Vulcan's Community Kitchen

Appetizers Tomorrow Night

2010-07-06T16:44:00.000-07:00

Hi folks!

I'm doing the shopping and some last minute testing for our community kitchen tomorrow night.

We will be trying a few appetizers (I'll post the recipes later).

In the meantime, I was directed to this great list of easy appetizers (easy but fancy) on the NYTimes website, by Mark Bittman, a great 'minimalist' chef: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/19/dining/19mini.html

Check it out!

If you'd like to sign up at the last minute for our kitchen session tomorrow night, give me a quick call.

Cheers,

Meredith

Our Kitchen Featured in "Growing Food Security in Alberta" Blog

2010-06-15T08:50:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Growing Food Security in Alberta (GFSA) is a really neat organization that is connecting communities and initiatives on food around the province, with the goal of increasing food security.

They have just developed a blog, and this week's post shares the story of Vulcan's Community Kitchen:

http://gfsa.wordpress.com

The post is focused on how to start up a community kitchen from scratch, and gives some lessons learned from our own group.

Enjoy this and other posts!

2010-05-19T10:43:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

Well, our appetizer cooking session is fast approaching!

In anticipation, the dietitian with the Vulcan Hospital has suggested a great resource for tasty and healthy appetizers:

Check out www.canolainfo.org , or recipes on the blog at www.canolainfo.org/blog/

Enjoy and see you next week!!!

2010-05-13T13:19:00.000-07:00

Kitchen session in May!

2010-04-29T11:46:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

It seems April has flown by and we unfortunately weren't able to get a kitchen night happening. May will be different! I am hoping that we might have access to the kitchen on Wednesday, May 19th. Feel free to send in your ideas for recipes - we may be focusing on tasty appetizers! I will keep you posted!

Cheers,

Meredith

Tales of Bison and Bannock

2010-03-25T18:05:00.000-07:00

Our huge feast was very succesful last night! The roasted bison (cooked all day with vegetables in a slow cooker) turned out well, despite it being the first time that I've attempted a roast. It pulled apart easily and remained moist, which is always a challenge with bison, since it is a lean (read more healthy than beef) meat . We peeled and chopped up a butternut squash, a huge sweet potato, some carrots and onions, and roasted these at 225°C in olive oil and balsamic vinegar, with rosemary and salt and pepper on top.

Celeste led the way by teaching up how to make bannock. Some had made versions of this bread before, and had fond memories of cooking it over a fire. Bannock can be made with a variety of flours, such as flour from bulbs, nut flour, corn flour, or regular wheat flour. Some recipes call for baking powder, some use yeast, and others do not use leavening agents and simply make flatbreads. Interestingly, the First Nations, Inuit and Metis Food Guide points to bannock containing baking powder as a source of calcium for those who do not consume dairy products (note however that bannock is not a good source of Vitamin D, which milk is often fortified with). The bread can be fried or baked (baking being the healthier option), and can contain lard or oil.

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Here is Celeste's recipe, from the Swan River Valley, Manitoba Cookbook:

3 cups flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 c. oil or lard (we used corn oil)

Preheat oven to 190°C. Mix flour, baking powder and salt well with a fork. Mix oil into flour mixture. Add enough cold water to make a stiff dough. Work mixture with hands until well mixed. Turn onto floured cookie sheet and pat to 2-3 cm thickness. Bake 15-20 minutes until it sounds hollow when tapped with fingers, and is browning on top.
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We also put an apple and blackberry crisp in the oven for dessert. While it's hard to eat in season in March, at least the berries had been lovingly picked last summer and waiting in the freezer ever since!

All these dishes came out of the oven right around the same time conveniently. We enjoyed the food together and leftovers were carried home. Thanks to everyone who came out for a lovely evening of food and community!

Food Guide for First Nations, Inuit and Métis Communities

2010-03-23T13:57:00.000-07:00

I'm gearing up for tomorrow's feast, and I have received a few emails about a new compliment to the 2007 Food Guide, which reflects the values, traditions, and food choices of First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities.

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/fnim-pnim/index-eng.php

Check it out!

2010-03-05T13:38:00.000-08:00

2010-02-17T17:03:00.000-08:00

The Indian cooking was a success! We had youngsters and adults out cooking aloo gobi and saag paneer, and trying out lentils and roti. Everyone braved tasting new spices (see the colorful mix to the left), and the green chilis added quite a kick to the saag!

We decided that next month (Wednesday, March 24th), we will cook local indigenous dishes. We have one volunteer who will show us how to make bannock, and we are currently exploring other recipe possibilities. We may simply have a cooking session and feast together that evening (instead of bringing our meals home), so that whatever we cook will be eaten while it is fresh, and we can enjoy a dinner together.

Incidentally, there is a great new site on indigenous food systems, created by the Working Group on Indigenous Food Sovereignty, which is connected to the BC Food Systems Network. The site is "designed to allow individuals and groups involved with Indigenous food related action, research, and policy reform to network and share relevant resources and information." Plenty of resources have already been posted, and the site is well worth checking out: http://www.indigenousfoodsystems.org/

Happy feasting!

Mouth-watering Moong

2010-02-07T09:15:00.000-08:00

Hi folks,

I am really looking forward to Indian cooking on Wednesday night (6:30 at the CRC). It is definitely going to be less than authentic (my only defense is I've taken an Indian cooking course in the past, and am spending my weekend experimenting with curries and dals), but it should be tasty none the less.

I came across a couple of great sites for learning Indian cooking:

I just read The White Tiger, and at the back of the book it suggests www.indianfoodforever.com This site has many recipes, but not the best explanations.

Here is a fabulous blog written by a woman in London www.quickindiancooking.com/
It applies to busy people seeking flavour on the fly.

See you Wednesday - it's going to be a full kitchen!

Appetizingly yours,

Meredith

February Cooking: Indian!

2010-01-21T12:15:00.001-08:00

Chicken Pot Pie to keep you warm...

2009-12-07T18:25:00.000-08:00

Hi folks,

In November, the kitchener's met again and we created many chicken pot pies. Grace had great tips for making the flakiest pastry (don't knead it for too long!), and we cooked up some great tasting pies.

In December, we are just going to meet once, as it is such a busy month (and one very focused on food): on December 16th, we're going to have a baking session (6:30pm at the CRC). Feel free to come with some of your favourite baking to swap (be sure to bring the recipe!), and I'll also bring the ingredients for gingerbread so we can make some together.

Check out this December 7th cookie swap blog post at Serious Eats: http://www.seriouseats.com/

Alberta Health also has suggestions for making Christmas baking healthy(er):
http://www.capitalhealth.ca/NewsAndEvents/Features/2008/HealthierChristmasBaking.htm

Lasagna

2009-10-14T20:38:00.000-07:00

Tonight we tapped into our inner Italians and cooked up some lasagna. We combined a shwack of vegetables (zucchini, celery, carrots, onions, mushrooms, peppers, garlic, tomatoes) and some lean beef (courtesy of the funding we received from the Alberta Beef Producers), and made layers of pasta, sauce and three cheeses (cottage, mozzarella, and parmesan). Everyone took home a pan to bake in the oven whenever their household is ready!

It was a smaller gathering this time - only five of us - but we cranked up the kitchen music and enjoyed ourselves nevertheless!

Next community kitchen will be on November 11th, to plan, and November 18th, to cook. New chefs are welcome!

In the limelight again

2009-10-14T16:40:00.001-07:00

The Vulcan Advocate captured the perogy process:

Chefs Make the Paper!

2009-09-19T14:50:00.000-07:00

Here's a shot of our first planning session:

Be sure to check the paper for a shot this week too. It's not surprising that we successfully lure reporters to cover kitchen events - there are some tasty benefits!

Our cooking session went really well this week! I think everyone learned a thing or two - how to steam cabbage for rolling, how to pinch dough into perogies... There are as many ways to fill a perogy as there are to spell the food item itself!

Our only real hurdle was that as we multiplied out our recipes to fit our desired portions, some servings were lost in computation. So next time we know to err on the side of making too much!

Speaking of next time, we'll be planning our recipe on October 7th, at 6:30 at the CRC, and cooking it up on October 14th, same time and place. Contact me to join in!

2009-09-16T07:34:00.001-07:00

Quick reminder: cooking tonight (Wednesday the 16th), at 6:30, at the CRC kitchen!

We're cooking up cabbage rolls and perogues - one of our chefs is an expert at these dishes, and we're planning on assembling a freezer-full!

If you're coming out, bring an apron if you like, and containers to bring your creations home in. If you missed the planning session but want to come out to cook in the future, contact me and I'll sign you up!

2009-08-31T07:08:00.000-07:00

We've got half a dozen people registered for the September 9th session, selecting our recipes and planning for the following week!

There's plenty of room for more cooks in the kitchen, so if you're considering signing up, contact me at intern@vulcancounty.ab.ca or (403) 485-3119.

Hope to see you there!

2009-08-25T13:33:00.000-07:00

The first recipe-planning session is going to be held on Wednesday, September 9th, at 7 pm, at the CRC kitchen attached to the high school in the town of Vulcan.

The following week, on the 16th, at the same time and same place, we will run our first cooking session together.

Depending on how participants feel, the kitchen program will likely continue with this structure of two meetings per month, one week apart. Participants come to both, so as to be involved in the whole process, from choosing a recipe and budgeting to cooking and enjoying the end product!

Please call or email Meredith to register:
intern@vulcancounty.ab.ca (403) 485-3119

What to bring:

To the planning session:
-a recipe idea or two, or a favourite cookbook
-$2.00 per serving you are going to cook (e.g. a household of 5 x 3 servings per household member = 15 servings. 15 x $2.00 = $30)

To the cooking session:
-Tupperware or other containers to bring servings home in
-Your apron and/or scarf for you hair if you like
-Your enthusiasm!

2009-07-10T08:14:00.000-07:00

A few sites that wonderfully describe what community kitchens are all about:

http://www.communitykitchens.org.au/index.cfm?pg=p_about/index.cfm&pgid=2

Right nearby, in Calgary: http://www.communitykitchenprogram.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=52&Itemid=59

http://www.foodshare.net/toolbox_kitchens01.htm

http://www.nanaimocommunitykitchens.org/index.htm

Ours, however, can evolve however participants want it to evolve!

2009-07-10T07:45:00.000-07:00

"Food responds to our soul's dream as to our stomach's appetite"
-Joseph Delteil (1894-1978) French writer, La Cuisine Paleolithique, 1964

Vulcan's Community Kitchen is a new program just being developed. Starting in September of 2009, cooking sessions will happen at the CRC kitchen in the Town of Vulcan. Anyone is welcome to come out for a session or more, teach or learn a new recipe, and go home with a few meals for everyone in your household.

We're envisioning some sessions taught by people in Vulcan with particular skills to share, and some sessions planned and led by the participants. When the participants are the leaders, we'll first hold a planning meeting where we look at the recipe, make a list of ingredients and costs according to our budget, decide how the shopping will get done, and get ready for the cooking session, which will be on another day!

Stay tuned for a kick-off and schedule in September!