By BRIAN STELTER
FOR the upfront season of advance television advertising sales, Scripps Networks has something new to share with clients: a second 24-hour cable channel for food lovers and the advertisers who love them.
Scripps, the owner of the Food Network, plans to turn on the Cooking Channel on Memorial Day, May 31, this year, enhancing its position in the category of kitchen programming. Before meetings with advertisers, the company is announcing half a dozen series for the channel on Friday, including new ones starring Bobby Flay and Rachael Ray. It might as well be called Food Network, the Sequel.
About two years ago, when the company started considering a second culinary channel, “the advertiser demand for Food was outstripping the audience growth,” Jon Steinlauf, the senior vice president for ad sales for Scripps Networks, said this week. “Therefore, creating a second channel started making more sense.”
The Cooking Channel, which is a replacement for Fine Living Network, FLN, a low-rated lifestyle channel, was announced last fall. At that time, Scripps said the channel would focus on information and instructional programming, much as the Food Network did before it gravitated toward higher-rated reality competitions like “The Next Food Network Star.” In recent months, Scripps has altered its plans for the second channel to include more entertaining fare.
“We listened to the audience and realized they weren’t necessarily saying they just wanted more instruction or more reality or more travel shows. They just wanted more,” said Michael Smith, the general manager of the Cooking Channel.
The craving for food programming is insatiable, Scripps executives like to say. (They rarely pass up opportunities for food puns; the first press release for the Cooking Channel said that “the time has come for us to have our cake and eat it, too.”) The ratings were up markedly for the Food Network last year, and shows set in kitchens have flourished on other channels.
“When you see Fox lining up its third Gordon Ramsay cooking show in prime time, I think food’s arrived as a mainstream genre,” Mr. Steinlauf said.
Naturally, Scripps wants to capture as much market share as it can. “If there are 1.2 rating points available for food programming, we want to be able to get the 0.9 on Food and the 0.3 on the Cooking Channel,” he said. “For this to be a good business for Scripps, we have to be able to grow the combined audience for these channels.”
Mirrored channels are not unprecedented on cable, where further fragmentation seems certain. ESPN has ESPN2, MTV has MTV2, and CNN has HLN, formerly called Headline News. Mr. Smith says he expects the Cooking Channel’s core viewers will be the ones he calls “hyper-passionate fans” of Food — the recipe bloggers, the Yelp reviewers, the amateur chefs.
Read the rest of the story here.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Congratulations to Class #57
Congratulations to the graduates of Class #57 of the Second Helpings Culinary Job Training Program. The largest class in the history of the program graduated on Friday, February 12, 2009.
Pictured above (front row, left to right) Isabella Barahona, Ellen Funk, Irene Jenna, Breann Brown, Aeshia Tichenor, Laurin Kinney (Second row) Ross Eggers, Brandon Frew, Jesse Chisolm, Brenen Head, Christopher Holton, Judie Sloan, Chef Conway (Back row) David Newson, Kenneth Klimkiewicz, Charles Thompson, Norman Patterson, Jamari Jones.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Alton Brown's favorite Cookbooks
By ALTON BROWN
1. The Joy of Cooking
By Irma S. Rombauer
Bobbs-Merrill, 1936
Maybe it's because I inherited "The Joy of Cooking" from my paternal grandmother, a true witch of the baking world, or because her edition, the sixth, was published in 1962, the year I was born. Or maybe it's because even this 1960s "Joy" was still packed with old-fashioned tips like the carefully laid out instructions for skinning a squirrel. As the diagrams show, the skinning process is easy once you get the tail under your foot. Whatever the reason for my attachment to the particular volume on my shelf, I'm also a "Joy" fan no matter the edition: Every recipe is written in the book's unmistakable style, with ingredients and amounts seamlessly integrated into the instructions. For me this is still the quintessential American cookbook. Try the baked herring and potatoes or sourdough rye. Or perhaps the roast squirrel with walnut ketchup.
2. The Frugal Gourmet
By Jeff Smith
Morrow, 1984
Jeff Smith was the Julia Child of my generation. When his television show, "The Frugal Gourmet," made its debut on PBS in the 1980s, it conveyed such genuine enthusiasm for cooking that I was moved for the first time to slap down cold cash for a collection of recipes. Since it was my only cookbook at the time—I had yet to inherit "The Joy of Cooking" mentioned above—I made every recipe in it, several times. All these years later I still cook the chicken piccata, the pea salad with bacon, and the lamb with beans, not making a single substitution. Unfortunately Smith became embroiled in a sex-abuse scandal in the mid-1990s involving young men who had worked for him. Not only did his career screech to a halt, but his earlier work was also tainted in the process. And that's a real shame, because were it not for Smith, I know of at least one would-be cook who'd still be on the sofa ordering takeout.
See the rest of his list here
1. The Joy of Cooking
By Irma S. Rombauer
Bobbs-Merrill, 1936
Maybe it's because I inherited "The Joy of Cooking" from my paternal grandmother, a true witch of the baking world, or because her edition, the sixth, was published in 1962, the year I was born. Or maybe it's because even this 1960s "Joy" was still packed with old-fashioned tips like the carefully laid out instructions for skinning a squirrel. As the diagrams show, the skinning process is easy once you get the tail under your foot. Whatever the reason for my attachment to the particular volume on my shelf, I'm also a "Joy" fan no matter the edition: Every recipe is written in the book's unmistakable style, with ingredients and amounts seamlessly integrated into the instructions. For me this is still the quintessential American cookbook. Try the baked herring and potatoes or sourdough rye. Or perhaps the roast squirrel with walnut ketchup.
2. The Frugal Gourmet
By Jeff Smith
Morrow, 1984
Jeff Smith was the Julia Child of my generation. When his television show, "The Frugal Gourmet," made its debut on PBS in the 1980s, it conveyed such genuine enthusiasm for cooking that I was moved for the first time to slap down cold cash for a collection of recipes. Since it was my only cookbook at the time—I had yet to inherit "The Joy of Cooking" mentioned above—I made every recipe in it, several times. All these years later I still cook the chicken piccata, the pea salad with bacon, and the lamb with beans, not making a single substitution. Unfortunately Smith became embroiled in a sex-abuse scandal in the mid-1990s involving young men who had worked for him. Not only did his career screech to a halt, but his earlier work was also tainted in the process. And that's a real shame, because were it not for Smith, I know of at least one would-be cook who'd still be on the sofa ordering takeout.
See the rest of his list here
Friday, February 5, 2010
Super Bowl Food Fight: Indy Vs. Big Easy
Football fans are looking forward to this Sunday's Super Bowl — and a day full of good food. But the menu doesn't have to be limited to pizza and nachos. We asked two chefs from the Colts' and Saints' hometowns about what they'd be cooking this weekend.
From New Orleans, Donald Link is chef and owner of the restaurants Herbsaint and Cochon. His Super Bowl party continues a tradition he inherited from his parents.
This year, the party will include sausage and salami from Link's butcher shop. But those are just for snacking, he told NPR's Linda Wertheimer. "The main dish that I always cook is the seafood gumbo," Link said — like the one featured in his cookbook, Real Cajun.
Link's party will be at his home, which he repaired after Hurricane Katrina. In those renovations, he said, he made sure to include clear sightlines from the kitchen to the TV.
"We actually stood where the stove was going to go and lined it up to where the TV would be, just to make sure that we had the broadest view of the TV," he said.
And from Indianapolis, Regina Mehallick is chef and owner of R Bistro. Her restaurant is decked out for the big game, she said, complete with blue flowers and cadet-blue napkins to match the Colts' uniforms.
Mehallick, author of Regina's Seasonal Table, also emphasizes locally grown produce and meats.
"We should definitely have blue popcorn," Mehallick said, "because corn is popular here in Indiana."
Her main dish will reflect another local favorite: a breaded pork tenderloin sandwich. The R Bistro version will be crusted in panko flakes. And since Indiana is a large producer of duck meat, Mehallick is considering serving duck wings — "done the classic way that chicken wings would be done," she said.
Both cities have been abuzz for nearly two weeks, as fans dream of an NFL title.
But Link says his Saints party will be a bit tamer than past versions — partly because he wants to be sure to have time to sit down and watch the game.
"I'm getting kind of chills, just about to say it," he said. "But with Mardi Gras this weekend and the Saints in the Super Bowl — I mean, this is a fantastic time to be here."
In Indianapolis, the lingering effects of the economic recession aren't putting a damper on the excitement, either.
The city has been a scene for pep rallies and parties — and people dressed in all blue and white, Mehallick said. She admitted to wearing a Colts jersey as she spoke to NPR.
"This is a big sports city," she said. "This is just a happy time, it's bringing people together. Lots of people on the street are saying hello — and go Colts."
The interview ended on a civil note — up to a point.
"Donald, good luck — but I hope we win," Mehallick said.
"Who dat?" Link replied.
Listen to the full story and download the recipes here.
From New Orleans, Donald Link is chef and owner of the restaurants Herbsaint and Cochon. His Super Bowl party continues a tradition he inherited from his parents.
This year, the party will include sausage and salami from Link's butcher shop. But those are just for snacking, he told NPR's Linda Wertheimer. "The main dish that I always cook is the seafood gumbo," Link said — like the one featured in his cookbook, Real Cajun.
Link's party will be at his home, which he repaired after Hurricane Katrina. In those renovations, he said, he made sure to include clear sightlines from the kitchen to the TV.
"We actually stood where the stove was going to go and lined it up to where the TV would be, just to make sure that we had the broadest view of the TV," he said.
And from Indianapolis, Regina Mehallick is chef and owner of R Bistro. Her restaurant is decked out for the big game, she said, complete with blue flowers and cadet-blue napkins to match the Colts' uniforms.
Mehallick, author of Regina's Seasonal Table, also emphasizes locally grown produce and meats.
"We should definitely have blue popcorn," Mehallick said, "because corn is popular here in Indiana."
Her main dish will reflect another local favorite: a breaded pork tenderloin sandwich. The R Bistro version will be crusted in panko flakes. And since Indiana is a large producer of duck meat, Mehallick is considering serving duck wings — "done the classic way that chicken wings would be done," she said.
Both cities have been abuzz for nearly two weeks, as fans dream of an NFL title.
But Link says his Saints party will be a bit tamer than past versions — partly because he wants to be sure to have time to sit down and watch the game.
"I'm getting kind of chills, just about to say it," he said. "But with Mardi Gras this weekend and the Saints in the Super Bowl — I mean, this is a fantastic time to be here."
In Indianapolis, the lingering effects of the economic recession aren't putting a damper on the excitement, either.
The city has been a scene for pep rallies and parties — and people dressed in all blue and white, Mehallick said. She admitted to wearing a Colts jersey as she spoke to NPR.
"This is a big sports city," she said. "This is just a happy time, it's bringing people together. Lots of people on the street are saying hello — and go Colts."
The interview ended on a civil note — up to a point.
"Donald, good luck — but I hope we win," Mehallick said.
"Who dat?" Link replied.
Listen to the full story and download the recipes here.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Career Options Expand for Culinarians
Into the frying pan
By DAN AVERY
Jerome Darby was a successful fashion designer whose clothing sold in
Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s. But he never gave up his dream of working in a restaurant.
So he enrolled at the French Culinary Institute in SoHo, and after graduating last June, he went to work as a pastry chef at Mario Batali’s trattoria Lupa.
So how does he feel about trading in a six-figure salary for toiling in a kitchen?
“It’s been awesome,” he says.
As America’s interest in food continues to rise like a well-timed soufflé, more and more people are setting their sights on culinary careers.
“There’s been a huge, huge interest in cooking schools,” says Irena Chalmers, an instructor at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in upstate Hyde Park, and author of “Food Jobs: 150 Great Jobs for Culinary Students, Career Changers and Food Lovers.”
In the past six years, applications spiked nearly 50 percent at CIA, which added a satellite campus to cope with the demand. At the Institute for Culinary Education in Chelsea, the surge in interest has been “staggering,” says admissions director Brian Aronowitz. Meanwhile, after a decade when enrollment doubled, the French Culinary Institute just had “our best year ever,” says founder Dorothy Hamilton.
The weak economy has actually boosted interest, in part because people often return to school during slowdowns, and in part because food careers are popular with career changers — including those motivated by a layoff. And to some extent, the food business is recession-proof.
“There will always be jobs in the culinary field,” says Hamilton, who’s written a new book, “Love What You Do: Building a Career in the Culinary Industry.”
One big change, however, is the sheer range of jobs falling under that umbrella. That range has grown a lot wider in recent years, notes Chalmers, who was inspired to write her book by all her students who “had no idea there were so many jobs outside of working in a restaurant.”
From food historian to recipe tester, “There are so many things you can do,” she says.
With that in mind, here’s a look at a few of the food world’s growing niches.
Click here to read the rest of the story.
By DAN AVERY
Jerome Darby was a successful fashion designer whose clothing sold in
Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s. But he never gave up his dream of working in a restaurant.
So he enrolled at the French Culinary Institute in SoHo, and after graduating last June, he went to work as a pastry chef at Mario Batali’s trattoria Lupa.
So how does he feel about trading in a six-figure salary for toiling in a kitchen?
“It’s been awesome,” he says.
As America’s interest in food continues to rise like a well-timed soufflé, more and more people are setting their sights on culinary careers.
“There’s been a huge, huge interest in cooking schools,” says Irena Chalmers, an instructor at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in upstate Hyde Park, and author of “Food Jobs: 150 Great Jobs for Culinary Students, Career Changers and Food Lovers.”
In the past six years, applications spiked nearly 50 percent at CIA, which added a satellite campus to cope with the demand. At the Institute for Culinary Education in Chelsea, the surge in interest has been “staggering,” says admissions director Brian Aronowitz. Meanwhile, after a decade when enrollment doubled, the French Culinary Institute just had “our best year ever,” says founder Dorothy Hamilton.
The weak economy has actually boosted interest, in part because people often return to school during slowdowns, and in part because food careers are popular with career changers — including those motivated by a layoff. And to some extent, the food business is recession-proof.
“There will always be jobs in the culinary field,” says Hamilton, who’s written a new book, “Love What You Do: Building a Career in the Culinary Industry.”
One big change, however, is the sheer range of jobs falling under that umbrella. That range has grown a lot wider in recent years, notes Chalmers, who was inspired to write her book by all her students who “had no idea there were so many jobs outside of working in a restaurant.”
From food historian to recipe tester, “There are so many things you can do,” she says.
With that in mind, here’s a look at a few of the food world’s growing niches.
Click here to read the rest of the story.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Key Lime Cheesecake
(Serves 12)
1 ½ cups vanilla wafer crumbs
½ cup shredded coconut
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup melted butter
For the filling:
24 oz cream cheese
1 ¼ cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp grated lime zest
½ cup Key lime juice
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Combine crust ingredients in a small bowl, mixing well.
Press mixture in bottom and 1" up sides of a buttered 10-inch Springform pan.
Bake crust at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Cool thoroughly in pan on a wire rack.
Beat cream cheese and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.
Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.
Stir in sour cream, lime zest, and lime juice.
Pour batter into prepared crust.
Bake at 350°F for 1 hour.
Turn oven off and allow cheesecake to cool in the oven door cracked for 20 minutes.
Remove from oven, and cool completely in pan on a wire rack.
Refrigerate for at least eight hours. Run a knife around the edge to loosen the Springform pan.
Cut into 12 slices. Garnish with whipped cream and lime wedges.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
The GREAT Teacher
EVERY chef, unless he or she works alone, is a teacher. Some are better teachers than others, and some are great. In my opinion, Julia Child was the best ever. Another whom I would place on my short list of the VERY best is Jacques Pépin. Continue reading to find out why.
By Dana Bowen
Source: Saveur
When Jacques Pépin stopped by the SAVEUR offices to show us how to make some of the dishes he wrote about in his memoir and cookbook The Apprentice (Houghton Mifflin, 2003), we were eager to join him in the kitchen. Here was one of the most influential chefs of the past half century—a collaborator of Julia Child's, an alumnus of the legendary New York City restaurant Le Pavillon, and the author of La Technique (Simon & Schuster, 1976), one of the best culinary textbooks ever put into print. We knew we'd glean all sorts of useful lessons from him.
By Dana Bowen
Source: Saveur
When Jacques Pépin stopped by the SAVEUR offices to show us how to make some of the dishes he wrote about in his memoir and cookbook The Apprentice (Houghton Mifflin, 2003), we were eager to join him in the kitchen. Here was one of the most influential chefs of the past half century—a collaborator of Julia Child's, an alumnus of the legendary New York City restaurant Le Pavillon, and the author of La Technique (Simon & Schuster, 1976), one of the best culinary textbooks ever put into print. We knew we'd glean all sorts of useful lessons from him.
Within minutes of arriving, the chef was rifling through our fridge for ingredients and sharing some of his favorite tips. He showed us how to chop herbs without bruising them, by rocking the blade of a chef's knife forward and back. When cracking an egg, he hit it on a flat surface, rather than the rim of a bowl, to keep the egg free of shell fragments and to prevent the yolk from breaking. Instead of scoring and blanching tomatoes to peel them, he simply used a paring knife, a faster method that also yields skins for flavoring stock. And he demonstrated the wisest approach we've seen yet to cutting up a chicken.
These are the kinds of smart strategies we've always learned from Pépin, but to observe his actions up close—such as when he made a last-minute, pitch-perfect adjustment to his mother's apple tart—was to understand that there's more to his expertise than flawless technique. The chef was always tasting, smelling, touching, looking, and then adapting to the situation at hand. When the tart came out of the oven, Pépin decided it needed more color, so he glazed it with a few spoonfuls of apricot jam, even though the original recipe didn't call for it. Of course, it looked—and tasted—divine.
Behind The Scenes of Food TV
Many steps lead to a cooking show at the Food Network
By Francine Segan, Tribune Media ServicesJanuary 6, 2010
"People don't realize how many hands are involved even before Rachael, Guy or Melissa touch the food," says Rob Bleifer, executive chef of the Food Network Kitchen. The names he mentions will be familiar to fans of the network — they are stars Rachael Ray, Guy Fieri and Melissa d'Arabian. "There's an entire kitchen behind the kitchen on one of our cooking shows."
He's not kidding. The Food Network's behind-the-scenes kitchen, in its studio located above the Chelsea Markets in New York City, is a gigantic space with five separate kitchen areas, so chefs can prepare the food for several different shows at the same time. These spaces were designed to function just like a typical home kitchen, each with its own oven, stove top, sink and fridge. It is here that the ingredients are prepared for the hosts to use on air.
"Typically between 15 and 20 people are involved just for the culinary elements of a basic cooking show," says Michelle Betrock, publicist for the Food Network. For a bigger show like "Iron Chef America," she adds, the number could be double or more.
Planning for a daytime cooking show starts several months in advance in meetings between the host of the show and a culinary producer. The producers make sure the recipes selected will make an interesting show and that everything can be cooked within a program.
A lot of enticing recipes don't make the cut. "I had to tell chef Alex Guarnaschelli ("Alex's Day Off") that she couldn't make the chocolate crostata — sort of (like an) Italian chocolate pie — that she wanted to prepare," notes the show's culinary producer Ashley Archer. "It just had too many components for a 30-minute show."
Culinary producers "organize every detail" of a given episode, says Jill Novatt, who oversees the network's programming as executive culinary producer. That includes "what goes into the cabinets and fridge; what cooks on the stove top and what in the oven; and even what utensils and pots will need to be handy."
Claire Robinson, host of the popular Food Network show "Five Ingredient Fix," says she and her producer, Wes Martin, often spend six weeks working on the recipes for just a single episode. "There are sometimes 20 points that can be mentioned for any one recipe, and Wes and I break down those points to fit into the show's format."
The culinary producer also plans all the "swap-outs" — the examples of a single recipe prepared at different stages of completion. "We don't want the TV crew to have to stand around and wait for three hours for the osso buco to cook," jokes Susan Stockton, senior vice president of culinary production. The culinary producer gives a list of recipes to a food stylist, who tests them so the home audience can be assured that the recipes work and are written with easy-to-follow directions.
One of the most surprising behind-the-scenes facts is the tiny earphone worn by many of the cooking show hosts. "Cooking on TV is a hard job," Novatt says. "You need to really actually cook while listening to the culinary producer whispering in your ear telling you to smile and to move your hand because it's blocking the celery, all while you also have to pay attention to the studio director on the floor who is pointing to which camera you have to face."
"What's great about the Food Network studio environment," says Sunny Anderson, star of "Cooking for Real," "is having a team where, if I miss an ingredient in the rush or forget how much time I have left, a gentle voice chimes in my ear to keep me on track."
See the rest of the story, including some nice recipes here.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Soup Kitchen Chef Serves up $73 Side of Caviar
How much would you pay for a seven-course meal that starts with a $73 serving of caviar?
For the needy who dine at Broadway Community soup kitchen on the upper West Side, the answer is $0.
That's because the chef at the W. 114th St. soup kitchen got a special donation this Christmas: a 500-gram, $1,100 tin of Petrossian Malossol sturgeon caviar.
"We do this 52 weeks a year, and it's not usually about the fancy," said Michael Ennes, chef at the low-income advocacy organization Broadway Community. "But when someone gives you an $1,100 tin of caviar, it gets fancy."
For the needy who dine at Broadway Community soup kitchen on the upper West Side, the answer is $0.
That's because the chef at the W. 114th St. soup kitchen got a special donation this Christmas: a 500-gram, $1,100 tin of Petrossian Malossol sturgeon caviar.
"We do this 52 weeks a year, and it's not usually about the fancy," said Michael Ennes, chef at the low-income advocacy organization Broadway Community. "But when someone gives you an $1,100 tin of caviar, it gets fancy."
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Choosing Between Death and Football
This week's Outside the Lines on ESPN presented a sad, yet inspiring story of one man's battle against the culture that his young charges are forced to grow up in.
"Walker is battling a mentality that glorifies death. He's battling a culture that has produced one of the saddest visions possible: Young men being laid to rest in their grandparents' burial plots. He sees poor families spending $500 on airbrushed "RIP" T-shirts for dead teenagers, little kids running around a funeral like it's Disneyland. The bedroom walls of little brothers have shrines to murdered older brothers instead of posters of their favorite players.
"I see people standing over the coffin of a 17-year-old saying, 'Oh, he looks so good,'" Walker says. "I want to say, 'Oh, no he doesn't, not if you saw the back of his head the way I saw it.' They're ignoring reality."
Read the entire story here.
"Walker is battling a mentality that glorifies death. He's battling a culture that has produced one of the saddest visions possible: Young men being laid to rest in their grandparents' burial plots. He sees poor families spending $500 on airbrushed "RIP" T-shirts for dead teenagers, little kids running around a funeral like it's Disneyland. The bedroom walls of little brothers have shrines to murdered older brothers instead of posters of their favorite players.
"I see people standing over the coffin of a 17-year-old saying, 'Oh, he looks so good,'" Walker says. "I want to say, 'Oh, no he doesn't, not if you saw the back of his head the way I saw it.' They're ignoring reality."
Read the entire story here.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Outreach Worker Offers Indy' Homeless a Helping Hand a Warm Heart
Donnie Robinette has spent 14 years doing what he can to help Indianapolis' homeless
By Will Higgins
will.higgins@indystar.com
It's obvious Terry Miles is resourceful. But it's also clear he needs help, and Donnie Robinette offers it to him, gently, unobtrusively.
"Terry, I'm going to bring a doctor around next week, OK?" Robinette said the other day while visiting Miles in the jury-rigged plywood shack along the White River that Miles calls home.
Miles has been homeless most of the past 15 years. Bearded and craggy, he is 54 but looks 64.
He said a doctor would be OK.
"Terry, is there anything else I can do for you?" Robinette asked.
No, nothing. The men shook hands and parted.
Robinette has had countless such exchanges with the city's homeless over the past 14 years. All part of the job -- and a tough one it is.
Robinette, 52, is one of roughly a dozen homeless- outreach workers in Indianapolis and the most senior. His job, short-term, is to keep homeless people alive. Long-term, he tries to persuade them to accept counseling, job training, housing, to coax them to "come in," as he says.
As the weather worsens, the need for proper shelter becomes pressing. But Robinette doesn't push it.
His exchange with Miles is typical of the delicate yet persistent negotiations that can span years.
"You can't judge," said Robinette, who works for the Homeless Initiative Program. "If I said, 'I'm here to save you,' they'd say, 'From what?' I like Terry. I've worked with him four years. He's not ready to come in."
Robinette's understanding of the homeless -- his street knowledge -- is said to be unsurpassed.
"Donnie knows all the nooks and crannies," said Melissa Burgess, who used to work with Robinette and now is a manager at Horizon House homeless day center.
"If I need to know something (about the homeless)," said Sgt. Bob Hipple, of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department's Downtown district, "I ask Donnie."
"Homeless" covers a range of people: from those out of work or underemployed who are "doubling up" temporarily with relatives, to the "chronically" homeless, mostly alcoholic, drug-addicted, mentally ill or all three -- the ones who sleep in the nooks and crannies.
Robinette spends most of his time with the hard-cores. A count earlier this year by Indianapolis' Coalition for Homelessness Intervention and Prevention (CHIP) put the "chronically homeless" population at 216.
They've lived outdoors for years, stopping at shelters only long enough for an occasional meal, often getting tanked, sometimes panhandling, sometimes dying.
Read the rest of the story here.
By Will Higgins
will.higgins@indystar.com
It's obvious Terry Miles is resourceful. But it's also clear he needs help, and Donnie Robinette offers it to him, gently, unobtrusively.
"Terry, I'm going to bring a doctor around next week, OK?" Robinette said the other day while visiting Miles in the jury-rigged plywood shack along the White River that Miles calls home.
Miles has been homeless most of the past 15 years. Bearded and craggy, he is 54 but looks 64.
He said a doctor would be OK.
"Terry, is there anything else I can do for you?" Robinette asked.
No, nothing. The men shook hands and parted.
Robinette has had countless such exchanges with the city's homeless over the past 14 years. All part of the job -- and a tough one it is.
Robinette, 52, is one of roughly a dozen homeless- outreach workers in Indianapolis and the most senior. His job, short-term, is to keep homeless people alive. Long-term, he tries to persuade them to accept counseling, job training, housing, to coax them to "come in," as he says.
As the weather worsens, the need for proper shelter becomes pressing. But Robinette doesn't push it.
His exchange with Miles is typical of the delicate yet persistent negotiations that can span years.
"You can't judge," said Robinette, who works for the Homeless Initiative Program. "If I said, 'I'm here to save you,' they'd say, 'From what?' I like Terry. I've worked with him four years. He's not ready to come in."
Robinette's understanding of the homeless -- his street knowledge -- is said to be unsurpassed.
"Donnie knows all the nooks and crannies," said Melissa Burgess, who used to work with Robinette and now is a manager at Horizon House homeless day center.
"If I need to know something (about the homeless)," said Sgt. Bob Hipple, of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department's Downtown district, "I ask Donnie."
"Homeless" covers a range of people: from those out of work or underemployed who are "doubling up" temporarily with relatives, to the "chronically" homeless, mostly alcoholic, drug-addicted, mentally ill or all three -- the ones who sleep in the nooks and crannies.
Robinette spends most of his time with the hard-cores. A count earlier this year by Indianapolis' Coalition for Homelessness Intervention and Prevention (CHIP) put the "chronically homeless" population at 216.
They've lived outdoors for years, stopping at shelters only long enough for an occasional meal, often getting tanked, sometimes panhandling, sometimes dying.
Read the rest of the story here.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Jose Cuervo Christmas Cookies
Recipe courtesy of CulinaryGeek.net
1 cup of water
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup or brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup nuts
2 cups of dried fruit
1 bottle Jose Cuervo Tequila
Sample the Cuervo to check quality. Take a large bowl, Check the Cuervo again, to be sure it is of the highest quality, Pour one level cup and drink.
Turn on the electric mixer. Beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl.
Add one peastoon of sugar. Beat again. At this point it's best to make sure the Cuervo is still ok, try another cup just in case.
Turn off the mixerer thingy.
Break 2 leggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit.
Pick the frigging fruit off the floor.
Mix on the turner.
If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaters just pry it loose with a drewscriver.
Sample the Cuervo to check for tonsisticity.
Next, sift two cups of salt, or something. Who geeves A sheet. Check the Jose Cuervo. Now shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts.
Add one table.
Add a spoon of sugar, or somefink, whatever you can find.
Greash the oven.
Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall over.
Don't forget to beat off the turner.
Finally, throw the bowl through the window, finish the Cose Juervo and make sure to put the stove in the wishdasher.
Cherry Mistmas !
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Food Charities Struggle to Offer Healthy Options
By: Kevin Hardy
CHATTANOOGA (Dec 3, 2009) - When it comes to providing food to the hungry and poor, nutrition sometimes can be a low priority.
Workers with local food banks and community kitchens say providing wholesome, nutritious meals to their clients can be a struggle. With many charities relying heavily on donations, providing healthy food choices sometimes is not an option. And fresh fruits and vegetables almost always are more expensive than processed foods, providers say.
"Health is a significant factor in our menu planning, but the primary concern is eliminating hunger," said Jens Christensen, director of marketing at the Chattanooga Commmunity Kitchen, which will serve about 170,000 meals this year.
Mr. Christensen said employees try to provide balanced meals for their clients, but relying on donated ingredients creates real hurdles for cooks. The Community Kitchen's 2009 food budget is only $1,500, he said, so cash is reserved for essential items that don't come in as donations.
"This creates a great challenge in menu planning," he said. "Unlike most restaurants and businesses that serve food, we don't select a menu and then acquire the ingredients -- we choose our menu based on what we have."
Gary Paul, development director at the Chattanooga Area Food Bank, said that organization notices a similar struggle with distributing the 9 million pounds of food donated annually.
"Basically, we're stewards of what's donated," he said. "The food, the money -- all that comes from the community. We're just stewards of those gifts."
The food bank collects donations of leftover prepared food from local Red Lobster, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Long John Silver's restaurants, Mr. Paul said. Though the foods oftentimes are high in calories and fat, the donations go a long way in feeding the hungry in the area, he said.
"We take what they give us," Mr. Paul said. "And we try to use it all, which we do."
Some groups say choosing their own ingredients makes meal planning easier.
At Providence Ministries in Dalton, Ga., cooks select most ingredients that go into the 500 meals a day served to community members in need. Director Roy Johnson said the program usually is able to provide balanced meals with several choices of entrees, vegetables and side items at each of its three daily meals.
"This is not a soup kitchen," he said. "We serve great meals down here."
Mr. Johnson said Providence has been blessed by a giving community and the ability to purchase many ingredients on its own. Still, he said, the clientele has increased dramatically throughout the recession.
"We're seeing people that we had never seen before, people who never had to apply for assistance for anything before," he said.
Also dealing with increased numbers of clients, the Salvation Army has started taking its own steps to ensure healthy food choices in the three meals it serves each day, spokeswoman Kimberly George said.
The organization recently hired a professional chef who picks nutritious ingredients and make wholesome meals, she said. The chef also will teach clients how to cook for themselves, she said.
The Salvation Army served more than 125,000 meals in its 2009 fiscal year, she said, and throughout the last year has seen an increase in clients in all of its social services.
"In some areas it's twice the amount we saw last year," she said.
The Salvation Army and the Chattanooga Area Food Bank recently installed on-site gardens to provide low-cost fresh vegetables and herbs to clients.
"Our hope is to encourage people to live a healthier lifestyle," Mr. Paul said. "And a lot of that is growing your own food."
CHATTANOOGA (Dec 3, 2009) - When it comes to providing food to the hungry and poor, nutrition sometimes can be a low priority.
Workers with local food banks and community kitchens say providing wholesome, nutritious meals to their clients can be a struggle. With many charities relying heavily on donations, providing healthy food choices sometimes is not an option. And fresh fruits and vegetables almost always are more expensive than processed foods, providers say.
"Health is a significant factor in our menu planning, but the primary concern is eliminating hunger," said Jens Christensen, director of marketing at the Chattanooga Commmunity Kitchen, which will serve about 170,000 meals this year.
Mr. Christensen said employees try to provide balanced meals for their clients, but relying on donated ingredients creates real hurdles for cooks. The Community Kitchen's 2009 food budget is only $1,500, he said, so cash is reserved for essential items that don't come in as donations.
"This creates a great challenge in menu planning," he said. "Unlike most restaurants and businesses that serve food, we don't select a menu and then acquire the ingredients -- we choose our menu based on what we have."
Gary Paul, development director at the Chattanooga Area Food Bank, said that organization notices a similar struggle with distributing the 9 million pounds of food donated annually.
"Basically, we're stewards of what's donated," he said. "The food, the money -- all that comes from the community. We're just stewards of those gifts."
The food bank collects donations of leftover prepared food from local Red Lobster, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Long John Silver's restaurants, Mr. Paul said. Though the foods oftentimes are high in calories and fat, the donations go a long way in feeding the hungry in the area, he said.
"We take what they give us," Mr. Paul said. "And we try to use it all, which we do."
Some groups say choosing their own ingredients makes meal planning easier.
At Providence Ministries in Dalton, Ga., cooks select most ingredients that go into the 500 meals a day served to community members in need. Director Roy Johnson said the program usually is able to provide balanced meals with several choices of entrees, vegetables and side items at each of its three daily meals.
"This is not a soup kitchen," he said. "We serve great meals down here."
Mr. Johnson said Providence has been blessed by a giving community and the ability to purchase many ingredients on its own. Still, he said, the clientele has increased dramatically throughout the recession.
"We're seeing people that we had never seen before, people who never had to apply for assistance for anything before," he said.
Also dealing with increased numbers of clients, the Salvation Army has started taking its own steps to ensure healthy food choices in the three meals it serves each day, spokeswoman Kimberly George said.
The organization recently hired a professional chef who picks nutritious ingredients and make wholesome meals, she said. The chef also will teach clients how to cook for themselves, she said.
The Salvation Army served more than 125,000 meals in its 2009 fiscal year, she said, and throughout the last year has seen an increase in clients in all of its social services.
"In some areas it's twice the amount we saw last year," she said.
The Salvation Army and the Chattanooga Area Food Bank recently installed on-site gardens to provide low-cost fresh vegetables and herbs to clients.
"Our hope is to encourage people to live a healthier lifestyle," Mr. Paul said. "And a lot of that is growing your own food."
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Thanksgiving - The Day After
Class #56 came up with some great ideas for using all those Thanksgiving leftovers. Check them out in the Indianapolis Star.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Congratulations to Class #56!
Congratulations to Class #56 of the Second Helpings Culinary Job Training Program who graduated November 20, 2009.
Pictured above (Front row, left to right): Gina M. Powell, Angela L. Huggins-Gainer, Raymond O. Westmoreland Jr, Shawn N. Weaver; (Back row, left to right): Chef Carl Conway, David V. (Vinnie) Hyder, André K. Tompkins, and Tyrone L. Burris II.
Pictured above (Front row, left to right): Gina M. Powell, Angela L. Huggins-Gainer, Raymond O. Westmoreland Jr, Shawn N. Weaver; (Back row, left to right): Chef Carl Conway, David V. (Vinnie) Hyder, André K. Tompkins, and Tyrone L. Burris II.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Sweet Potato Salad
By request, here's my recipe for sweet potato salad:
(Serves 12)
4 cups (hot) peeled, large diced and cooked sweet potatoes
2/3 cup red onion, small diced
½ cup celery, small diced
1 seedless cucumber (unpeeled), medium diced
1 Red Bell Pepper, medium diced
1 Yellow Bell Pepper, medium diced
¼ cup fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped fine
2 Tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped fine
½ cup toasted pecan halves, chopped
Kosher Salt, to taste
Fresh ground Black Pepper, to taste
For the Vinaigrette:
½ cup Olive Oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon mild chili powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp Honey
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp Kosher Salt
1 tsp fresh ground Black Pepper
Combine vinegar, chili powder, garlic, honey, mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl and whisk ingredients until the salt is dissolved.
While still whisking, slowly drizzle in the olive oil to form an emulsion.
Place hot potatoes, onion, and celery in a large mixing bowl and toss with half the dressing.
Cool, cover and refrigerate for at least one hour to chill.
When ready to serve, add the cucumber, bell peppers, parsley, tarragon, and pecans and toss with the remaining dressing.
Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper.
In Afghanistan, This Is a Four Star Restaurant
Chowhall Chefs Include a Former Chef From Ritz Carlton
by KAREN RUSSO
Clouds of brown dust assault the soldiers' faces as they wait in line, but it's no deterrent. In just a few minutes they'll feel as close to home as they can get from half a world away.
It's lunchtime on "Soul Food Thursday" at the Containerized Kitchen for Task Force Saber on Kandahar Air Field in southern Afghanistan.
Unlike the oversized cafeteria-style dining facilities - better known as D-FACS in the military's world of acronyms this small "CK" looks like a caboose abandoned by its train in the middle of the desert.
Inside, servers load paper plates full of fried chicken, catfish, mac and cheese, collard greens and Hop Bean John salad. The American southern-style menu was created with a focus on the familiar.
"It's such a moral boost having food that tastes like food from home here," said Capt. Alicia Stahlberg, 26, from Fairfax, Va.
With the main base located several miles down the dirt road, food - until recently was often frustratingly far away. Meals were missed if a pilot's shift ended at an odd hour. Now, soldiers eat steps from their work on their nearby airfield.
In the military, life almost revolves around food. Chowhall is one of the few places where soldiers can decompress for a few moments each day. So if the meal is lousy, it ruins just about the only moment they can forget about work. Ask any soldier they'll tell you their favorite D-FAC or provide a list of favorite spots to eat on base.
In Kandahar, which has only one CK, it is getting a reputation.
"We face a lot of challenges," said Michael Mosley, 37, Senior Food Operations Sergeant. "We're dealing with the elements, sanitization, lots of dust and parasites and pests." But so far, they are succeeding. "We try to give them something to look forward to in the work week and getting them through these hard times," said Mosley.
For Travis Burton, one of the chefs, cooking for the Army is drastically different than his previous career at the Ritz Carlton in Orlando, Fla. If it weren't for his student loan debts from culinary school, Burton says he would still be at the Ritz, where he had more creative freedom.
Food Can Make or Ruin the Day for a Soldier in Afghanistan
"We're limited to what you can do, to what you can acquire here. The food is pre-packaged, pre-cooked, pre-seasoned so you need to be careful what you do to it," Burton said. Too much seasoning with prepared foods can contradict and destroy the dishes.
Limitations aside, the chefs are still experimenting.
Sgt Earl Lendore, 26, cooks Caribbean-style dishes from his home in Grenada islands. For dinner, he is preparing curried chicken.
"A lot of people don't know a lot of Caribbean dishes. They'll look at it and think it's different. But then they'll eat it and love it!" he said.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Tonic Ball and Gallery Approaches
Tonic Ball VIII will feature more than 30 of Central Indiana’s top rock, folk, jazz, funk, country, and pop artists celebrating the songs of Led Zeppelin at Radio Radio, 1119 E. Prospect St….and the songs of Bob Dylan right next door at the Fountain Square Theater—all beginning at 7p.m. on Friday, November 20th.
Last year, more than 1,000 people converged on Fountain Square to be part of the spectacle. This year, Tonic Ball and Tonic Gallery are going to be bigger and better than ever!
This year's artists:
Radio Radio (Led Zeppelin stage)
Bat Tattoo
The Misprintz
The Old Fair and Square Band
Ebenezer and the Hymnasters
The Last Domino
Frankie Camaro’s Atomic Bombay
Big Betty
Yoko Moment
We’re Not Squibnocket
Jennie DeVoe
The Cocaine Wolves
Vess Ruhtenberg
The Common
Healing Sixes
Bigger Than Elvis
Mandy Marie and the Cool Hand Lukes
Fountain Square Theater (Bob Dylan stage)
Cliff Snyder
Ladymoon
Sanuk
Coolidge
Jeff Byrd and the Wingmen
Jon Strahl Band
CW and the Working Class Trio
The Odyssey Favor
Luke Austin Daugherty Jam Band
Joel Henderson
Everest
Susan and the Desperate Seekers
Jon Martin and…
Shelby Kelley
Brian Deer and the Achievers
Tad Armstrong
Mardelay
The Deadbeats
Everything Now!
Otis Gibbs
The Vulgar Boatmen (w/special guest Jake Smith from the Mysteries of Life)
Note: Fountain Square Theater is an all-ages venue. Under-age tickets may be purchased separately. Call or email Ben Shine at 317.632.2664 X. 29, or ben@secondhelpings.org.
Tonic Gallery
AV Framing and Gallery
Friday, November 20
5:00 -9:00
free, all-ages, non-smoking
The Tonic Gallery features works by more than 50 of the city’s most renowned visual artists—all for sale and available for as little as $100. Tonic Gallery at AV Framing Gallery, Fountain Square, 1139 Shelby St., 5-9pm on November 20.
One of the city's most popular music and art events, Tonic Ball and Gallery, is scheduled for Nov. 20 at the Fountain Square Theater and next door at Radio Radio, 1119 E. Prospect St.
Tickets may be purchased online at secondhelpings.org
Last year, more than 1,000 people converged on Fountain Square to be part of the spectacle. This year, Tonic Ball and Tonic Gallery are going to be bigger and better than ever!
This year's artists:
Radio Radio (Led Zeppelin stage)
Bat Tattoo
The Misprintz
The Old Fair and Square Band
Ebenezer and the Hymnasters
The Last Domino
Frankie Camaro’s Atomic Bombay
Big Betty
Yoko Moment
We’re Not Squibnocket
Jennie DeVoe
The Cocaine Wolves
Vess Ruhtenberg
The Common
Healing Sixes
Bigger Than Elvis
Mandy Marie and the Cool Hand Lukes
Fountain Square Theater (Bob Dylan stage)
Cliff Snyder
Ladymoon
Sanuk
Coolidge
Jeff Byrd and the Wingmen
Jon Strahl Band
CW and the Working Class Trio
The Odyssey Favor
Luke Austin Daugherty Jam Band
Joel Henderson
Everest
Susan and the Desperate Seekers
Jon Martin and…
Shelby Kelley
Brian Deer and the Achievers
Tad Armstrong
Mardelay
The Deadbeats
Everything Now!
Otis Gibbs
The Vulgar Boatmen (w/special guest Jake Smith from the Mysteries of Life)
Note: Fountain Square Theater is an all-ages venue. Under-age tickets may be purchased separately. Call or email Ben Shine at 317.632.2664 X. 29, or ben@secondhelpings.org.
Tonic Gallery
AV Framing and Gallery
Friday, November 20
5:00 -9:00
free, all-ages, non-smoking
The Tonic Gallery features works by more than 50 of the city’s most renowned visual artists—all for sale and available for as little as $100. Tonic Gallery at AV Framing Gallery, Fountain Square, 1139 Shelby St., 5-9pm on November 20.
One of the city's most popular music and art events, Tonic Ball and Gallery, is scheduled for Nov. 20 at the Fountain Square Theater and next door at Radio Radio, 1119 E. Prospect St.
Tickets may be purchased online at secondhelpings.org
Friday, November 13, 2009
E-mail of the Year
Courtesy of my little brother:
After being interviewed by the school administration, the prospective teacher said:
"Let me see if I've got this right. You want me to go into that room with all those kids, correct their disruptive behavior, observe them for signs of abuse, monitor their dress habits, censor their T-shirt messages, and instill in them a love for learning.
You want me to check their backpacks for weapons, wage war on drugs and sexually transmitted diseases, and raise their sense of self esteem and personal pride.
You want me to teach them patriotism and good citizenship, sportsmanship and fair play, and how to register to vote, balance a checkbook, and apply for a job.
You want me to check their heads for lice, recognize signs of antisocial behavior, and make sure that they all pass the final exams.
You also want me to provide them with an equal education regardless of their handicaps, and communicate regularly with their parents in English, Spanish or any other language, by letter, telephone, newsletter, and report card.
You want me to do all this with a piece of chalk, a blackboard, a bulletin board, a few books, a big smile, and a starting salary that qualifies me for food stamps.
You want me to do all this and then you tell me. . . I CAN'T PRAY?"
After being interviewed by the school administration, the prospective teacher said:
"Let me see if I've got this right. You want me to go into that room with all those kids, correct their disruptive behavior, observe them for signs of abuse, monitor their dress habits, censor their T-shirt messages, and instill in them a love for learning.
You want me to check their backpacks for weapons, wage war on drugs and sexually transmitted diseases, and raise their sense of self esteem and personal pride.
You want me to teach them patriotism and good citizenship, sportsmanship and fair play, and how to register to vote, balance a checkbook, and apply for a job.
You want me to check their heads for lice, recognize signs of antisocial behavior, and make sure that they all pass the final exams.
You also want me to provide them with an equal education regardless of their handicaps, and communicate regularly with their parents in English, Spanish or any other language, by letter, telephone, newsletter, and report card.
You want me to do all this with a piece of chalk, a blackboard, a bulletin board, a few books, a big smile, and a starting salary that qualifies me for food stamps.
You want me to do all this and then you tell me. . . I CAN'T PRAY?"
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
FDA Issues Updated Food Code
WASHINGTON, Nov. 9 (UPI) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it has released an updated FDA Food Code that's used as a model for state, city, county and tribal inspections.
The 2009 Food Code, officials said, is used to regulate more than 1 million restaurants, retail food stores and vending and food service operations across the United States. They said the code provides the basis for most licensing, inspection and enforcement activities, as well as serving as a model for food statutes, regulations and ordinances.
Officials said the 2009 edition of the Food Code is the seventh full edition published by the FDA. The previous full edition was released in 2005 with a supplement published in 2007.
Among the updates, cut leafy greens are now included among the foods that require time and temperature control for safety. And requirements are added to improve food worker awareness of food allergen concerns in the food service and retail setting.
Serving hamburgers and other ground meats in an undercooked form upon a consumer's request is no longer an option for items offered on a children's menu, officials said. And a new definition and criteria are added for the non-continuous cooking of foods comprised of raw animal products.
Several requirements related to the effective cleaning and sanitizing of equipment and surfaces are enhanced or clarified.
More information is available here.
The 2009 Food Code, officials said, is used to regulate more than 1 million restaurants, retail food stores and vending and food service operations across the United States. They said the code provides the basis for most licensing, inspection and enforcement activities, as well as serving as a model for food statutes, regulations and ordinances.
Officials said the 2009 edition of the Food Code is the seventh full edition published by the FDA. The previous full edition was released in 2005 with a supplement published in 2007.
Among the updates, cut leafy greens are now included among the foods that require time and temperature control for safety. And requirements are added to improve food worker awareness of food allergen concerns in the food service and retail setting.
Serving hamburgers and other ground meats in an undercooked form upon a consumer's request is no longer an option for items offered on a children's menu, officials said. And a new definition and criteria are added for the non-continuous cooking of foods comprised of raw animal products.
Several requirements related to the effective cleaning and sanitizing of equipment and surfaces are enhanced or clarified.
More information is available here.
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