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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Are You Storm Ready

 This is January and that means storms - all sorts of them Are you ready for them? What about your food supplies? Ehat can you cook with if you lose power? Be prepared and be ready,

It used to be that the month just brough blizzards and monster snowstorms.Thanks to global warming we're getting more and more hurricane like storms in a warming winter. The same advice I gave in September during that season I'll give now.Have plenty of canned food along with plenty of bagged and canned food for your animal companions. Winter flooding is getting bad here in the States. It may be hard to get to a store , especially if it's in a low lying flood zone. Make sure both people, and animals have enough of their special foods for special diets too. Keep in mind that your power may go out so that's a problem for fridges and freezers. Those frozen dinners will have to be cooked quickly, namely in a gas oven. No electricity means no air fryers or  microwaves.If you can and the weather breaks then get out your barbecue. Use charcoal and any relatively dry wood as fuel and cook up any meats and even vegetables. Frozen dinners will have to be deconstructed and cook what you can from them.

What should you buy? Usually most go for bread, milk and eggs. You can easily make French toast with these . Also think easy to store cheese slices. You can make everything from grilled cheese to stuffed tortillas with the slices. They can also go into salads too for extra protein. Cold cuts also work and they can also be used in salads for more protein. Some grocery stores will be flooded or will be powerless. A few will have generators and most industrial freezers can keep food overnight at the longest. Stay away from the creamy stuff like frozen dinner with sauces. Fresh meats and seafood can easily spoil. Avoid these. Stick with cereals for breakfast for the kids. Buy boxed milk , both plant and dairy for them and for your coffee. Again canned food will come in handy .Beans and tuna fish can be eaten cold right out of the can. Figure on bean salad and tuna mixed with vegan mayo (this is safer for you because there are no eggs in it that can go bad). Get fresh fruits and vrggies to eat too. Again these can be eaten raw and a good source of nutrients. Buy bagged snacks and cookies along with candy just to have as comfort food.

January is getting a bad reputation  as a stormy month these days. Be  prepared. be careful. You can weather any storm with the right food choices.

The Way We Shop Now

 The pandemic has certainly changed the way we live.It's definitely affected how we shop and how we eat.We relearned how to bake and yearned for a night out with friends. Will this be the new normal after we return to normal? It could be.

Regular contributor Kim Severson wrote about this phenomena in today's New York Times Food section. A lot of the data is eye opening but predictable.There were seven ways food shopping and our eating habits have  changed. We did fewer trips but had more detailed lists. Before Covid 19 , a mere 19 percent of Americans only shopped for food more than three times a week, That number dropped to ten percent by June.Many stocked up, buying double the amount of what they would normally buy. Home chefs also became better planners, knowing what to make for a whole month and shopping for those four weeks.Online food subscriptions went up.Online food sales went from 1.2 billion to 7.2 billion from March to June. Farmers jumped on this bandwagon too, selling to customers and building a good solid client base via the internet. Curbside pickup also increased. Once people realized the ease of this and selecting groceries through apps , they knew they could never go back to visiting stores themselves. Stores were also redrawn. There are now one way aisles and some Walmart have a more open check out areas.

Our eating habits changed as well. Oranges became the snack of the moment, thanks to them keeping so long. In May the fruit has a 73 per cent jump in sales. However there aren't many fruit or other food choices now. Options are shrinking. People are buying staples not frill snacks and treats and stores are noticing. There's also more generic buying  with more home chefs opting for store brands which are usually tastier and cheaper, Buying dried beans have also been popular since, they're versatile and full of protein. Another interesting fact is that freezer food is also popular. Sales initially jumped by a whopping 94 percent in March.Frozen fruit and veggies were an attractive alternative to fresh produce and many home chefs were buying them regularly. Yet some home chefs also want fresh local produce. This also includes eggs and milk from local dairies along with fresh beef. Grocers are also teaming up with chefs to sell meal kits that feature ingredients from local farms. It's part of a growing awareness of climate change and the impact of transporting foodstuffs on the environment.

Our eating and shopping habits will be changing as this pandemic continues. will they ever go back to normal once we go back to normal? Maybe. but maybe not. There may be new trends emerging as we come out of this.

Food And Ritual

With Lent coming up, it's interesting to see how food plays a part in our religious rituals. They are entwined together , much like religion and ourselves. Both affect our lives - and how we choose to live.

One of the most traditional religions is Greek Orthodoxy.This is one of the purist of Christianity , being unchanged for over one thousand years. Their rites and beliefs are tightly tied to food and what to eat. Their Lent which starts March 11th, has a strict dietary list. Products from red blooded animals are taboo. The Greek Orthodox live mostly on vegetables, having eschewed all kinds of meat, poultry and even fish with spines. Dairy and eggs are also forbidden along with olive  oil and wine. Their Christmas fasts are somewhat similar wit no fish being allowed between December 20th and December 24th - Christmas Eve.Memorial services are also important and so is the food with them.There is usually the deceased's favorite foods , such as certain kinds of cookies as well as favorite fruits. An ancient mix of wheat berries pomegranate seeds nuts and dried fruit is also given out. It's a kind of granola called koliva, and it's sweetened with cinnamon and sugar Mint is added as well, but some families sub in parsley.

The Catholics and some Protestants like the Episcopalians celebrate Fat Tuesday also called Mardi Gras and Shrove Tuesday.It's a wild time, especially in New Orleans and Rio. This is the time to truly enjoy Cajun and Creole dishes.A Fat Tuesday meal can start with a rich gumbo, full of shrimp or  chicken along with onion, celery and peppers, the Cajun trinity. The meals end with a festive King Cake, a sweet bread decorated with purple, green, and gold icing.The colors have meaning too - purple  justice, green faith and gold power. To even make it more fun and festive a baby figurine is put into the cake and  means good luck to the person finding it.The Brazilians celebrate the day with a lush, creamy shrimp stew called moqueca and Caipirinha, the country's national cocktail. Shrove Tuesday is the version celebrated in the United Kingdom where pancakes are made to rid the house of butter and dairy before Lent. Fasting only takes place during this time. Meat is given up on Ash Wednesday and Fridays  Some of the more religious people eschew sweets and alcohol for Lent. Many  southern Italians fast on Christmas Eve Day, breaking it at a late dinner of thirteen kinds of seafood. This symbolizes  Jesus.Christ and His apostles.

Food and ritual have been entwined for more than two thousand years. Both symbolize individual religions and their importance Will it ever change? No, they will be here for the next millienna

A Welcome Blast Of Cold.Reveri Frozen Desserts

November s not normally a time for frozen treats yet there is one that is a perfect end to holiday dinners - Reveri  a plant based frozen dessert. This healthy ice cream is not only good but good for you. It's plant based with a flavorful blend of fruits and even veggies!

Reveri started with the idea of a good for you dessert. The creators wanted a frozen treat that could "love" the eater as the eater loves ice cream.It had to be plant based, healthy and low in calories. They succeeded ,combining such diverse ingredients as avocados, beets, cocoa, blueberries , dates, almonds, cashews and strawberries The result is an amazing treat you can eat for breakfast , lunch or even dinner as well as for dessert and snacks. I had to try these, as I 'm slowly cutting down on dairy.

The four flavors are  vanilla almond blossom,purple mint chip, chocolate forest and strawberry patch. What I love the most about all the flavors is the mouth feel. It's like a rich creamy mousse. It's so light and airy that it feels whipped. The purple mint chip is my favorite .I love the added crunch of the cocoa nibs.I paired it with coconut whipped cream for a truly decadent dessert.

The strawberry is perfect too, reminding me of a fresh made summery mousse. I also like the vanilla almond blossom, which has  almond slivers in it. Another favorite is the chocolate forest with the crunch of those yummy cocoa nibs. What is a huge surprise is that these decadent spoonfuls have only fifteen to twenty fat calories in a serving. This is the perfect ice cream for dieters who need the comfort of a cold bowlful. and parents watching their kids' fat intake.

Hopefully Reveri will come out with more flavors, possibly coconut and peanut butter, or maybe a wild raspberry or blackberry. They should come out with popsicles along with a line of healthy cones and bowls.

Reveri is the healthy treat that's even perfect on a cold night. Try a scoop and enjoy this lush  mousse like dessert.It's better than ice cream in so many ways.

Hurricane Hoarding

September means hurricanes. The worst weather is about to be unleashed on us, even though some may not be affected that badly. Unfortunately people panic and run amok in their local grocery stores.Before doing this take a deep breath and a step back before you hurricane hoard.

The first thing to do upon hearing that a hurricane is coming is take stock of what you have already. Check to see what kind of canned goods you have and what they can be used for.Also check dates. You may have some expired ones stashed among your current collection of tins.Keep in mind that this assessing can spawn ideas on what to cook.If you have a lot of beans, they can be used in a variety of different ways.They can be used in soups or meat dishes or the main meal itself.. Mashed together you can create bean burgers or bean loaf. The same goes for canned veggies. Canned tomatoes are great in an impromptu sauce. They can also be part of a cacciatore sauce for chicken.Tinned string beans can be used in a salad along with being a hot side dish. Any veggie can be used to round out a minestrone. If you have them, figure you'll have enough ingredients for three or four days.Use them or they will go bad.

As much as you want to, be careful about hoarding dairy.It's tempting to pick up a few gallons of milk and hoard it. Yet milk needs a cool place or it could sour. What is a better idea is buying condensed or powdered milk and adding water to it. Water too gets hoarded as well. Before going out and buying several twelve or twenty-four packs, check again to see what you have. You may have a few bottles left over from summer road trips or beach days that still are potable.If they're past their sell by date, use them for washing  and get new bottles.Eggs and bread are other items that seem to be scooped up at the first bad weather report.Keep in mind that eggs are very fragile when left out at room temperature. Bacteria grows rapidly inside the shell, which can easily lead to salmonella.Unless you have guaranteed refrigeration, let them go for now. Beans can provide your family with the protein needed. As for bread, the freshly baked loaves from your grocery's cake department will turn moldy before the loaves of mass produced bread. Get the double wrapped name brands like Arnold and Pepperidge Farms. These will keep for a couple of weeks if they're properly sealed.

Stocking up for a hurricane is good. Hoarding isn't. Before you go out on a  grocery run, assess what you have. You don;t want to overstock or over buy, You may already have the food and drink you'll need.

A Vegan's Dairy

One of the first questions vegans are asked is how can you survive without dairy? After all , milk,ice cream  cheese and butter are a huge part of our diets. It's hard to imagine life without them.
 yet hard core herbivores do. It's very easy nowadays to give up anything from a dairy.

Milk is always factors in a diet.  You can't have coffee or tea without it. Or can you? Go to any major grocery store along with Target and Wal-Mart and you'll see every kind of non-dairy milk. Soy is one of the most popular and it even comes in vanilla and chocolate. Silk is the most bought brand. .It comes in such flavors as original , dark chocolate and light vanilla to name a few.Soy is responsible for creating estrogen in the body and if you don't want it then switch to almond milk. Silk also makes this and it's a bit lighter in taste than soy. Almond milk is my go to for breakfast. Its flavor is not nutty but tastes like actual milk and it's perfect for mixing into cereals. Another favorite is coconut milk.It has the same creamy mouth feel as regular cream and four hundred calories lighter! There is a very slight coconut taste  but it dissipates when it's added to instant oatmeal .It's also the most versatile , being used in various Asian and Indian recipes.Another choice is rice milk.Rice dream brand has the most extensive and comes in different flavors like the other milks. A lesser known one, made from cashews is slowly gaining in popularity, with vegan families trying it as an alternative to soy and almond.

Keep in mind that all these companies also produce creamers, yogurt and ice cream. Silk has a variety of soy creamers with such flavors as vanilla, caramel and hazelnut, basically the same flavors as the dairy ones. The company So Delicious makes cashew milk ice cream in  such yummy flavors as dark chocolate truffle and snickerdoodle. They even has ice cream bars that would rival those of Blue Bunny and Good Humor. The company also has an extensive array of coconut ice cream and bars. The flavors are so varied that you wouldn't miss the real thing. There is even a version of Cool  Whip called Coco whip It's easy to make an elaborate sundae without even touching dairy. Yogurt lovers will rejoice in Silk's almond  and soy milk yogurts. Both types even have plain which can be subbed in for sour cream. What about butter? Most would assume that the non-dairy alternative would be margarine but they would be wrong. There is an excellent vegan butter from Myoko's Creamery in California.It looks and tastes exactly like the real thing.it is made with organic cashews, and coconut oil and can be used in everything from cooking to making buttercream icing. The company, run by vegan visionary , Miyoko Schinner, also produces vegan cheeses such as mozzarella and  cream cheese too.

Vegan's can have their non dairy  and not miss the real deal. There are so many alternatives for any dairy product, from creamers to cheese. Milk will not be missed. At all.

Pre-Party Ready

Now that the holiday party season has officially kicked off , party goers need to know one thing.Don;t go to any soiree or tree trimming party hungry. It pays to have a mini meal before hand. You'll feel better along with not getting drunk so quickly on an empty stomach.

One of my pre party rituals is always having a cup of simple vegetable broth and a few crackers before hand. This satisfies me until I actually eat again which is usually late .A cup of hot , steamy broth is also fortifying.I'm satisfied along with knowing I won;t wolf down all sorts of rich party foods later on . Nothing is more uncomfortable than the after effects of gorging on an empty stomach . Most nutritionists also recommend eating other low calories snacks such as raw carrots and celery sticks, Having a snack of these three or four hours before the actual feast will help you keep sated.If you want more protein spread a dab of peanut butter on the celery . It can also go on crackers too. Cheese and crackers are another good go to pre festivity snack as are grapes.If you know you;re eating very late - anywhere from nine PM to midnight, then think about heating up a light soup for yourself. Any vegetable soup is good or even a ramen noodle soup. They;'re light  and filling, able to stave your appetite until the later hours.

Another plus about eating early is that it helps with not getting drunk. If you have a boozy night ahead then plan on carbo loading before hand. Again , a cup of Ramen noodles is probably your best bet. It's mild but filling. You can even add a beaten egg to it for more protein.Pizza surprisingly is a pre partier's best friend, but this may be too much before a big do. Try a simple grilled cheese or better yet a sandwich filled with one or two slices of any kind of cold cut. instead Also just a toasted muffin, bagel or English muffin will  help in you absorbing that run punch or champagne cocktail. Surprisingly a baked potato is another good mini meal before all that holiday punch.Potatoes are pure starch which can easily absorb the alcohol.Just make a simple one, butter on top with salt and pepper, Leave the cheese and chili for another day. Ddespite what the old wives tales say, drinking milk before boozing is not a good idea. The alcohol will curdle it on your stomach leaving you nauseous and ready to hurl. Keep away from it and ice cream.

Eating before a big holiday party is a must.  Have a small sandwich or a cup of broth You'll feel better and won't arrive hungry, ready to gobble down anything.

Nutrition Lessons From Ash Wednesday

Today is Ash Wednesday in the Christian calendar, This solemn day of reflection and prayer beings the forty day period of Lent. For most , such as the Catholics and Greek Orthodox , it means days of fasting and giving up certain foods. To be honest it 's a great way of paring down one's daily diet to a healthy one.

Usually Catholics abstain from meat  today and some abstain from eating meat on Lenten Fridays as they once did before the Second Vatican Council in the early 1960s. It's a good way of weaning away from being a full on carnivore. Doing it cold turkey is not always the best. That usually results in meat eating frenzy similar to a great white going through a school of tuna. Having a day away from chicken , beef or pork is a chance to discover different vegetable dishes., The observant are allowed to have seafood and this is a good time to explore tilapia and salmon as substitutes. Some Catholics also give up a favorite food such as cake or ice cream for the forty days,Again this is a good way to wean off all the unhealthy stuff and look into healthier snacks such as fruit and yogurt.

The Greek Orthodox are the strictest with two hundred fast days  in the year. The fasts are varied but it's basically giving up all meat, sugar, dairy and even olive oil. It is truly a cleansing diet with the body being purged of all fats , sugars and even chemicals,Breads are allowed as are tofu and beans..Seafood is allowed but it has limitations too. Only shellfish, octopus and squid can be eaten. There is a week long period where dairy is allowed so there can be milk, ice cream and cheeses as well as yogurts.Any fast is a good one because it introduces you to different vegetables and ways in which to prepare them. It 's a time to try steamed veggies or various t bean dishes like chili. The more you avoid addictive sugars and fats the less likely you'll be craving them later on.

The Lenten period is a time for prayer and reflection along with fasting. This may be the beginning of healthy eating. Abstain from all those sinful foods and not only will your faith be stronger but your body will be too.

Old Fashioned Farming Returns

In this fuel drenched era it's nice to have our farms rely on old fashioned power. Oxen are making a big comeback on many big acreages these days. It's not only a quaint, romantic way of farming , it's also cost efficient. Oxen run plows also make for better , more organic produce.

Oxen technology is the subject of an interesting article in today's New York Times Dining section . Newcomer, Tess Taylor, has delved into this new movement (although using oxen for farming goes back to almost caveman times). An ox is actually better for a farmer than any modern tractor. They don;t require expensive diesel fuel nor do they require new parts every now and then (there are vet bills to deal with from time to time)An ox is also lighter on the land and doesn't crush the soil, preserving microbial layers. Another plus is that they leave plenty of nitrogen rich fertilizer which makes for lush plants.

Where does a farmer get oxen? From that other old and reliable source : the local dairy. Male calves are sold off dairy farms for as low as $150 for one . There are literally hundreds of them born a year thanks to cows constantly being pregnant for milk. Before getting their oxen, farmers study and even intern at historical villages to learn how to plow with a yoked team.

Using oxen is cost efficient for farmers in these cost high days. If these noble animals can save them money , then farmers can lower their prices on their produce. Old fashioned plowing is not only good for the land, but also for the consumer too.

Free Cakes

Some of us can't have our cake and eat it too. Thanks to the many allergies out there a slice of the sweet treat is usually forbidden. However there is hope, thanks to all sorts of cakes being made. Now you can buy or bake a sugar free, gluten free, egg free, and dairy free cake.

Glutens are what hold flour together when it's being mixed That's why all batters have that wall paper paste look and sometimes consistency. You can buy mixes and plain flours that are also free of this . Usually ground brown rice or bean flour is used.Another ingredient you can do without is white cane sugar. There are plenty of natural subs out there that can do the trick too such as beet sugar or even spices.

Cakes can also be made with dairy and egg substitutes . This is to prevent any other allergies from happening as well (considering these can be the most severe). Your best bet with the milk sub is soy milk. I've read online reviews of it and the bakers seems to like it both for its' consistency , and subtle flavor. Rice milk could also be used. For eggs look on line or in the egg section of your supermarket for a decent stand in. If worse comes to worse you can go to bakeries whether in your area or on line that specialize in dairy and egg free cakes.

If you have problems or just want a more healthier treat then think about cakes that are free of glutens, sugars dairy and eggs. You'll be surprised at how good they taste. Not only that, they're also better for you.

Lessons From Old Cookbooks

A very good friend of the family recently gave me one of her cookbooks from the mid 1940's. The author, Ida Bailey Allen created a cookbook entitled Delicious Meals At Low Cost. This is a foodie's gem of low budget yet traditional meals that still can be served today.

The author herself published around fifty or so cookbooks dealing with a variety of topics. Ida Bailey Allen was born in 1888 and came of an age when home cooking required a lot of blood sweat and tears. She left in 1973 during the era of convenience foods and the rise of fast food empires. This book that was given me is a meld of traditional old school recipes and new , more "modern" ones. What I love about it is the fact that Ms Allen goes into great detail about ingredients. All sorts of meats are completely analyzed form their taste and texture to what can and should be done about them. Dairy is carefully broken down into specialized categories along with their benefits. Then there are the suggestions as to what to do with leftovers. This was way before the microwave era and Ms. Allen has some very creative ideas as to what to do with them. All in all it makes for a fascinating read.

You can learn a lot from old cookbooks. Culinary history is always fascinating, especially when it comes with asides. What's even neater is that the recipes can be updated today and used in our diets.

Note: You can still buy any of Ida Bailey Allen's books on the web. Use Google to do so and a complete list will come up.