Cuisine from Around the World

By: Kristen Mummert

Fortunately, I have been able to travel all over the world. My father was in the military and I have visited many countries and tried many different cuisines. My family lived in Bahrain and Germany and we were able to visit France, these are a few of my favorite places I have been.  With each country comes a different type of cuisine. Bahrain, Germany, and France are all in the European continent, but each country has a very distinct and different type of cuisine.

My family and I first lived in Bahrain. Bahraini cuisine usually consists of fresh produce. My mother told me that when we lived in Bahrain we would go to the bazaar, or market, and I would have to talk to the venders in Arabic (I was learning it in school) because my mother didn’t know how and the vendors only spoke Arabic. One dish that is well known in Bahrain and is a traditional dish is machboos also known as majboos. This is a rice and meat dish usually with lamb or chicken.  Below is a recipe for the machboos. The recipe from food.com includes some ingredients that are not common in the United States. The ingredients buharat spice mix and black dried limes are hard to find, but they are able to be shipped if desired. These exotic items are commonly used in Bahraini and Arabic cuisine. Some other traditional dishes of Bahrain that I found from tabisite.com are tabouli, haloumi cheese, biryani-similar to machboos-, hummus, and mutabal.  Hummus is a dip made of chick peas and mutabal is an eggplant dip, both are usually enjoyed with Arabic-style bread. Haloumi cheese is usually fried and does not melt, even at a high temperature. Tabouli, chopped parsley with tomatoes, can be used as a dip or eaten by itself. Bahraini style cuisine is usually healthier compared to the other two countries cuisine that I enjoy.

Traditional Bahraini Chicken Machboos/ Machbous from Food.com

Ingredients:

4 ½ cups water

650 g basmati rice

3 tomatoes

3 lbs chicken

3 onions, finely chopped

¼ cup coriander leaves, chopped

1 green hot pepper, as desired

2 black dried limes

2 tsp buharat spice mix

1 ½ tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp cumin

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp cardamom powder

2 garlic gloves

1 slice ginger root, small pieces

3 tbsp butter

¼ cup lemon juice

3 tbsp rose water

3 tbsp oil

3 tbsp salt

Directions:

1. Cut the chicken in half. Heat the water and leave aside. In a small bowl, mix the buharat, turmeric, cumin, and cardamom together and add to the mixture 1 tsp of salt. Sprinkle half of the spice mixture on the chicken halves.
2. Heat oil in a large cooking pan, fry the onions until golden brown, then add the pepper and the black limes- you must make a hole in each lime.
3. Add the chicken to the onion mixture and turn it over a few times in the pan. Sprinkle on the chicken a tsp of cinnamon and the rest of the mixed spices. Turn the contents all together so the chicken is coated with the spices. Cover the pan and let it cook on medium heat for 3 minutes.
4. Add the garlic, chopped ginger, and tomato cubes to the pan and turn the ingredients in the pan a few times. Cover again for 3 minutes on medium heat. Sprinkle with the rest of the salt and pour on water while its still hot.
5. Cover the pan and let it cook for about 1 hour, or until chicken is cooked. Add the chopped coriander 5 minutes before you remove the chicken from the stock in the pan. While the chicken is cooking, wash the rice well and soak for 10 minutes in cold water, then drain.
6. Remove the chicken from the pan and put on an oven tray, brush with some oil and sprinkle with the rest of the cinnamon powder and grill in the oven until the chicken is golden brown.
7. Add the rice to the chicken stock, stir, then let it cook on low heat until the rice absorbs the stock and its almost done.
8. Sprinkle rose water and lemon juice over the rice and place the butter pieces on the top. Cover the pan and cook on low heat for 30 minutes.
9. Serve the rice on a large serving plate and place the grilled chicken halves on the top.

Spatzle after they came out of the water.

After a couple of years, my family moved to Frankfurt, Germany. This was my favorite place to live overseas. I loved all the different types of food from Germany. I believe that I enjoyed German dishes so much because they are very hearty and not very healthy.  Some very common German dishes are schnitzel, spatzle, goulasch, and kartoffelsuppe, found from germany.co.za.  Schnitzel, also known as wiener schnitzel, is a meat dish that is usually veal or pork and is pounded out and breaded then fried. Spatzle is a German style dumpling. A simple flour recipe is turned into dumplings that look like little noodles. Goulasch contains beef and pork and is made into a stew with onions and potatoes. Kartoffelsuppe is a potato soup with onions and bacon and cooked in beef broth. The dish that I remember the most from Germany is schnitzel and spatzle. These two dishes were my favorite and I always ordered them when we would go to our favorite restaurant. I decided that I wanted to try to make schnitzel and spatzle. One night I made this dish for dinner for my family. I used pork for the schnitzel. I pounded it out and then fried it in some olive oil and butter. For the spatzle I made a dough of flour and milk, with a few other ingredients, and pushed the dough through a colander into a pot of boiling water. After the spatzle was done cooking, I fried it in some butter with seasoning. This German dish was delicious. German and French dishes are similar in the way that most French desserts and some meals are hearty and use a lot of butter.

Schnitzel Recipe from Food.com

Directions:

4 butterfly pork chops

1 tsp salt

¾ tsp pepper

¾ tsp paprika

Schnitzel I made for dinner. 

¼ cup flour

½ cup breadcrumbs

½ cup butter flavor Crisco

2 eggs, beaten

Ingredients:

1. Beat meat until doubled in size.
2. Season with salt, pepper, and paprika.
3. Dip in flour, then beaten eggs and then in breadcrumbs.
4. Heat Crisco in large skillet and place schnitzel in pan.
5. Brown well on both sides in pan on medium heat for about 15-20 minutes. 

                One of my favorite places that I have visited is Paris, France. In French cooking, shortcuts are hardly ever taken. Every meal and dish is done in the most careful manner and is usually done with a number of techniques says cuisinenet.com. French dishes include meals that usually take some time to prepare. Common French dishes I found at frenchfood.about.com are crepes, coq au vin, soufflés, and escargot. Crepes are made from a dough and look like a very thin pancake. The filling for a crepe could be savory or sweet. Coq au vin is a braised chicken dish. The chicken is browned and then a liquid is added to the pot. A soufflé is a custard-based dish that is baked. Soufflés can be eaten as a main meal or as a dessert says frenchfood.about.com. Escargot, also known as snails, is eaten as an appetizer. Escargot are sometimes eaten alone or placed on mushrooms. French cuisine may take some time to prepare, but it is always delicious in the end.

I have been able to enjoy some of my favorite foods in my favorite places. Of all the countries I have visited my favorite are Bahrain, Germany, and Paris. Each cuisine is different, but still very delicious. I am so grateful that I have been able to taste dishes in their original country and to be able to experience different cultures. I have tried Bahraini style machboos, German schnitzel and spatzle, and French coq au vin. Each dish has its own style and different ingredients, but each one is just as delicious as the next.

Works Cited

AZUSA, MATSUMOTO. "World Food." Web. 25 Mar. 2011. <http://tabisite.com/wfood/index.cgi/Bahrain/index.htm>.

"Traditional German Dishes." Welcome to Germany.co.za - the Germany Online Travel Guide. Web. 26 Mar. 2011. <http://www.germany.co.za/traditional_dishes.html>.

"French Cuisine." Diner's Digest. 1996. Web. 26 Mar. 2011. <http://www.cuisinenet.com/glossary/france.html>.

Franklin, Rebecca. "Classic French Dishes - Traditional French Meals - Traditional French Recipes."French Recipes - French Food - Easy French Recipes with Pictures - Traditional French Food - French Desserts, Main Courses, Appetizers, Crepes. Web. 26 Mar. 2011. <http://frenchfood.about.com/od/explorefrenchfood/u/ClassicMeals.htm>.

Safia, Um. "Traditional Bahraini Chicken Machboos Machbous Recipe - Food.com - 304034."Food.com - Thousands Of Free Recipes From Home Chefs With Recipe Ratings, Reviews And Tips. 18 May 2008. Web. 26 Mar. 2011. <http://www.food.com/recipe/traditional-bahraini-chicken-machboos-machbous-304034>.

"Schnitzel Recipe.” Food.com - Thousands Of Free Recipes From Home Chefs With Recipe Ratings, Reviews And Tips. 10 March 2005. Web. 26 Mar. 2011. <http://www.food.com/recipe/schnitzel-113149.> 

The Affect of Ethnic Recipes and Food Preparation From Our Immigrants and How They Have Affected the Dishes That We Consume Here in the U.S.

By: Jennifer Samios

     Immigration to the New World began with the voyages of Columbus. These Europeans brought with them an extensive knowledge of food preparation and storage. They encountered the many new world food opportunities and adapted these new found sources to the cooking styles and methods of their home lands.

    The traditional American Thanksgiving dinner of turkey, sweet potatoes, corn, cranberries, and stuffing is a perfect example of European food preparation methods adopted to the new-found American fare. Turkey was introduced to the English Pilgrims by Native American Indians during their first harsh winter stay. This large, plump, native bird was plucked and prepared using traditional English foul preparation techniques. English settlers baked their turkeys with a traditional bread and chestnut stuffing. Their turkey preparation methods largely continue today with our traditional Thanksgiving dinner celebrations.

    According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cranberry#Etymology_and_history Cranberries were introduced to the Pilgrims and other new England English settlers by Native Americans. "In 1816 Henry Hall first farmed cranberries in New England. In the 1820's cranberries were first shipped to Europe. " The early English settlers used traditional English berry and jelly methods for preparing their cranberries. They found that natural cranberry foods had an excellent shelf life. This extended life is due largely to the high acid content of cranberry products.

     Within the information found at http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/PotatoHistory.htm I found that "In the 5th century B.C. Inca remains have shown that the potato was prepared in stews, dried for delayed consumption, and was eaten raw. In 1540 Padro de Cieza de Leon wrote about potatoes and their use as a basic food source for Peruvian natives. In 1499 through 1579 the potato was taken from the New World to Europe. Around 1550 John Gerard--English Author and gardener--received potato roots from the Virginia colonies. These sweet and white potatoes were imported to Virginia from South America." The English, French, and Spanish all used traditional European tuber preparation methods when cooking potatoes. Boiling, baking, and candied methods accompanied by the traditional spices of origin expanded this Native American vegetable into a staple food for the world.

    On the website http://www.agron.iastate.edu/courses/agron212/readings/corn_history.htm, Corn was discovered by Christopher Columbus and his group in 1492 on the Island of Cuba. Columbus took "corn or maize" back to Spain on his first or second voyage. "Bible corn probably refers to wheat or barley" since "corn" was not known in the Old World during biblical times. " By 1575 corn had spread to China, the East Indies, and the Philippines." This important crop was boiled and ground into dough and bread. American immigrants applied traditional wheat, oat, and barley processing techniques to the newly found corn.

    All of the above foods were native to the Americas, but adapted to traditional European methods of preparation. They have all become a staple of the American diet.

    According to http://shannak.myweb.uga.edu/history.html "Cheese was first recognized in 3,500 B.C. Sumeria. It quickly moved to Europe from Asia. The Roman Empire vastly extended and perfected the cheese experiment. " Over the years a variety of milks and aging methods helped create the vast variety of flavors attained by cheese. "Cheese arrived in American with the Mayflower and has become an American staple." In 1851 Oneida County N.Y.--the first New World cheese factory was started by Jesse Williams. "Today, one third of our milk production is consumed in the production of cheese." The many cheese recipes, flavors, and food garnishments brought by New World immigrants are still alive today.

    As stated in http://web.li.gatech.edu/~rdrury/400/writing/d_sp2_2/ahistoryofsteak.htm, "The domestication of cattle started around 8,000 B.C. Cattle were introduced to the Americas by the Spanish arriving in Mexico in 1540. In the 18th century Spanish and French colonists began to raise and farm domestic cattle.

By: a. 1952 Americans ate 62 pounds of beef
      b. 1960 Americans ate 99 pounds of beef              
      c. 1970 Americans ate 114 pounds of beef."
The many centuries of Old World beef preparation were all brought to the New World with this new food source.

    Carrots are an Old World tuber. The Old World preparation of carrots was adapted to the New World potato. Domestic carrots were brought to America by nearly all groups of immigrants.

    Chicken amounts to the largest tonnage of meat product consumed in America today. http://archaeology.about.com/od/domestications/qt/chicken.htm states that "Chickens were domesticated from the Southeast Asian Red Jungle Foul about 8,000 B.C." Large body shapes and improved egg productions are products of early domestication. "Around 2,000 B.C. domestic chickens were raised in the Mid East and Europe. "Pre-Colombian chickens have been discovered in early Chilean excavations from pre 1350 A.D." The source of these New World foul has yet to be identified. Traditional roasting methods were probably used by early Native Americans. Sophisticated spicing of chickens, frying of chickens, and seasoned baking recipes are all results of immigrant influences.

    The variety of the American diet is a direct result of centuries of immigrant food preparation methods. Our ancestors applied their native knowledge to the crops they brought with them and to the New World products they found.

Works Cited 

Hirst, K. Kris. "History of the Chicken - Domestication and the History of the Chicken." About 

           Archaeology - The Study of Human History. Web. 23 Mar. 2011. 

          <http://archaeology.about.com/od/domestications/qt/chicken.htm>.

"BEEF HISTORY." Language Institute Webserver. Web. 23 Mar. 2011. 

         <http://web.li.gatech.edu/~rdrury/400/writing/d_sp2_2/ahistoryofsteak.htm>.

Benson, Garren, and Lance Gibson. "Origin, History and Uses of Corn." Department of 

        Agronomy - Iowa State University. 2002. Web. 23 Mar. 2011. 

        <http://www.agron.iastate.edu/courses/agron212/readings/corn_history.htm>.

"Cranberry." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. 21 Mar. 2011. Web. 23 Mar. 2011.   

        <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cranberry#Etymology_and_history>.

Hirst, K. Kris. "History of the Chicken - Domestication and the History of the Chicken."  

         About Archaeology - The Study of Human History. Web. 23 Mar. 2011.    

        <http://archaeology.about.com/od/domestications/qt/chicken.htm>.

 "History of Cheese." CHEESE:. Web. 23 Mar. 2011. <http://shannak.myweb.uga.edu

         /history.html>.

Stradley, Linda. "History of Potatoes, Potato History, Legends of Potatoes." What's Cooking 

       America, Easter, Easter Dinner, Easter Brunch, Easter Candy Recipes, Perfect 

      Boiled Eggs, Dying Easter Eggs, Perfect Prime Rib. 2004. Web. 23 Mar. 2011.  

     <http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/PotatoHistory.htm>.

Make A Difference In Others Lives... ,

Help Support a Free Supply of Food in America and Stop Hunger
By: Richard Jordan

The question is simple, should we have a system in America that is free to all individuals? We have tried to make one for healthcare, education, etc. Why not a free supply of food for everyone? In this day and age, more people are beginning to stand up and help other people in need all across the globe. I feel strongly that the U.S. should stand up as a whole and make a system for our country with these same ideals. Let's face it, food is a necessary part for life to prosper. Without it, humanity in this world would crumble. The idea of a capitalistic country is rooted too deep in this country's past and future, and I feel as though just as it is trying to drive us forward it is also destroying us internally. Without some sort of backbone to support these ideals, we may soon break for all the world to see.

Time For a Change

The reason that the current food system we have needs changed is for the need for advancement and growth in our country. Without getting political about it, this country was born on change and also with the idea to make an impact on the way of life. Just as our government feeds the troops it sends off, it should also provide for the citizens it protects. The government states that it tries to protect us from threats; well although unconventional, hunger and malnutrition is also a threat they should protect its citizens from. The driving force behind the economy is the citizens, and the government should take a couple steps back and realize the burden they really carry. Making way for a distribution system of free food could pave the way in other advancements. Why you ask? Simply put, with the everyday burden of obtaining food relieved, it will give more time from people for other activities. While straining the already broken pockets of the federal government to support such an endeavor, it will, in effect, give a return revenue in other needed areas of development for our country. If an end to hunger could be resolved from one person, I would even be willing to elect Donald Trump for office if he could do it!

Poverty and Hunger in the U.S. and Around the World

Poverty is and always will be increasing in the world today so long as the systems the world's governments have in place stay in place. Giving food to all people is one way to change the concept and impact of poverty by removing the need for money to purchase a necessity. In statistics for 2009, 43.6 million people were in poverty in just the US alone (U.S. Census Bureau). In the most recently available year for data, 1.4 billion people in 2005 still live in poverty in developing countries (qtd. in Bread For the World). Out of all of the poverty stricken people, an estimated 925 million recorded by the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization in 2010 are considered 'undernourished' while roughly 19 million of those people in developed countries are also considered the same (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations). Those 'undernourished' people constitute 3 times the size of the U.S.'s current census! Not only that, but an estimated 16,000 children a day die from hunger related causes! A death every 5 seconds is quite a lot to take in especially when talking about children (qtd. in Bread For The World).

You may ask, do we produce the needed food to feed everyone? In fact, the world produces more than enough food to feed everyone right now. The chief reasons some countries have problems is due to scarce land and money issues (World Hunger Education Service). From Economy Watch this was stated: "In discussing the crisis, the FAO states that the fact that hunger levels had already started rising again suggests there are structural problems - i.e. there is something wrong with our system of producing, managing and distributing food that needs to change to meet growing demand levels" (Nasser, Juan). If the FAO is stating this, there must be something wrong with our current system!

If you go to the local supermarkets in your local area that can be evidence enough that there should be no problem feeding people in a developed nation such as the U.S. So, where is the problem in our country? To say that people here do not suffer from hunger would be a lie. To also say that we suffer from it more than other countries wouldn't be true, but the problems of hunger still remain in our country as well. Don't let the idea of industrialization confuse you; America is still facing hunger problems. It's not because of a lack of food or bad harvests (as stated above) but more of a lack of support due to the rising costs for food and the declining level of support from lower level jobs in the U.S. (Bread For The World et al).

Reasons why more hunger is not seen as of yet:

• Without government forms of assistance, many more working families would be struggling to put food on the table and pay for other expenses such as: housing, utilities, health care, child care, transportation, etc. Many families are inevitably forced to survive by living under an increasing pile of debt (Bread For The World).


• Another reason you don't see a larger amount of a hunger crisis in this country and other industrialized nations is due to the support from organizations such as the Sodexo Foundation, Feeding America, Bread For the World, etc. in averting these and other crises.

Taking a step forward and giving food to everyone in our country could help start a widespread renovation in the way other countries look at handling the supply of food. Let our country become the forefront of change.

Hunger Eradication

The time is now. Make a move and help the people and the world around you. Don't continue to let the 17 million children at risk of hunger in the U.S. become forgotten (Sodexo Foundation). If more people gave thought to a freer economy for food, then there may be a change that could spark widespread help and save many people from the poverty they live in. Many organizations are out there already trying to give a helping hand in the matter, but I feel it is in the country's hands as a whole and not just one organization's work that will give the change we need. Regardless of who or why they are in need, why not try to help them rather than hurt them by doing nothing? Giving thought and consideration to a proposal such as this not only benefits others, but it can also benefit you. Wouldn't you like to not have to pay for certain food items? A free food supply for everyone is what is needed for the US to advance even further.

Appeal to any and all people how you feel about the matter to stop hunger. Speak to your congressmen, other political figures, leaders in your community, and neighbors letting them know how you feel about the issues on hunger and help spread the word for change in the supply of food. So long as there is change happening there is a chance to save another life from hunger. If the estimated 300 million residents in our country came together to discuss this topic, a plan to change this system could surely be found.

The End Result

The choice is yours. Help to end poverty and hunger, or sit back and watch and listen about countless others die meaningless deaths. Saving just one of those many may become the answer to another one of life's mysteries yet unsolved. You never know of the chaos that will ensue from your decisions. One event is more than enough to cause a butterfly effect as some call it. However, one thing is clear, without that helping hand others in the chaos of your decision may just turn a blind eye to the situation. Let there be freedom for food on everyone's plates in America!

About the Author

Richard Jordan is a college student attending Westmoreland County Community College. This article was provided as a requirement for the Advanced Composition course.

"An avid cook, I decided to join this blog out of curiosity. I love food and thought that expressing that love in my writing is something I can do in this class."

Currently seeking a degree in Computer Programming, expecting to graduate with it in the end of the summer 2011 semester.

Bibliography

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations(FAO). 2011. United Nations. 25 Mar. 2011 http://www.fao.org/.

U.S. Census Bureau. Carmen DeNavas-Walt, B. Proctor, C. Lee. Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2007.

Sodexo Foundation. 25 Mar. 2011 http://www.sodexofoundation.org/hunger_us/mission/mission.asp.

Bread For The World. 2011. 25 Mar. 2011 http://www.bread.org/.

Feeding America. 2011. 25 Mar. 2011 http://feedingamerica.org/.

Nasser, Juan. "World Poverty Rising: Over 1 Billion People Hungry in 2009." Economy Watch. 23 Oct. 2009. 25 Mar. 2011 http://www.economywatch.com/economy-business-and-finance-news/world-poverty-rising-over-1-billion-people-hungry-in-2009-23-10.html.

World Hunger Education Service. "2011 World Hunger and Poverty Facts and Statistics." Hunger Notes. 6 Mar. 2011. 25 Mar. 2011 http://www.worldhunger.org/articles/Learn/world%20hunger%20facts%202002.htm.

Soy Burger and Saving the Planet

By Ruth Hall

 “If anyone wants to save the planet, all they have to do is stop eating meat, " says Sir Paul McCartney spokesperson for PETA. If slaughter houses had glass walls we would all be vegetarians. Meat production contributes to 40% of the world’s greenhouse gas more than all the cars, planes, trains and buses.(PETA) Besides not being healthy for the planet; meat is not advantageous to humans as well. Meat especially red meat is full of fat, cholesterol, and it is linked to a variety of health troubles, including heart disease and cancer.

When it comes to nutrition there is no perfect food, one that is totally balances with all the nutrients the body needs for good health. A vegetarian diet can provide all the nutrients necessary. One must keep in mind that they need to eat a wide variety of foods. The variety consists of fruits,vegetables,plenty of leafy greens,whole grain products,nuts,seeds and legumes.

Hamburger is still however, essential the American identity and the backyard barbecue. Recently a wide variety of better for your health soy burgers have turned up at the local super market. In the freezer section often under breakfast items, right there with the frozen waffles are the veggie burgers. My favorite is the Morningstar Chick Pattie Original. Their veggie bacon is pretty good too and so easy to fix; one or two minutes in the microwave for most things. There are a couple other brands you might like to try too- Boca burger, Amy’s Organic Chicago Burger. The Morning Star grillers recipe crumbles can be used in place of ground meat in any of your favorite recipes. There is also Morning Star Meal Starters chik’n strips or steak strips for stirfrys,salads,pasta,or sandwiches.

The soybean has been a staple in Asian countries for centuries. In addition to being complete protein it provides fiber, iron, and ALA omega-3 fatty acids. It is lower in saturated fat and calories; like all plant foods it is cholesterol-free. A plant based diet can be the pathway to a healthy lifestyle. A growing body of research suggests high consumption of plant –based foods can be associated with lower rates of heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

Ø Eating a vegetarian diet can lead to better health for people and for the planet. On average, land requirements for meat-protein production are 10 times greater than plant-protein production (Leitzmann).

Ø Producing 1kg. of animal protein requires approximately 100 times more water than producing 1kg. of grain protein (Pimentel).

Ø Beef is the single food with the greatest potential impact on the environment (Baroni).

Ø The enormous volume of meat, pork and poultry  farm waste can’t be re-processed, and potentially ends up into our waterways (Conrow) Less than half the harvested acreage on the U.S. is used to grow food for people. For every sixteen pounds of grain and soybeans fed beef cattle, we get back only one pound of meat (Gussow)

Best Vegetarian Chili Recipe

Using vegetarian burger crumbles Prep Time: 15 Min Cook Time: 1 Hr. Ready In: 1 Hr. 15 Min

Servings  (Help)

US Metric Calculate

 

Original Recipe Yield 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 stalks celery, chopped

·         2 green bell peppers, chopped

• 2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 (4 ounce) cans chopped green chile peppers, drained
• 2 (12 ounce) packages vegetarian burger crumbles
• 3 (28 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes, crushed
• 1/4 cup chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans
• 1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn

Directions

1.  Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and season with bay leaves, cumin, oregano, and salt. Cook and stir until onion is tender, then mix in the celery, green bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, garlic, and green chile peppers. When vegetables are heated through, mix in the vegetarian burger crumbles. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer 5 minutes.

2.  Mix the tomatoes into the pot. Season chili with chili powder and pepper. Stir in the kidney beans, garbanzo beans, and black beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 45 minutes. Stir in the corn, and continue cooking 5 minutes before serving.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 342 | Total Fat: 7.7g | Cholesterol: 0mg Powered by ESHA Nutrient Database

Allrecipes.com/recipe/veggie-vegetarian-chili/

Works Cited

PETA’s Vegetarian/Vegan Starter Kit/Peta org.features.petaorg/vegetarian Starter Kit/index.asp.

Leitzmann (2003) Nutrition ecology; the contribution of vegetarian diet AMJ Clin Nutr 78 (Suppl). 6585

Pimentel D. Piementel m.(2003). Sustainability of meat-based and plant –based diets and the environment,AMJ Clin Nutr 78 (Suppl). 6625

Baroni L. Berati M. L. Tettamanti M (2006). Evaluating the environmental impact of various dietary patterns combined with different food production systems European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.Eur Clim Nutr.61(2):283

Gussow J.D. (1994) . Ecology and vegetarian Considerations: does environmental responsibility demand the elimination of livestock? AMJ Clin Nur 59(Suppl).11115

If you can't see giving up meat entirely perhaps you could just try one recipe:I think you will be glad you did.

The Good and the Bad….no ugly here!

by Frank Ruffo

I had originally planned on reviewing a chain restaurant this week, but an experience that I had recently, changed my mind. That, along with news that a man here at work was grilling steaks at a local establishment on a wood fired grill, has me doing a report on two separate establishments this week.

            The first place (the bad) was “Drew Mena’s” in North Versailles. This place usually has adequate service, not good, just adequate. This being said, the food is normally very good, the portions are very generous, and is what I consider a good value. Now, let’s go to the “experience”.

            My wife and I had to run out, so we called her parents to see if they wanted to get something to eat. They agreed and we all decided that we would go to Drew’s since we had coupons and, as I said, the food is usually very good with adequate service.

            We were seated promptly, no wait, and were told that Rose would be our waitress. Eventually, Rose took our drink orders and returned with them quickly and then took our dinner orders. Everything was going as expected. Our salads and soup came out in a timely manner but that is where it ended. As we waited for our dinners, I noticed that other patrons who came in after us were receiving their meals. I thought that maybe they were just getting sandwiches or the special, no problem-yet. Just as we were really getting agitated, Rose came over to inform us that she had forgotten to put our orders in and would we mind waiting for them. At this time, where were we going to go, so we said sure, we’d wait. What we didn’t know was that she hadn’t put the order in yet. Well, from the time we entered the door until we received our meals, it was almost two hours!

            Now to the food, two of the meals were just warm, how can that be? We should have been the priority and to make matters worse, the owner was there and he just didn’t seem to care. Finally, they took our coupons off and let us keep them for another visit, yeah right. We calmed down and before we left, talked to the waitress and told her that it was okay that anyone can have a bad day. I also told her that if we come back and she is there that I won’t let her forget this incident and I would “ride her like a rented mule,” jokingly of course.

Dennis the chef

            Now for the good, I like steak and when I heard of sixteen ounce rib eyes grilled on a wood fired grill, I had to try it out. This is going to be short and to the point, after all, it’s the good, not the great. Dennis runs the grill on Fridays and Saturdays during Lent at “Vincent’s Pizza”, which is located on route 30 in North Huntingdon.  Just looking at him, you know that he likes to eat.  He only does steaks once a week, which will be on Saturdays during lent. He will also be doing crab cakes on Fridays.

 

Actual Meal

The rib eye is one of the most flavorful and juicy steaks, but there is a good bit of waste. The fat and marbling gives it its flavor, but you have to do a lot of trimming. A person who is hooked on filets probably wouldn’t care for the extra work involved.

            “Vincent’s” is a seat yourself pizza place, so the ambiance leaves a little bit to be desired. The waitress was efficient and took care of our basic dining needs. The meal was good, not great as I had expected, but good overall. The salad wasn’t very big and it was mostly iceberg lettuce, and a little bitter at that. The steak was delicious and arrived cooked as ordered, medium rare. The baked potato was huge and done to perfection, not over or under cooked.

            Overall, this was a good meal with good service and all at a decent price. I was hoping to give you the great and the bad, but it was just good. It is still worth a try if you like steak and I hear that the crab cakes are really good. Since I don’t eat crab, I can’t speak from experience.

            To conclude, I wouldn’t write off “Drew Mena’s” because it is usually very good with decent service and deserves another chance and if you don’t mind eating steak and crab in a pizza joint, you may also want to try them at “Vincent’s.”