EIght Years Without The Chef

 It is still tough to run a kitchen without the Master Chef.It has been eight years since we lost our Mom ,a phenomenal home chef who should have opened her own restaurant but was also kind and caring.

What is going on in Washington would have shocked her. A lifelong Democrat ,like her parents and husband,she would have been horrified at what is happening in Washington. She would have been one of the first to give and one of the first to protest. She would have proclaimed that it was not right, especially children to have to suffer. We would have donated cans and loaves of bread. She would have urged our favorite restaurants to offer discounts and even free meals to those on SNAP. There would have been encouragement to friends and family to to the same. - donate and urge eateries to participate. 

Caring has always been part of the family mantra. My Mom saw how her father, my grandfather, made sure his brothers and their families ate during the Depression. He was lucky, being a manager in a dye house in Hudson County so he always had a steady job..He made my grandmother buy extra cold cuts for them along with her also buying food for her sisters ' families too. Both strongly believed in putting others before themselves.My mother  and her brother absorbed those principles and applied them in their relationships with friends and neighbors. All four  would have been out there , making sure people received parcels, possibly even cooking for those who needed a hot meal and a friendly table to sit at. Children would have received extra treats like cookies and candy to make the tough times bearable. They would have made sure animals were also fed, seeing cats and dogs as vital parts of any family.

My Mom would have been appalled at what's happening in her government. She would have protested. she would have donated. She would have helped when a government could not.

Fungies A Diet Must Have

 No matter how old you are you need suppliments. it could be vitamins, protein  powders or natural herbs. There's a great new addition to any diet - Fungies Lion Mane Gummies. They're great for boosting moods along with improving meomory and mood

I need these in my life because I suffer from sciatica which is probably caused from inflammation of some kind. There are days when it's impossible to walk or even stand. Lion's mane, a white shaggy looking mushroom (that looks exactly like its' name) is great for reducing any kind of inflammation. I'm taking my two a day to help with this and regain moibility. The mushroom is also a  great mood booster, staving off anxiety and depression along with helping the mind to remember.It's also good for preventing dementia and helping with deterring diabetes.

Another plus is that they're gummies .The bottle has both strawberry and blueberry flavors and they're easy to take at any time of day.Another reason why I like them. Some suppliments are like horse pills with a bitter taste.These have a juicy, all natural flavor that you can take with breakfast or even after a meal. That's what company founder Rob Kaufman thought too. He turned lion's mane into a flavorful plus in any diet.

Get a bottle of Fungie's Lion Mane's gummies. They are not only great for you but great tasting.They're perfect for combatting everything from crippling  inflammation to boosting a bad mood and foggy memory.

Depression Cooking What The Greatest Generation Ate

The greatest generation had to live very frugally during the Depression .It shaped the way they ate and how they cooked. There's a new book out showing  the recipes of the day, what was served and why. It is an eye opener but a also a window into a fascinating era.

Steven Kurutz rote about the book and interviewed the authors in yesterday's New York Times Food section. Andrew Coe and Jane Ziegelman .wrote A Square Meal (Harper Publishers) chronicles what was promoted, cooked and eaten between 1930 and 1940.Not surprisingly they met Mr. Kurutz at  Eisenburg's Sandwich Shop, a Flatiron District staple since the year of the Great Stock Market Crash of 1929. Ms. Ziegelman ordered a sandwich, right from the era, cream cheese and chopped olives while Mr. Coe had a classic that's still loved today: turkey with mashed potatoes and veggies. Even the interviewer ordered a depression worthy meal - meat loaf. The book is an interesting window into what everyone ate, from presidents to the average American. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, an aristocrat who grew up with chefs and gourmet foods , ate what his constituents ate. His wife, Eleanor, had something to do with it as well, being more down to earth than him.. As much as he would have loved foie gras and terrapin soup, ate humbler foods. such as deviled eggs in tomato sauce, mashed potatoes and prune whip, a popular dessert of the time.His predecessor, Herbert Hoover was entirely different. Even though he grew up on an Iowa farm, he had gold plated tastes, dining on fish with cucumber sauce as he wore a dinner jacket.

The books also showcases how America went from the being the land of plenty to penny pinching.The country fed  a starving Europe during World War I while having an open all you can eat buffet at home. Teams  of women cooked for male farm workers while fresh baked pies were served after every meal, including breakfast. The Depression changed all that.Ingenuity and frugality were now the main ingredients of every American kitchen. According to Ms/ Ziegelman, loaves were very popular. Of course there were ones made from meat, but also ones made of peanut, liver and bean too.They had to be concocted from a variety of ingredients and a cheap filler that allowed for stretching out. Casseroles also became staples too, because they could be made from leftovers. Cream sauces were popular because they could hide the look and taste of unappetizing ingredients. Diets were compromised because fresh fruit was too expensive so it was replaced by the cheaper dried fruit,Strange mash ups also arose like onions stuffed with peanut butter as a caloric and nutritional substitute to meat.The government also had a hand in helping women to be budgeteers, and rise to the challenge of creating spaghetti with creamed carrots.


A Square Meal shows us how America survived a nutritional depression as well as the actual one. It's a fascinating look at how the Greatest Generation ate during the worst of  times. It's not only a history book but a testament to ingenuity and frugality.