customize it how you want.You can definitely give it a Tokyo spin by cooking pork chops with it.Of course it will take longer to cook up however the soup will have the chop's juices mixing in with the flavoring.A quicker and easier take is sliced ham chiffonaded.Add some scallions too for more flavor.One of my favorites is a recipe that was just recently published in the New York Times Dining section.Just add a whole egg to ramen and cook up.The result is not unlike the Italian, primarily Roman based, stratichella soup.The egg cooks up into stringy bits that wrap around the noodles.It's a nice way of getting protein without a heavy meal.Home chefs can also add any of their garden harvest.Corn practically goes hand and hand with ramen and adds crunch as well as sweetness.Think about quartered tomatoes along with cubed bell peppers.Spinach is also good as are sliced onions.Another good thing about these amped up ramens is that they're great reheated .You can also add more ingredients on the second cooking to change it up a bit. Ramen soup is a summer staple.Have it plain or toss in some meat veggies or eggs for a heartier dish.It's the best choice for a hearty but light meal on a hot summer's day.

New York 's Ramen Revolution

Ramen soup is undergoing a seismic shift.Once relegated to college dorms and small,dingy restaurants, this Japanese classic is now becoming the hottest bowl for Manhattan foodies and soup hipsters.A good bowl od ramen is definitely worth heading into the city. Renowned New York Times food writer ,Pete Wells, gave his top choices in Wednesday's Times Dining section.As late as ten years ago if anyone in the NY metro area wanted an authentic bowl of ramen soup, he or she would have to follow what's known as the "ramen belt".This swung as far west as Fort Lee and as far east as Queens and Brooklyn.All that is changing thanks in the shift from soba to this.Soba noodles are prized for their delicacy in shape and flavor.It's minimalist, flavored only with scallions and togarashi,a spicy mix of dried chili pepper, sesame seeds and orange peels along with dried Ginger and seaweed.The broth is made from seaweed and dried fish.Ramen is a much more heartier affair.Pork pieces swim amongst the thicker noodles, and can be made cheaply from boiling meat and bones.That's not to say it's not as good as soba,in fact it's sheer heaven,with it's mélange of strong flavors. The top ramen shop on Mr. Wells list is Ivan Ramen's Slurp Shop in The Gotham West Market.The best is shoo, a chicken ramen that has both depth and clarity.The stand also has a vegetable shoyu, which tastes of roasted mushrooms blended with soy sauce.This is a hearty broth ,perfect for thkese blustery cold March nights.Another highly rated stop is Takashi, in the West Village.This is a Japanese Korean barbecue with a menu of all beef.That means the ramen is completely red meat.It's dotted with Cheerio sized rings of fried beef intestine.It's also gets added flavor from the beef belly also used.The city's ramen restaurants are also hybrids.There is the Korean Hanjan which features it's noodles in a bone broth ,spiked with a fiery hot chili pastor.Thailand also gives the ramen industry a boost too with it's restaurant Hide-Chan in Midtown.Black oil, made from roasted garlic, colors the broth while a dash of chilies gives it an unusual heat. Manhattan can be a chilly and dark place in late winter.Warm up with a bowl of hearty and exotic ramen soup.It's definitely worth a trip to the city for it.

Pre Party Eating

This is the season for parties - from office to home invites. The problem is that they start late - which is not good for those of us who like an early meal. Can we wait til eight or dine at nine? If we do , it's usually results in an attack on the hors d'ouevres or worse the booze. Both on an empty stomach can be hellish later on. What to do? Pre eat.

If you know you're going to party , then eat accordingly. It doesn't pay to snack through the afternoon and eveningon snacky kind of foods like chips and candy. (besides you don't want to when you're getting ready anyway - too messy). Your best bet is a light broth or even a Ramen soup. Both are light yet filling enough to sustain you until the festivites begin. Have them with crackers or Oysterettes. You could also have cheese such as Brie as a side This will give you some protein . This way you can nibble through the evening, having eaten something relatively substantial.

Another good idea is just a plain sandwich. Stick with a simple roast beef, chicken or turkey on white or whole wheat bread. If you want just add butter or mayo for some more taste. Some nutritionists recommend peanut butter which again is good. You can make a sandwich or have it with celery , bread sticks or on crackers . A healthy pre party snack are apple slices smeared with peanut butter.Another idea is eating a small fresh salad with a low calorie dressing or just fresh veggies with a dip. These are both good and light. Cut up apples and pears also are perfect foods to snack on as well. Again have with a light tea, gingerale or even water.

Eating late at a party is no big deal if you've already had something at your normal dinner time. Don't go overboard.Something light and filling with do the trick before tackling all those platters of goodies.

Instant Food

It's good to be a foodie in today's modern world. Everything can either be popped into a microwave or a toaster oven. We can add boiling water to a bowl and get everything from oatmeal to soup. It's downright amazing what can be rustled up in a minute or two.

There's a lot of meal ideas to be had from these "instant " foods. For a quick lunch or even Sunday night dinner, bake Pillsbury breadsticks and then serve hot with a just cooked jar of marinara sauce Add salad and you have a satisfying dinner. Another idea is taking leftover white rice and adding it to tomato soup. You could also had some precooked shrimp and crab meat for a seafood stew. Ramen noodles are a fast way of satisfying those hunger cravings. Toss in some ginger or soy sauce for flair.

Anyone's sweet tooth can be instantly satisfied. There are the logs of cookie dough that can be sliced bake d and eaten within a span of twenty minutes. Microwavable cakes (which taste like soft baked pudding) are now the quickie dessert of choice. You can even make yourself an individual baked apple or poached pear thanks to the microwave. Fruit can be easily cooked this way and you can make all sorts of healthy snacks and desserts with some creativity and a few minutes to spare. A caramel baked apple just requires it to be cored, stuffed with caramel and butter and microwaved on high for a minute or two. Instant bliss and happiness.

It used to be just the "Jetsons"had instant food. Not so in today's 21st century kitchen. Anything is possible. Anything can be whipped up in a minute or two to be gobbled down in a few seconds.