I know, I know. I
really should be talking about my diets, but honestly. I have not kept up. I started a new job, had a big garden event and
then contracted the flu. I would like to
start it up again and I will probably do this during the last week of October
due to the many events going on. I
really want to write on this blog more from a variety of different perspectives
and at least publish several times a week but that is easier said than
done. I definitely do not want this to
turn into a diary of my ranting either. I really would like to provide quality
and interesting conversation that engages my readers-the few that I have that
is.
Ideally, I would like to report on diets, food and
nutrition, community health, and culture and gardening, and health policy. They will all marry into each other, but I
would really like to focus on one at a time.
Of course, I still would like to end with a recipe or something foodie
since my feeling is to break virtual bread with my readers. So let’s get started-again.
I have been cooking for a couple with special dietary needs
since July. I have not really divulged
information about them or even what I cook in their home. I won’t divulge even what needs they have,
but I will say that they prefer to eat vegan.
This is a new experience for me since I have never officially prepared
vegan meals for pay. In fact, I have
never ever sold my services, but I have provided a lot of catering, nutrition
and catering expertise for years. There
is too much red tape that I understand, but since I cook and research nutrition
as a creative outlet, all the administrative stuff has turned me off doing it
professionally until recently.
The couple I work for are pretty well off. I have no idea how
well off they are, but the lady of the house gave me a handmade silver spoon
with “kiss the cook engraved” on it during her trip to the Hamptons in New York
State. She mistakenly left the price tag
on it and it was $50. I think that is
expensive for a spoon, but she probably saw it and thought of me and $50 to her
is what fifty cents is to me. I know
that she could care less about the price and just truly thought of me. She always tells me that she loves my cooking
because I put love into it even if I accidentally burn a carrot cake.
This couple, however, are very unhappy due to numerous
reasons. Right now I am witnessing the
man of the house going through a depression aside from other health issues he
confronts. I have been really trying
hard to compensate with extra good food and it helps, but I notice little
things being done that signal he is using food as a way to medicate his
depression. All the olive oil was gone
when I came in today. The sugar was very
low and he is eating more of the vegan cheese.
All of these foods are no-nos in excess for him.
The next extreme to my work day ends at CNM, a community
college, to listen and engage in a panel discussion prior to a film screening
about hunger and food insecurity in the U.S. The film, A Place at the Table, identifies many reasons for food insecurity
and the relationship between hunger and obesity. If depression can influence dietary behaviors
despite your income status, what if your income status was dire? What other behaviors do people engage, such
as alcohol and drug use? We give away
our power? Our basic needs are not met?
One of those basic needs is companionship and how do you lobby for that?
So my recent epiphany of why I believe that I should share
my creativity? Because it’s nice to
share.
Finally, I wonder if I should share a recipe after this
little rant. I think yes, it has vegetables,
it’s sharing and I enjoyed it, shared it and am comforted by it. It was shared with me and I adapted it.
Chile Verde
con Puerco o no?
I served with beans, einkorn flour tortillas,
and sautéed cabbage
1 small pork roast if you want to use it
1 or 2 cups of roasted green chile ( I used only one because
it would have been to hot)
6 green roma tomatoes (I used these because my tomato plants
froze so I have to use the greenies.) or about a dozen of tomatillos or a
little both. I like to use both because
I had both the plants
3 large cloves garlic minced
1 medium onion diced
½ tsp dried oregano
Some salt and pepper
2 tbls olive oil
½ cup water
Season pork with salt and pepper and brown pork in 1 tbls
olive oil if using on all sides and set aside on plate. While pork is frying, chop up your onion and
then sauté in same pan pork was fried in to scrape up brown salty bits. Add minced garlic, and tomatoes or
tomatillos. Place the pork back in the
pot and add the water. Cover and cook
for about 45 minutes (this depends on the size of the roast) if you want to do
this fast. It tastes much better if you
start this process several hours in advance and throw everything in a crockpot
after the initial sauté. I like to just
leave it there for at least half the day.
While it’s cooking I sat on the front porch with the family and smoked a
cigar, enjoyed a whiskey on ice during a pleasant fall evening contemplating
our meager but happy home.
