The Hunger Challenge -- How You Can Help

Update: Help the SF Food Bank and other area food banks get more chicken from Tyson. Here's what to do from the SF Food Bank website:

"Tyson Foods has offered to donate up to 200,000 pounds of high-quality, protein-rich foods to 6 San Francisco Bay Area food banks. Please help get this food on the trucks. Here's how you can help:
1) Go to the Tyson website.
2) Read the information about hunger in the Bay Area and post a comment. (NOTE: the format asks for an email address to prevent spam, but Tyson guarantees they will not harvest emails or use them for any other purpose whatsoever.)
3) Tyson adds another 100 pounds of high-quality, protein-rich foods (chicken, meatballs, lunchmeat, etc.) to trucks heading for 6 Bay Area food banks!"

Be sure to let your friends and colleagues know -- their comments are worth 100 lbs of chicken each!

-------------------------------
Here's a post I kind of adapted from the San Francisco Food Bank Hunger Challenge blog on how you can help. In addition to the items below, you can also volunteer at the SF or your local food bank.

(Click here for info on food banks elsewhere.)

Donate: Contribute to the San Francisco Food Bank. For every $1 donated, the San Francisco Food Bank can provide $9 worth of food to the hungry.

Advocate: Contact your local elected officials about hunger issues.

Experience: Try eating on just a $1 a meal a person for a meal, a day a week. Blog about it or just share it with your friends and family. Consider donating the money you saved that meal, day, week to your local food bank. I bet you'll never look at food or think about the food stamps the same way again.

Shopping List for Hunger Challenge

Below is my finalized shopping list for the week’s food (non-staples) with prices paid. I was able to take advantage of some phenomenal sales. For example $1.99 pound for boneless, skinless chicken thighs, 39 cents a pound for cabbage, four pounds of rice for $2.49 and a two gallons for the price of one deal on the milk. While these values vary from week to week, they represent what was out there while I was planning my menus. Most of the shopping was done at my neighborhood Safeway and Lucky’s, but items were also bought at Grocery Outlet and an independent supermarket.

Diced tomato $1.85
Chicken Broth $3.34
Stewed Tomatoes $1.38
frozen spinach $0.99
frozen broccoli $0.99
boneless chicken thighs $5.97
green cabbage $0.93
onions $0.89
red jalapeno peppers $0.20
garlic head $0.25
ginger $0.25
potatoes $2.49
bananas $0.50
apples $6.99
red leaf lettuce $1.29
pinto beans $0.99
rice $2.49
cheese - 2% cheddar $5.00
eggs $2.69
milk $3.29
turkey meat balls $5.00
pasta $0.88
bread $3.00
blackberry jam $2.50
cereal $2.00
peanut butter $1.99
firm tofu $1.79
carrots $1.49
celery $1.99
whole grain waffles $3.19
frozen oj $3.50
yogurt, plain, low fat $2.49
pasta sauce $1.55
ground beef, frozen $4.00
nectarines $1.50
fresh tomato $0.99

Some Assumptions
The cost of staples (such as butter, canola oil, sugar, flour, etc.) made my tab higher than $84, but since I would only be using a fraction of those ingredients in my weekly menu I only counted the amount used for each meal. Because I tried to buy the smallest packages available, that did mean my per ounce price was less economical. In addition other ingredients would also probably last beyond the one week period such as peanut butter, but I included them entirely in the weekly total, although in my price per meal I figured out how much the ingredient cost for the ounces used. I did just count half of the cost of my eggs in the weekly total, since they were on sale -- two 18-egg packs for the price of one. (I included the other half in my staples accounting.) Since many households may have one or more of these ingredients in the house already, that would bring the shopping total down even further.

To recap from a prior post, total shoping was $96.55, of which $15.92 was for staples. Total weekly groceries were $80.63 and I used $3.35 of staples which made my total $83.98.

-------------------------

About the photo -- one of the many list of ingredients, recipes, shopping lists, etc. I created during the challenge.

Watch This Space for $1 a Person a Meal Recipes

I got too tired tonight to post -- but I just wanted to be sure you came back tomorrow -- I hope to post recipes for chicken stew, Asian saute and fried rice. Still to come are meal ideas/menus (some with mini recipes) for lunch and dinner.

Update - thursday am -- just made the veggie soup, yum!
Also, I changed around some of my purchases as I spotted some sales and good values, so my totals will be revised.

The Breakfast of Hunger Challenge Champions -- Getting a Good Start on a $1 a Meal a Person a Day

Here is part one of my basic menu for the week for my mythical family of four spending an average of a $1 a meal per person (which I figured out as $84 a week total).

I tried to use San Francisco Food Bank basics such as rice, cabbage, onions and carrots. If my family was able to get them in its food bag, the total would go down by almost $6, a significant amount of money that would add more fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains and variety to the family’s diet.

Some Assumptions

The cost of staples (such as butter, canola oil, sugar, flour, etc.) made my tab higher than $84, but since I would only be using a fraction of those ingredients in my weekly menu I only counted the amount used for each meal. Because I tried to buy the smallest packages available, that did mean my per ounce price was less economical. In addition other ingredients would also probably last beyond the one week period such as peanut butter, but I included them entirely in the weekly total, although in my price per meal I figured out how much the ingredient cost for the ounces used. I did just count half of the cost of my eggs in the weekly total, since they were on sale -- two 18-egg packs for the price of one. (I included the other half in my staples accounting.) Since many households may have one or more of these ingredients in the house already, that would bring the shopping total down even further.

My week’s shopping cost $96.55. I spent $15.92 of it on “staples.” My purchases directly for the week were $80.63. I used $3.35 worth of my staples, which made my total for the week $83.98.

I assumed salt and pepper were available in the house. All other seasonings were made optional.

The Breakfasts

I tried to pack in as much nutrition as I could. I tried to keep the meals fairly easy (well except for maybe the Weekend Pancakes with Caramelized Apples) and anything involved could be made the night ahead and reheated. School age children could make the yogurt parfaits themselves and older children could make themselves the waffle sandwiches.

Total of 28 servings

Waffle “sandwich” – two whole grain frozen waffles toasted or heated in the microwave, on one spread 2 tablespoons peanut butter, 1 tablespoon blackberry or other jam, ¼ of a sliced banana, topped with the second. (note there are 10 waffles in the pack, so that will provide five servings of this option, but the waffles were on sale two packs for the price of one, but I only figured on eight servings for breakfast, so that leaves four waffles for snack or two servings of breakfast next week.) Serve with milk. (Note: if the waffles were not on sale for two packs for $3.15, I probably would not have been able to afford the whole grain option and would have spent $2 a pack for regular waffles.)

Breakfast parfait – ½ cup of cereal layered with jam or sliced banana with ½ cup of yogurt. Serve with orange juice. (Eight servings)

Popeye’s breakfast – Cook ½ pound of frozen spinach in a fry pan until heated through. Drain and squeeze out excess liquid. Dry fry pan, add butter or oil. Optional – when the butter or oil is heated, add ¼ cup chopped onion, 1 clove garlic minced and fry until lightly brown. Add eight beaten eggs, and salt and pepper to taste and scramble until the eggs are almost set. Add eight ounces of chopped, grated or cut up chunks of cheddar, and the spinach. Cook until eggs are done and cheese is beginning to melt. Serve one eighth of each mixture as a filling for a sandwich with two pieces of toasted, buttered bread. (Eight servings, reserve half for another breakfast.) Serve with orange juice or milk. (Note: egg mixture can be made the night before and reheated in the microwave.)

Weekend Special – Homemade pancakes with caramelized apple slices (four servings, 2-3 pancakes each depending on size). Serve with orange juice or milk.

First, mix the pancake batter and let it sit.
Pancake batter – 1 cup flour mixed with 1 tablespoon sugar and 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt. Stir in 1 cup of milk, 1 egg and 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Mix well. Set aside.

Next peel, core and thinly slice two apples. Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a fry pan or larger sauce pan. When the butter is melted, scatter apple slices in pan and sprinkle sugar to taste on top (optional – add ½ teaspoon cinnamon). Add more butter if needed. Cook on a low heat until the apple slices are soft. Keep warm.

While the apples are cooking, heat oil a skillet or large fry pan. Heat over a medium heat, when oil is hot, cook pancakes, turning over when bottom side is brown and top side is bubbling. Use about ¼ cup of the batter for each pancake. Serve with the warm, buttery apple slices on top or jam and butter. (Or warm about a ¼ cup of the jam in a small pot. When it becomes loose and a bit liquid, spoon one fourth on top of each serving.)

Still to come are menus for lunches and dinners, snack suggestions, my overall shopping list, and recipes for savory chicken stew, vegetable soup and Asian stir fry. I also plan on including some shopping lessons learned and some suggestions for using San Francisco Food Bank frequent “best sellers” such as cabbage and cottage cheese (although probably not in the same dish, but you never know). Plus, more ways you can help the San Francisco and other food banks combat hunger in our communities.

Read more about the Hunger Challenge .
To see other Blog Appetit articles on it and food banks, click here.
To donate, please click on the graphic below.








Note: FYI the totals were revised on Thursday, Sept. 25. Turned out I had made some math errors (that's what happens when you post at 1 a.m.!) and had not completed all the shopping I planned on, so I was able to take advantage of some sales and values I had not known about when I first figured out my totals and was able to buy some more fresh fruit and vegetables as a result.

The Hunger Challenge -- Photos and More from the Front Line

The Hunger Challenge sponsored by the San Francisco Food Bank is for bloggers and their readers to try, even for one meal, to eat on $1 a person a meal and then share the experience. The formal challenge begins September 21, but I got a head start and I can tell you the experience has changed me in a number of ways, one of those is to make me much more an anti-hunger activist than I already was. (To read about my initial experience, please click here.)

Please consider donating to the San Francisco Food Bank. Just click on the Hunger Challenge badge above. Every $1 you give buys $9 in food. To make donating even more enticing, Amy of Cooking with Amy has donated 12 cookbooks to go to the first 12 donors from this challenge donating $50 or more. To qualify, click on the badge/link above to go to the donation page. Fill out the necessary info and make a donation of $50 or more.
About two thirds of the way down the form, look for a header that says, “Food Drive/Event Information. Use the drop-down box to select “Bloggers Hunger Challenge.” Be one of the first 12 people to donate $50 or more and you’ll receive a free cookbook as a thank-you.

Other bloggers participating in this challenge besides Cooking with Amy are the newsletter from La Petit Appetit, Vanessa Barrington, Been There At That, and the Inadvertent Gardner.

Here is a slide show prepared by the San Francisco Food Bank showing some of the behind the scenes and clients it serves.

Please keep reading Blog Appetit for more on my experience and how you can help.

The San Francisco Food Bank Challenge -- $1 a Person a Meal

When I took on the San Francisco Food Bank’s Hunger Challenge to create meals and menus for $1 a meal a person I didn’t realize the tool I would use most when I was cooking would be my calculator.

Since families on food stamps only get $21 a week per person, I couldn’t spend any more. Out went the beef for stew when it turned out to be twice as expensive as chicken. Figuring out portion sizes, costs per ounce, cup and even teaspoon kept me going back and punching in numbers, somehow hoping that I could work in a little more of this or that and still get the totals I needed. Frankly, having to plan and shop and cook so precisely (if I was wrong my mythical family of four would be left hungry) took a lot of work, compromise, time and ingenuity. It almost seemed like a full time job and figuring how to make it all work was mentally exhausting.

Thankfully, clients of the San Francisco Food Bank have a little cushion to help them stretch their food dollars, but I didn’t take into account that they might have gotten some carrots, cabbage, onions, tomato sauce and pasta in their food bags. If they did have some of these popular items on hand, they would have a little more money to spend on fruit, whole grains and other foods.

I mention fruit and whole grains because that was the biggest disappointment of my menu making experience. It was incredibly difficult to shop in “regular” food stores that most people have access to and be able to afford these foods. A five pound bag of apples, for example, one of the best “fruit values” in the market costs about $7 and has about 14 or so apples in it. That means each apple costs about 50 cents, or half of a meal budget.
Try working in five servings a day of fruits and vegetables with that kind of restraint.
Whole grains were also elusively expensive in supermarkets. Why would brown rice (with less processing) be more expensive than white rice, for example? Regular pasta was on sale for 88 cents a pound, a real bargain. Whole grain pasta was $1.99 a pound on sale, a huge difference when every penny can make the difference.

Shopping in regular supermarkets did have some upsides. There were incredible bargains in store brands, two for one specials and sale items. The boneless, skinless chicken thighs for my stew were on sale for $1.99 a pound ($2 off), store brand bread with 3g of fiber and extra calcium was just $1.50 a loaf for 22 slices, low sodium, fat-free chicken broth was just $1.67 a quart.

Some guidelines I set myself

• I tried to work in fiber, vegetables and unprocessed foods as much as possible. I wanted to avoid processed foods for several reasons. First, they contain a lot of salt and sugar. Second, often you are paying significantly more for the packaging and convenience.
• I tried to make “double” portions of items when I cooked or have leftovers be the basis for another meal to reduce cooking time and make “scratch cooking” more convenient and also to help keep down energy costs.
• I assumed that some people would only have a small stove top and a microwave oven and might not have access to an oven. I also assumed that some people would have very limited freezer space.
• I tried to stay flexible. I wanted to have turkey meatballs with pasta. At the store, there were no deals on fresh or frozen ground turkey, but a great sale (two pounds for $5) on pre-made meatballs. While I would prefer fresh made, I changed my menu to include the frozen meatballs.

I recognize that I’m no expert and I don’t have to eat this way; for me it was a food blogging challenge, kind of an experiment. I would love to hear from anyone who has had to do this for more than a meal, a day or a week and get their suggestions and learn about their experiences. These people are the experts in this.

I’ve always been aware that my family and I are very fortunate in being able to eat well and have a lot of choice in what we eat. I’ve always tried to help out by donating food, money and time to local food banks. But after this experience the plight of those without enough to eat has been much more real to me and I in turn have become more of an activist. I hope reading a bit about my experience will make you one, too.

For more about how to help in your local food banks, go to Second Harvest.

Still to come: Recipes for a few of meals on my menu, my menu concepts, tips for shopping and cooking on a $1 a meal, how you can help and more. To read past articles on Blog Appetit about volunteering at food banks, click here.

Quick Market Report -- Whole Foods Cheaper Than Supermarket

I know that conventional wisdom holds that it can be more expensive to shop at Whole Foods, but my experience today was a real eye opener. In Oakland, CA, high quality but conventionally grown peaches and nectarines were $1.99 a pound at Whole Foods. Similar fruit was $2.29 at my local chain supermarket. Regularly priced Whole Foods Brand English muffins were $2.99, at the chain store the national chain muffins were on sale for $3. All in all in items that were comparable I didn't find much price difference plus I had access to the Whole Foods things I enjoy.

On the other hand, it seemed to me that WF had fewer types of organics to choose from than normal. I don't know if that reflects the current crop availability or if that was a marketing decision by WF management to help keep shopping at Whole Foods more affordable.
Also, to be honest, I could have shopped any number of farmers' markets around here and gotten the fruit (probably organic) for the same or less money, but I was out picking up other staples anyway.

One Pot Chicken and Barley for the Jewish New Year

With the fall Jewish holidays on weekdays this year spending the whole day in the kitchen is just not going to be possible for me. So my solution for a “special” holiday meal is to make a chicken and barley one-pot dish with Eastern European Jewish flavors and ingredients and with lots of unattended cooking time. It can also be made ahead and reheated. Accompanied by challah, green salad, and maybe some pickles, and followed by a light fruit dessert you’ve got holiday dinner, at least at my house.

Holiday One Pot Chicken with Barley
Serves 6

Barley has a distinctive texture and can take assertive flavors. The chicken breast halves stay juicy since they are not cut up but browned and cooked intact.

This is one of those dishes that taste even better when made ahead. If you make this in a casserole dish safe to use on the stove, you can make it ahead, store it in the fridge, reheat it in the oven and serve it all in the same dish (see note below). If you are making this recipe the same day you’ll have almost an hour of hands-off cooking time (and only one pot to clean later).

If you are making this for Kol Nidre dinner you may want to cut down on the spice, leave out the garlic and reduce the salt, since many folks like to minimize those tastes before they fast.

6 skinless and boneless chicken breast halves (about 2.25 pounds)
¼ tsp dried, ground oregano
¼ tsp + ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
¼ tsp + ½ tsp salt
2 Tbs + 1 Tbs olive oil
1 large yellow onion, peeled and sliced into thin (1/8” thick) rings (about 1 cup)
1-2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1/8 tsp dried, ground ginger
¼ tsp dried red pepper flakes or to taste (optional)
½ cup + ½ cup + 3 cups good quality chicken stock
1 cup chopped celery (about 2 stalks)
1 cup chopped carrot (about 2 medium carrots)
1 cup chopped red bell pepper (about 1 large)
2 cups chopped crimini (small brown) or white button mushrooms
1 cup uncooked pearl barley, rinsed and drained
½ tsp sweet or hot paprika (optional)
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Season the breast halves on both sides with the oregano and ¼ tsp of salt and ¼ tsp of pepper. Heat the 2 Tbs of oil in a large (12” or bigger) sauté pan, chicken fryer, Dutch oven bottom or stove-top safe casserole over medium high heat. Add the chicken breasts and brown on each side until golden brown. Work in batches if necessary so as to not crowd the pan.

Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside. Add 1 Tbs of oil, heat and add the onions, stirring and turning in the oil until they are coated with the pan juices and separated into rings. Lower the heat to medium and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened. (Be sure to get all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan stirred in as well.) Add ½ cup of stock as the pan begins to get dry. Raise heat to medium high and add garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes. Sauté for a minute, then add the next ½ cup of the stock. Add the celery, carrot, red bell pepper and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables have begun to soften. Add the barley and stir well to mix. Add 3 cups of stock, stir well. Taste and add remaining salt and pepper as needed (commercial stocks vary in saltiness; note that the barley will also absorb some saltiness). Raise heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover with a lid or foil.

Simmer covered for 30-35 minutes (barley should be getting tender to the bite). Remove the lid, stir and then nest the chicken pieces in the vegetable and barley mixture, pressing them down so they are about half submerged. Pour any accumulated juices from the plate on top of the chicken. Sprinkle the paprika on the chicken. Raise the heat back to medium high. Cook uncovered until the chicken is cooked through and the barley is tender but still has a bit of resistance in the center. Most of the broth should be absorbed, but the mixture should have some liquid but not be soupy. (About 15-25 minutes). Serve in the pan or casserole or transfer to a platter, garnishing with the parsley.

Reheating Note: If you plan on reheating, undercook the dish and leave a bit more liquid. Be sure to cover it when reheating in the oven and be prepared to add a little water or stock if it begins to dry out. For best results, take the pot or casserole out of the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature before reheating.

----------------------------------------------
This article originally appeared in Temple Beth Abraham's Omer newsletter.

Charles Chocolates -- Bittersweet Truffles Just Like Chuck Siegel Makes

On the other side of the plate glass window, maybe a dozen people are peering intently at me. Why not, I must be a sight – wearing a black hairnet like some lunch lady, an oversized milk chocolate colored T-shirt covered with drips of real bittersweet chocolate and my hands covered in more of the stuff. I probably have cocoa powder all over me. I couldn’t care less, I’m at Charles Chocolates’ production facility in the San Francisco Bay area (Emeryville, CA) learning how to make truffles from owner Chuck Siegel, probably the sweetest man in chocolate. For more on my class, please check out my post on Sugar Savvy.

Much of the commercial kitchen at Charles Chocolates’ production facility can be viewed from a 40-foot long window. I imagine the gaping tour group was jealous because I got to go inside Chuck’s chocolate alchemy laboratory where everything comes out tasting golden. It was an amazing day and I hope you’ll check out the Sugar Savvy piece and read all about my experience and Charles Chocolates. Be sure to check out the website for info on the company, products, classes and other events, tours, newsletters and recipes.

Here’s one of the recipes we made that day. You can also find it on the website:

Bittersweet Chocolate Truffles(from Charles Chocolates website)

1 lb. bittersweet chocolate (Chuck recommends E. Guittard 72% or El Rey 71%), finely chopped.
1 cup organic heavy cream or whipping cream (preferably not “Ultra-Pasteurized”)
1 whole vanilla bean
8 ounces unsweetened cocoa powder

Instructions:
"In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream to a gentle boil. Remove from heat. Split the vanilla bean open and scrape out the vanilla seed into the cream and let steep for 10 minutes. Bring the cream back to a gentle boil over medium heat. Pour the cream over the finely chopped chocolate and let sit for 5 minutes.

"Whisk the chocolate and cream mixture together until very smooth. This is referred to as ganache, a mixture of chocolate and cream. Refrigerate in an airtight container, for at least 5 hours or overnight.

"Using a small melon baller or a small teaspoon, scoop small balls of ganache into your hand and roll until somewhat smooth and round. These should be approximately 1” in diameter. Place cocoa powder in a shallow bowl or pan. Roll the truffles in cocoa powder to coat.

"Truffles may be stored for up to two weeks at a cool room temperature (55-65 degrees) in an airtight container. Do not refrigerate or freeze; this damages the texture of the creamy ganache."
--------------------
Update 11/17/11: Sadly, Charles Chocolates went out of business this year not long after it moved its production facility and cafe to San Francisco.  The website (and links above) are no longer operational.  Sugar Savvy is long gone and the links for that as well, however, thanks to the Wayback Machine -- here's a link to my Charles Chocolate post. Also from the Wayback Machine is this link to the company's defunct website and its recipe page.

More From Las Vegas

I've borrowed my husband's laptop and thought I would take a minute and update on more Vegas food.

Had another good meal at Second Street Grille at the Fremont Hotel (downtown). This is the third time we've eaten there in the five times I've come for market. It is a wood paneled enclave inside a visually and aurally busy casino. The food is Pacific fusion, the service is seamless, the prices are reasonable. Like all downtown restos they have their steak, but you can also get many more imaginative dishes here.

Downtown Vegas is changing, more about that in another post. We also ate at the Golden Nugget Buffet (we ate there in January, too.) It served the purpose on a night when we were tired and everything that seemed more upgrade restaurants in DOWNTOWN Vegas (Fremont Street) were booked solid. On a Monday night.

We got a good pastrami sandwich and chopped liver (just a light snack) at Canter's Deli in Treasure Island, an otherwise avoidable casino. Warning, it's in a noisy corner of a noisy casino.

Thanks to a typo in a local magazine, we headed out to see the Rio's free show in the sky on a Wednesday night. The show was dark that night. (The mag had it on Mon - Thurs when it really was Thursday through Monday). We did feel we beat the system any how by taking a free shuttle from our trade show to Harrahs and a free shuttle from Harrahs to the Rio (which meant only one cab fare to get back to our hotel.)

Highlights of the Rio: the view from the Voodoo Steakhouse (or Lounge), the almost-there outfits of the cocktail waitresses (how do they keep that on was one question that came to mind) and the great stuff at the Rio gift shop. Lots of voodoo and skeleton themed merchandise from picture frames to shot glasses to sweatshirts, all really pretty reasonably priced. (FYI -- the steak and the bread (many types, all good) were the best things about the Voodoo Steakhouse, although the decor is tasty. Since you can't eat the walls, try one of Vegas' many other steak houses and just go to the lounge for a drink instead.)

I'm a girl who against all sense and sensibility likes a buffet. So since we were at the Rio anyway, we thought we'd check out the hotel's widely praised buffets for future consideration. Eeech. The seafood buffet ($38 each the night we were there) offers the usual assortment of king crab legs, mysterious seafood stews, and a few choices of sushi along with oysters. It was unappealing in very many ways, but the room was very cleverly decorated and designed. Feast with your eyes only. The regular buffet ($24 the night we were there), skipped the oysters, added more ethnic food (the Asian selections actually looked appealing), but also failed to impress us.

We will go back to the Rio to check out the free show in the sky (Mardi Gras floats and entertainers), to maybe bowl a few at the Lucky Strike Lanes and maybe walk across the street to the Palms and check out the restaurants there.

-------------------

About the photo: Vintage sign. Taken downtown at the Neon Musuem