Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Some Food for Thought

Whew!

It's all over. The marriage planning, the wedding, the photos, the reception, the honeymoon. It's done. I can finally breathe.

Alyssa and I have finally settled down to our new life together at the Baptist Student Center. I feel so...domestic.

Anyway, while we were in Philadelphia/New York on our honeymoon (I'll post some pictures later) we discovered we were staying only a block down the street from a Ten Thousand Villages store. We didn't even know they had physical locations--we were only familiar with their website. Inside, we found a revised and updated copy of the World Community More With Less cookbook.
Our last day in Philly, we sat down and planned out a couple weeks' worth of menus, deciding to quit eating out as often as we have been lately. Let's face it, eating out is fast, and often--in the short term--very cheap. But the long term effects of opting for restaurants over home-cooked meals can be damaging to personal health and finances as well as the environment, and contributes to the waste of tons of food each year in the U.S. There is great social truth in the old statement, "Eat your food, there are starving people in China."

I also work in a restaurant, and am constantly amazed at the it's-all-about-me attitude inherent in the average American who dines out. In my two years of experience in the food service industry, I have come to agree with Ben Folds's poignant view of the problematic attitude of the average American diner in his song, All U Can Eat.

So spend the night in with your friends and family tonight. Eat something that is hearty, healthy, and doesn't drain the environment. Be conscientious in your dining decisions.

I leave you with my altered version of an easy recipe for some yummy leek soup from the More With Less cookbook. Enjoy!
Fill a medium-sized pot 2/3 full with water and bring to boil with 4 chicken bouillon cubes (you could also use vegetable broth, if you prefer the soup to be vegetarian).

Chop and add to the water about 1.5 lbs. fresh leeks, including their green tops; about 1.5 lbs. potatoes (I used mainly red potatoes in this soup, but added an extra Russet that I had laying around); about 1.5 lbs. carrots; and 1 stalk celery.

Simmer for about an hour, or until the veggies are nice and soft. Add about two cups cold milk, and 1/3 cup butter or margarine, and stir until melted.

Next, stir in a spoonful of thyme, a spoonful of rosemary, a few spoonfuls of garlic powder, and a few sprigs of finely chopped fresh parsley.

Add some sea salt and black pepper to taste, and let simmer for another 30 minutes. Alyssa and I topped it off with some shredded cheese. Absolutely delicious. Enjoy! If you have any questions, or if you try it out and really like it, feel free to post a comment saying so.
Grace and peace,

Joshua

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