The origins of soul food & where to eat up in Chattanooga - Chattanooga Times Free Press

Soul food began during the tragic years of slavery in the South, when slaves would get cuts of meat and vegetables that were considered inedible by their white "masters." Following the great migration of former slaves to other parts of the country after the Civil War, soul food spread across America.

Many former slaves remained in the South, though, and today, a food once considered rudimentary at its best is now found in almost every kind of place, from gas stations to diners to upper-crust eateries. Today, we celebrate that food and the Black Americans who put their heart and soul into every bite — the ingenuity, resilience and sustainability inherent in the traditions that began when two cultures intersected and created a truly American cuisine.

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It's 9:30 a.m. and the collard greens, crowder peas and butter beans are ready, the oxtails are roasting in the oven, and the pig feet and ham hocks are simmering on the stove. It's Soul Food Wednesday at Herman's Soul Food and Catering, a fixture on Brainerd Road since the 1990s.

Rodney Billups and his crew have been cooking since 6 a.m., and he's prepared for a crowd. There are dozens upon dozens of corn muffins at the ready, and a big pan of cracklin' cornbread, too.

"And we'll probably have to make more," Billups says. "Soul Food Wednesday is our busiest day of the week."

Traditional soul food, in all its fried, pork-laden glory, is a cuisine different from all others, brought by Africans to America during the days of slavery.

"I remember my grandma would get a pig and cook every part of it," Billups recalls. "She'd tell us that was soul food."

It's an offering of food that comes from the heart and feeds the soul, a cuisine filled with culture and emotion.

Soul food is served in many Black-owned restaurants in town, but it's not the only food on the plate. Whether to incorporate better nutrition or a chef's personal identity, soul food continues to evolve.

Mike Adams, owner and chef at Blue Orleans Seafood, specializes in the cuisine of his hometown, New Orleans. And at Davis Wayne's, owners Cynthia Wood and Antonia Poland combine their culinary skills to make upscale homestyle food, including Parmesan chicken, jerk pork tenderloin, oven-roasted chicken and, on Thursday nights only, hand-cut steaks and salmon.

Andrea Cagle brings a fresh take to her new restaurant, too. A graduate of Le Cordon Bleu in Tucker, Georgia, she opened her catering business, Kozy Cooking, in 2005, and recently opened a sister sit-down eatery next door, Chef Andi's Fresh Bistro. You might find soul food served as a special from time to time, but Cagle specializes in healthier fare: street tacos with grilled salmon, chicken or shrimp; Asian chicken stir-fry; a Tex-Mex Baja Bowl; pan-seared salmon with lemon sauce; spaghetti with chicken meatballs.

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Soul food in Chattanooga

Cagle opened her bistro as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"My catering business took an enormous hit," she says. "I had 26 events canceled in three months."

She says she's thankful to a diverse clientele of all colors who support her in her endeavor to serve healthy, fresh meals with flavor, such as her signature dish, the Baja Bowl, a vegetarian dish with Latin flair to which may be added chicken, salmon or shrimp, as well as smoked pork butt for a little soul.

"I wanted the restaurant to be a healthier way of eating," she says. "It was a lifestyle change for me, as well."

Even when Cagle makes her favorite soul food — sauteed cabbage with pintos and cornbread — she makes a healthier version and lives up to the bistro's tag line: "Food That Makes You Feel Good."

February is Black History Month, and with Black-owned restaurants located throughout the city, there's no better time to show support. Here are some of my favorites.

Blue Orleans Seafood Restaurant

Address: 1463 Market St.

Specialty: "Our seafood gumbo has made us extremely popular," says chef Mike Adams.

Contact: 423-757-0088 or blueorleansdowntown.com

C&W Cafe

Address: 1501 E. 23rd St.

Specialty: Southern fried chicken with macaroni and cheese and fried green tomatoes

Contact: 423-624-6431 or candwcafe.com

Chatter Box Cafe

Address: 6801 Shallowford Road

Specialty: Smoked brisket and apple slaw

Contact: 423-322-4609 or chatterbox423.com

Chatt Smoke House

Address: 416 E. M.L. King Blvd.

Signature dish: Rib plate with okra

Contact: 423-468-4978 or chatt-smokehouse.com

Chef Andi's Fresh Bistro

Address: 729 Ashland Terrace, Red Bank

Signature dish: Baja Bowl

Contact: 423-314-2719 or chef-andis-fresh-bistro.business.site

Davis Wayne's

Address: 9454 Bradmore Lane, Ooltewah

Specialty: Slow-roasted pot roast with macaroni and cheese or Brussels sprouts

Contact: 423-269-8969 or facebook.com/DavisWaynes

Haven's Diner

Address: 4817 Highway 58

Specialty: Fried catfish with fried corn

Contact: 423-468-3829 or tinyurl.com/HavensDinerCHA

Herman's Soul Food and Catering

Address: 3821 Brainerd Road

Specialty: Ham hocks with collard greens and butter beans on Soul Food Wednesdays

Contact: 423-624-5715 or hermanssoulfood.com

Nikki's Soul Food Truck

Address: Different locations throughout Chattanooga

Specialty: Chicken and dressing

Contact: 423-508-4604 or facebook.com/nikkissoulfood (check Facebook for daily locations)

The Flaming Rooster

Address: 3202 Brainerd Road

Specialty: Hot (hot!) chicken wings and cold beer

Contact: 423-805-5357 or flamingrooster.mystrikingly.com

Uncle Larry's Restaurant

Address: 736 E. M.L. King Blvd.; 4850 Highway 58, Suite 180; 8210 Apison Pike, Ooltewah

Specialty: Whiting fish with fried okra and turnip greens

Contact: 423-757-5895 (M.L. King), 423-521-3474 (Hwy. 58), 423-498-2979 (Apison Pike) or unclelarrysrestaurant.com

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Want to put a little more soul into your home-cooked meals? I recommend these two recipes, both of which are crowd-pleasers.

Southern Cooked Greens

Makes about 8 servings

What you need:

1/2 pound raw bacon, chopped

3 cups julienned onions

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Pinch cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons minced shallots

1 tablespoon minced garlic

12 ounces lager beer

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon molasses

6 pounds turnip greens, kale or collard greens, cleaned and stemmed

What you do:

1. In large pot, render bacon until crispy, about 5 minutes. Add the onions, and cook 6-7 minutes or until they are wilted.

2. Season the mixture with salt, pepper and cayenne. Add the shallots and garlic, and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the beer, vinegar and molasses.

3. Stir in the greens, 1/3 at a time, pressing down as they start to wilt. Cook the greens, uncovered, for 1 1/2 hours or until tender.

Chicken and Dressing Casserole

Makes 6-8 servings

What you need:

For the chicken:

4 chicken thighs

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 cups water

2 stalks celery

2 garlic cloves

For the dressing:

1 skillet prepared cornbread (your favorite recipe)

1 (12-ounce) package herb-seasoned stuffing (such as Pepperidge Farm)

1/2 cup butter

1 large onion, diced

1 cup diced celery

1 cup heavy cream

3-4 cups reserved chicken broth (see above)

2 eggs, beaten

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons granulated garlic

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons ground sage

1 tablespoon chopped rosemary

1 tablespoon ground pepper

2 teaspoons kosher salt

What you do:

1. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper and add to a deep skillet or heavy pan with olive oil. Cook on both sides until browned, 8-10 minutes. Add water, celery and garlic cloves and bring to a boil. Lower to simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes.

2. Remove chicken to a plate to cool slightly. Remove skin and bones and shred or roughly chop chicken. Set broth aside.

3. Preheat oven to 350F. Crumble baked cornbread in a large bowl, then add seasoned stuffing crumbs.

4. Add butter to a skillet and melt over medium heat. Add onion and celery, and cook until softened. Stir in cream and mix well.

5. Pour onion mixture over cornbread mixture and add shredded chicken.

6. Mix 2 cups of reserved broth with 2 beaten eggs, pour over dry ingredients and stir until combined. Add more broth 1/2 cup at a time until well moistened but not runny.

7. Add garlic, sage, rosemary, salt and pepper and mix until thoroughly combined. Pour mixture into a well greased 9-by-13-inch baking dish, spreading evenly.

8. Cover with foil and bake 1 hour. Remove foil and bake another 30 minutes or until top and edges are browned.

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RPT-India's budget likely to increase food subsidy allocation by 4%-6% for 2021/22 -sources - Successful Farming

(Repeats to widen readership)

* Need for food welfare prog. to cross 2.1 trln rupees: sources

* India expected to allocate 1.22 trln-1.24 trln rupees in food subsidy

By Manoj Kumar and Mayank Bhardwaj

NEW DELHI, Jan 29 (Reuters) - India is likely to increase allocations toward its annual food subsidy spending by 4%-6% in the budget for the fiscal year beginning April 1 to cover the cost of running the world's biggest food welfare programme, said two government sources.

For the 2021/22 fiscal year, India's total outlay toward the food subsidy is expected to cross 2.1 trillion rupees ($28.7 billion), but the budgeted allocation is likely to go up by only 4%-6% from 1.16 trillion rupees earmarked in the previous year, said the sources with direct knowledge of budget discussions, who asked not to be named as the talks are private.

The allocation for food subsidy is likely to go up to 1.22 trillion to 1.24 trillion rupees mainly due to fiscal constraints, said the sources.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to outline the allocation when she presents the 2021/2022 budget on Monday.

A spokesman for the finance ministry did not respond to a request for comment.

Since the government's allocations would fall short of the required funds to finance its mammoth food welfare programme, government-backed Food Corporation of India (FCI) will likely have to borrow more than 800 billion rupees ($11 billion) in 2021/22, the sources said.

FCI, the main grain procurement agency, buys rice and wheat from farmers at guaranteed prices and resells them at a fraction of market rates to 67% of India's 1.38 billion people.

The government pays the difference between FCI's procurement prices and sales prices by allocating funds for the food subsidy in its annual budget.

For the past few years, the government has not fully compensated FCI, forcing it to borrow. As a result, FCI's total debt has ballooned to 3.81 trillion rupees ($52.30 billion).

In the first nine months of the 2020/21 fiscal year, FCI borrowed 460 billion rupees to meet its expenses.

In the past decade, FCI's expenses have risen sharply as the guaranteed prices at which is buys common rice has climbed by 73% and wheat by 64%, while the prices at which FCI sells rice and wheat have remained unchanged.

In its annual economic survey released on Friday, the Indian government said the food subsidy bill is becoming "unmanageably large", and added there was a need to hike the prices of grains sold via the government's public distribution system to reduce the food subsidy bill.

($1 = 72.91 rupees) (Reporting by Manoj Kumar and Mayank Bhardwaj; Editing by Euan Rocha and Steve Orlofsky)

© Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Click For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp

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New Chattanooga food truck park kicks off its first weekend - WRCB-TV

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More food trucks and craft beer on tap for Lower Burrell fire company fundraisers - TribLIVE

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WHO teams visits Wuhan food market in search of virus clues - ABC News

A World Health Organization team looking into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic has visited the food market in the Chinese city of Wuhan that was linked to many early infections

By EMILY WANG FUJIYAMA and ZEN SOO Associated Press

January 31, 2021, 10:33 AM

• 3 min read

WUHAN, China -- A World Health Organization team looking into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic on Sunday visited the food market in the Chinese city of Wuhan that was linked to many early infections.

The team members visited the Huanan Seafood Market for about an hour in the afternoon, and one of them flashed a thumbs up sign when reporters asked how the trip was going.

The market was the site of a December 2019 outbreak of the virus. Scientists initially suspected the virus came from wild animals sold in the market. The market has since been largely ruled out but it could provide hints to how the virus spread so widely.

“Very important site visits today — a wholesale market first & Huanan Seafood Market just now," Peter Daszak, a zoologist with the U.S. group EcoHealth Alliance and a member of the WHO team, said in a tweet. “Very informative & critical for our joint teams to understand the epidemiology of COVID as it started to spread at the end of 2019.”

Earlier in the day, the team members were also seen walking through sections of the Baishazhou market — one of the largest wet markets in Wuhan — surrounded by a large entourage of Chinese officials and representatives. The market was the food distribution center for Wuhan during the city's 76-day lockdown last year.

The members, with expertise in veterinary medicine, virology, food safety and epidemiology, have so far visited two hospitals at the center of the early outbreak — Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital and the Hubei Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital.

On Saturday, they also visited a museum exhibition dedicated to the early history of COVID-19.

The mission has become politically charged, as China seeks to avoid blame for alleged missteps in its early response to the outbreak.

A single visit by scientists is unlikely to confirm the virus’s origins. Pinning down an outbreak’s animal reservoir is typically an exhaustive endeavor that takes years of research including taking animal samples, genetic analysis and epidemiological studies.

One possibility is that a wildlife poacher might have passed the virus to traders who carried it to Wuhan. The Chinese government has promoted theories, with little evidence, that the outbreak might have started with imports of frozen seafood tainted with the virus, a notion roundly rejected by international scientists and agencies.

———

Soo reported from Hong Kong.

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How One Local Food Program Is Helping Hawaii's Farmers And Families - Honolulu Civil Beat

When Dawn Marquez goes grocery shopping at Shima’s Supermarket in Waimanalo, her children aren’t just in tow — they’re leading the charge toward their favorites. Her 7-year-old son Laakea makes a beeline for the cucumbers and her 6-year-old daughter Lilinoe heads for the apple bananas.

Dawn attributes their choices to a program called DA BUX, which doubles the value of government food assistance when that assistance is used to buy qualifying local food items, like the cucumbers and apple bananas her children now seek out.

The “Double Up Food Buck” program launched nationally in 2014. It arrived in Hawaii as DA BUX in 2015 with a pilot program at farmers markets on Hawaii island.

In 2017 a federal grant expanded DA BUX on Hawaii island. In 2019 the program expanded to all islands. It’s administered locally by The Food Basket in partnership with the Hawaii Good Food Alliance and runs in conjunction with the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.

Here’s how it works: Through DA BUX, SNAP benefit dollars — what used to be known as food stamps —  are doubled when they’re spent on qualifying local food items at more than 70 participating retail locations statewide. Those items tend to be the sorts of foods Dawn now seeks out to place in her shopping cart: items like cabbage, kimchee, luau leaves, watercress, green onions, poi, oranges, tofu and tomatoes.

Participants in DA BUX include long-time program partner KTA Super Stores as well as more recent additions like Times Supermarkets, farmers markets and community-supported agriculture pick-up locations.

Even before the pandemic upended so much in the islands, DA BUX was succeeding. Now more than ever, it is changing lives for the better in four very tangible and important ways:

• It’s putting more food on the tables of local families in need.
• It’s providing incentives that encourage people to buy locally grown and produced food.
• It’s strengthening the local economy by keeping more dollars in the Islands.
• It’s improving local health by providing incentives to eat fresher, unprocessed foods.

DA BUX is a program that works — and that should be expanded.

DA BUX signs are seen here in the produce section at Times Supermarket on King Street in Honolulu. The program directs shoppers to local food items and doubles the value of government food assistance when that assistance is used to purchase those foods.

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Much Needed Support

It’s well documented that COVID-19 has placed staggering financial strain on Hawaii’s farmers and other food agriculture producers, many of whom sold largely to hotels and restaurants prior to the pandemic.

Multiple restrictions and drops in customer sales have led those businesses to decrease their purchases from local farmers and ranchers, with some scaling back operations or downsizing their workforce.

Before the pandemic, there were approximately 7,328 farmers across the state and only 6% of them had a net income greater than $50,000. Even when the visitor industry was growing, many local farmers operated at a loss — an estimated 57% of them in 2017.

Farms in Hawaii are, on average, three times smaller than farms on the continental United States, which means that local farmers have a hard time matching economies of scale.

Many local grocers require large and consistent volume, which only 5% to 10% of local farmers currently provide. CSA programs, which help consumers engage farmers more directly, help but do not entirely make up for losses.

It’s not just farmers having a hard time. Consumers are too. Food costs in Hawaii are 82% higher than the national average and Hawaii imports approximately 90% of its food.

This over-dependence on food imports subjects residents to added shipping costs and external market fluctuations. It also threatens the sustainability of food producers throughout the islands and places the entire population directly at risk of food shortages in the event of natural disasters and economic disruptions.

Not only does Hawaii have the highest cost of living in the nation, over the course of the pandemic the state has gone from having one of the lowest unemployment rates in the United States to having the country’s very highest: 14.3% in October 2020.

Even before the pandemic, 11% of Hawaii’s population received SNAP benefits.

The pandemic has put additional financial strains on farmers and local families.

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

In 2020, the number of people enrolled in SNAP increased enormously and Hawaii’s farmers sustained significant losses.

As of December 2020, 189,285 people were enrolled in SNAP, an increase of 23% over the year before.

Meanwhile, local agricultural food producers have been losing an estimated $2 million in sales per week as a result of the shutdown of restaurants and hotels.

DA BUX is changing this picture.

Times Supermarkets, which signed on last year as the second major supermarket chain to participate, noted that supporting DA BUX would both encourage SNAP beneficiaries to make healthier food choices and help Hawaii’s farming industry. Said Times’ president Chris Borden at the time, “This initiative addresses two growing concerns that our community and lawmakers here in Hawaii have been struggling with for a very long time.”

Farm Link Hawaii joined DA BUX in October 2020. Founder and CEO Rob Barreca notes, “SNAP and DA BUX have been incredibly important to enable low-income households to support their local farmers and ranchers … SNAP recipients can order produce, dairy, eggs, meats, seafood and more on our online marketplace and pay using EBT at our pickup locations in Kalihi and Haleiwa.”

A side benefit of DA BUX is the better placement that local grocers now give to local food producers, which helps ensure customers are aware of those products.

On Hawaii island, the Hawaii Ulu Cooperative lost virtually all of its food service customers between March to November 2020 and even saw some of its customers go out of business.

The co-op’s biggest hit in 2020 came when the Hawaii Department of Education delayed its purchasing. Before the pandemic, the DOE was the co-op’s biggest customer, responsible for over half of the co-op’s sales.

Dana Shapiro, manager of the ulu co-op, leveraged CARES Act monies to strengthen partnerships with community feeding programs to distribute local products. The co-op also developed e-commerce capabilities; online purchases now generating about 10% of its sales.

Shapiro recently noted that pre-pandemic the co-op was 95% dependent on food service customers and that it has learned the hard way not to have any single customer or even customer segment (such as foodservice) that makes up the majority of its sales.

Processing ulu at the Hawaii Ulu Cooperative on Hawaii island. The pandemic has forced the cooperative to explore new ways of generating sales —including reaching consumers through the DA BUX program.

DA BUX Is Worth Replicating

Last fall, a combined commitment of $500,000 from philanthropic partners was matched with another $500,000 commitment by the State of Hawaii, raising a total of $1 million to grow the existing DA BUX program.

Items like this locally grown chard can be purchased through the DA BUX program.

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Those who joined the Stupski Foundation and Ulupono Initiative in this private-sector match included the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation and Kamehameha Schools. The program also accepts monetary donations through The Food Basket.

Based on the projected spend-down rate, current funding of the DA BUX program will last through June 2021.

As Hawaii’s leaders consider further appropriations or application of available federal COVID-19 relief dollars to continue and even expand DA BUX, we urge leaders to consider the multiplier effect of this important program as well as the incalculable benefit to the long-term health of Hawaii’s future.

At Shima’s check out, Marquez is intensely grateful for the program.

She joined early in the pandemic, after her employment at Iolani Palace was interrupted on March 23. She attempted to go back to work on May 6, but another shutdown followed. Adding to the uncertainty and budget tightening was that unemployment took months to kick in.

“As a family we eat better and if we buy local and keep money in the economy, farmers and locals benefit,” she says. The added value of her shopping dollars averages around $15 to $20 each time she visits the grocery store and sometimes totals as much as $40.

Marquez appreciates the focus on fresh local produce for another reason: health. As a diabetic, she says, it’s important for her to keep her sugar levels in check. Sweet potatoes in particular are a good alternative to rice, along with Manoa lettuce for the occasional lettuce wrap.

The added savings also means being able to put those extra funds somewhere else, like buying better proteins instead of cheaper processed meats.

“It made us be more innovative,” she says. She now cooks with her kids, time that has allowed them to grow closer and even take advantage of the learning opportunities in measuring out and completing recipes.

To Laakea and Lilinoe, the so-called new normal is the simply the norm. The habits they are forming today, in the food they seek out and value, will shape that future and their part in it.

Ulupono Initiative is a sponsor of Civil Beat’s “Hawaii Grown” series on agriculture and food security through a grant from the Ulupono Fund at the Hawaii Community Foundation. Ulupono Initiative was founded by Pierre and Pam Omidyar. Pierre Omidyar is the CEO and publisher of Civil Beat.

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‘Expiration dates’ on food have nothing to do with safety, so we guide you to when food actually does spoil - San Antonio Express-News

As easy as it is for me to toss half-empty bottles of sauce and jars of random pickled things from the refrigerator, I rarely let go of shelf-stable canned goods. And in a recent move, I did something I rarely do: look at the expiration dates.

And with that, the question was begged: What the heck is an expiration date, anyway? Well, as it turns out, not much. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, “except for infant formula, product dating is not required by Federal regulations.”

More for you

All those little numbers on the side of your canned goods, bags of rice, cartons of eggs, jugs of milk and so on are, essentially, a suggestion from the manufacturer providing a time frame in which they believe the product will be in peak quality. And the best part for all of my fellow food hoarders out there is those dates “are not an indicator of the product’s safety,” as per the USDA.

So why does this matter? Food waste is easily the biggest reason.

On ExpressNews.com: See what recipes we’re creating and cooking here. Bookmark the page!

The National Resources Defense Council (an international environmental advocacy organization) says in America a full 40 percent of the food produced here winds up in the garbage. That adds up to a whopping $218 billion worth every year. And a significant portion of that is because “more than 80 percent of Americans misinterpret date labels and throw food away prematurely, under the misconception that it’s necessary to protect their families’ health,” according to a report by foodindustry.com.

With the exception of infant formula, the so-called “expiration date” on food packages is not a reflection of the product’s safety to eat.

fcafotodigital /Getty Images

There are four types of dating on food products to be aware of, and they all serve a different function. Fortunately, the USDA has made them all clear. The following is their take on those digits.

 A “Best if Used By/Before” date indicates when a product will be of best flavor or quality. It is not a purchase or safety date.

 A “Sell-By” date tells the store how long to display the product for sale for inventory management. It is not a safety date.

 A “Use-By” date is the last date recommended for the use of the product while at peak quality. It is not a safety date except for when used on infant formula as described below.

 A “Freeze-By” date indicates when a product should be frozen to maintain peak quality. It is not a purchase or safety date.

None of this is to say food doesn’t spoil, regardless of the date on the package. But the USDA’s advice is to trust your nose and not a calendar: “Spoiled foods will develop an off odor, flavor or texture due to naturally occurring spoilage bacteria. If a food has developed such spoilage characteristics, it should not be eaten.”

If you’re hesitant about eating something lingering in your fridge or cupboards, there are some resources out there to help you make more informed decisions about their safety.

The USDA’s FoodKeeper app is a good place to start. It’s a database of food items with guidelines on how long a product should remain safe in both unopened and opened packages. Once you’ve searched for your specific item, the app then allows you to sync the recommended discard date to your smartphone’s calendar to give you a reminder to toss it out.

On ExpressNews.com: Busting the myth that wood cutting boards are less sanitary than plastic.

The website stilltasty.com provides similar information with a wider range of items available to search from. Both resources held some surprising details.

The guideline for milk, which is highly perishable, is five to seven days beyond the date on the container. Eggs will stay good for three to five weeks past the date on the carton. Butter can safely live in the fridge for up to two months past its purchase date.

More interesting to me as a person who’s managed to amass a collection of about a half-dozen cans each of sweetened condensed milk and chipotles in adobo sauce is just how long those will last in their unopened cans: a year past the purchase date for the milk and up to five whole years for the chipotles.

Again, trust your nose and use some common sense with all of these.

The shelf life of many canned items is much longer than the date printed on the package.

nobtis /Getty Images / iStockphoto

Spoiled milk products will make themselves painfully obvious — as anyone who’s taken a regrettable sip of coffee dashed with rancid cream will know.

Any cans that are rusty or bulging should be tossed.

Mold on hard cheeses can be safely cut away (cut at least an inch off below the moldy part) but mold on just about anything else can be problematic. And yes, this means it’s not advised to scrape off the mold on top of ancient jelly and keep making PB&Js.

If all this talk of spoiled food hasn’t soured your appetite, we’ve been cooking up a party here this week. Try any of the following Buffalo sauce inspired dishes as an alternative to wings for your Super Bowl spread.

Recipe: Buffalo Mexican Street Corn Corn on the Cob

Recipe: Buffalo Chicken Queso Fundido

Recipe: Buffalo Hummus

Recipe: Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

pstephen@express-news.net | Twitter: @pjbites | Instagram: @pjstephen

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Farmers to Families hosts food box giveaway for those in need in Madison, Illinois - KTVI Fox 2 St. Louis

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Louisville podcast explores how race impacts food - Macon Telegraph

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What's new in fast food: Chicken sandwiches and cauliflower rice - CNN

Some chains tried their best to slim down, while others did the exact opposite. The flurry of chicken sandwich additions are notable because several chains have eliminated a number of items over the past year to shed complexity and costs.

However, with a new year kicking off and sales on the rise once again, restaurants are doing all they can to sustain the growth after a bleak 2020.

Here's what's making their nationwide debuts on menus everywhere:

Boston Market

As if there weren't enough options for a basic fried chicken sandwich, Boston Market is here to up the ante.

The Nashville Hot Crispy Chicken Sandwich is now being sold for a limited time, with a confident company saying that the "chicken sandwich wars are over." It gets its spiciness from a hot sauce that "perfectly blends cayenne pepper and chili powder with sugar, garlic and a handful of secret spices."

Chick-fil-A

The creator of the fried chicken sandwich is changing things up with a grilled version. The Grilled Spicy Chicken Deluxe Sandwich is its first new chicken sandwich in nearly two years and has its own specially created Cilantro Lime Sauce.

"We know guests are looking to add more variety to their meals, especially after a year where new food experiences were limited," said Leslie Neslage, director of menu and packaging at Chick-fil-A, in an acknowledgment that last year's start of the pandemic complicated menu debuts.

Chipotle (CMG) added cauliflower rice to its menu as customers' tastes keep shifting toward healthier options, including low-carb or more plant-based alternatives. The rice alternative, which costs $2 extra, was tested last summer before making its nationwide debut earlier this month.

Despite the frigid temperatures, cold drinks continue to be a success for the coffee chain. Starbucks (SBUX) said sales of the icy concoctions have grown 45% over the past four years, which has prompted it to unveil another cold drink.

This month, the Honey Almondmilk Cold Brew, was added to menus -- a new drink that also capitalizes on the growth of non-dairy milks.

The pizza chain added two new items this month: A crusty ring of cheese-stuffed dough called the Nothing But Stuffed Crust and a Detroit-style pizza.

Competition among big chains has been fierce during the pandemic, which has fueled a surge in pizza demand from Americans who are spending more time at home and avoiding dine-in restaurants. Pizza Hut hopes the new menu items sustain last year's growth, a trend that's likely to continue.

"What we saw in 2020 was that many of these pizza delivery guys had a big boom in their sales because there was nowhere else to go," Peter Saleh, a restaurant analyst with research firm BTIG, previously told CNN Business. He predicts pizza sales will remain healthy in 2021 as the "environment for dining continues to be challenged."

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As the pandemic changes the way people shop, food co-ops offer some the chance to ‘solve problems on a community level’ - Chicago Tribune

“We can only take so much in this country of saying, ‘me, me, me.’ We are realizing now more than ever that people should take care of one another,” he said. “These are periods that are good for cooperative development because people get together and solve problems on a community level.”

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Crainville food distribution helps more than 100 families - WSIL TV - WSIL TV

CRAINVILLE, Ill. (WSIL) -- A record number of families turned out at Love & Truth Church in Crainville Friday morning for a food distribution.

Cars filled the parking lot and wrapped around two blocks as volunteers loaded fresh produce, meat and even a few cleaning supplies. More than 100 families attended the event.

Organizers say the turnout is evidence that there is still a growing need in the community as the pandemic continues. The distribution is a combined effort between Crainville Baptist Church, Love & Truth Church, and the Village of Crainville.

Crainville Baptist Church pastor Cody Knapik says, the group came together last year at the start of the pandemic with plans for three distributions, but the need continued.

"We're called by Christ to help our neighbors to be able to combine and have that relationship, and to just say, 'Hey, we're here with you, we're here for you,'" says Knapik. "This has helped a lot of us fill out what we feel is called by God with our mission to make the Earth a little bit better."

The community effort is supported through the St. Louis Area Food Bank, making the distributions possible each month through April. Another food giveaway takes place next Friday in Carbondale, organized by Laborers' Local 773.

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HIDOE NEWS RELEASE: Sponsors sought for Summer Food Service Program to provide meals for children during summer break - David Y. Ige | Newsroom

HIDOE NEWS RELEASE: Sponsors sought for Summer Food Service Program to provide meals for children during summer break

Posted on Jan 29, 2021 in Latest News, Newsroom

HONOLULU – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) is seeking sponsor organizations on all islands to help provide children in low-income communities with free meals during the summer months.  The SFSP provides nutritious meals that help children to learn, play, and grow during the summer break when many schools are not in session.

Schools, public agencies, churches and private nonprofit organizations may apply to be SFSP sponsors.  Sponsoring organizations receive reimbursements for serving healthy meals and snacks at approved sites to children and teenagers, 18 years and younger.  Sponsors are encouraged to provide educational or recreational activities.

“Summer food programs are critical for many keiki who rely on school meals for their daily nutrition,” says Superintendent Dr. Christina Kishimoto. “Balanced meals help to fuel learning, physical activities and growth. We thank our partners for their tremendous support during the summer break.”

In 2020, SFSP meals were served at 88 locations throughout the state. Locations varied from nonprofit organizations, preschools, churches, parks, and housing facilities. The Hawaii State

Department of Education has served meals at 203 school locations on Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Maui and the Big Island through its Seamless Summer Option program.

The Hawaii Child Nutrition Programs (HCNP) will conduct workshops for new and returning sponsors on Maui, Hawaii, Kauai and Oahu from March 22 to April 2.  Personnel responsible for administering the SFSP will be required to attend.

For more information about SFSP, contact Daniel Sutcharitkul at the Hawaii Child Nutrition Programs at 808-587-3600 or via email at [email protected].

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

View the release online here.

###

About the Hawai‘i State Department of Education
Hawai‘i’s public school system was founded on Oct. 15, 1840, by King Kamehameha III. It is the oldest public school system west of the Mississippi and one of the largest in the country – 294 unique schools on seven islands, with more than 22,000 full-time and 20,000 part-time/casual employees serving about 180,000 students, their families, and the community. Our vision: Hawai‘i’s students are educated, healthy and joyful lifelong learners who contribute positively to our community and global society. Learn more at hawaiipublicschools.org.

Derek Inoshita

Communications Specialist

Hawaii State Department of Education

Office: (808) 784-6200
E-mail: [email protected]

CONNECT WITH HIDOE
» Website: HawaiiPublicSchools.org

» Newsletter: Ho’oha’aheo

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Grocery Store Encounter Inspires Tennessee Church’s Food Ministry That Feeds Thousands - southernliving.com

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Biden moves to give low-income families more money to buy food - POLITICO

The new policy means that soon many households that are already participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — still known to many as food stamps — will get additional benefits if they have children under the age of six. | Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Millions of low-income households with children are about to get more help buying groceries during the pandemic under a new policy released Friday by the Biden administration.

The backstory: Congress last spring launched Pandemic EBT, a program that aims to replace free and subsidized meals kids normally get at school. After schools broadly shut down last year, billions in aid was sent out to low-income families with school-aged children on debit-like EBT cards that can be used to buy food, but this school year the program has been bogged down in bureaucracy.

As POLITICO reported last month, the vast majority of households eligible for assistance haven’t seen any P-EBT payments several months into the school year, even though Congress re-upped the program in September — a failing that has kept roughly $2 billion in aid from going out to families each month.

The Agriculture Department, which oversees school meals and P-EBT, released guidance today that makes it easier for states to get aid to more families — and at a higher payment rate than under the Trump administration.

“We want to put more money into the hands of people with kids,” said Stacy Dean, deputy under secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services.

What’s new: The changes unveiled Friday allow states to simplify how they figure out which children are eligible for benefits. The administration also outlined how to get P-EBT benefits to children who are younger than school age for the first time — an expansion of the program Congress asked for in last month’s aid package.

“We’re hoping that it will make it easier for states to implement the program,” Dean said in an interview.

The political context: Congress last month directed USDA to simplify the program, but Friday’s guidance and the increase in aid also marks a significant ideological shift at USDA.

During the Trump administration, the mandate was more to err on the side of caution, to put in place policies that focused more on individually verifying which households were eligible for P-EBT and for how many days — a task that was so administratively complicated with some schools open, some online-only, and some a hybrid, that it delayed the program from being implemented at all.

Under the Biden administration, the mandate is more to err on the side of getting more aid out quickly to as many low-income households as possible, even if it means inadvertently including some kids who are doing in-person learning.

What it means: The new policy means that soon many households that are already participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — still known to many as food stamps — will get additional benefits if they have children under the age of six.

It also means all families eligible for P-EBT will receive more aid. The reimbursement rate for replacing school meals is being bumped up by about $1 per day, bringing it up to $6.82 per child, per day of school missed — which adds up to just over $136 per child, per month. (The rates are higher for Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.)

The USDA is encouraging states to retroactively apply the increase in benefits to the entire school year, which means that if a household already received P-EBT aid for August and September, for example, they could be owed nearly $20 more per child, per month.

Most states are not ready to roll: Just nine states and territories have been approved so far to restart paying out P-EBT benefits: Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Ohio, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Vermont and Tennessee.

Most states have still not submitted plans to USDA. The department said it has received plans from 22 states and territories, with more expected in the coming weeks.

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'Light' or 'fat-free': the fine print of food - Entrepreneur

January 29, 2021 5 min read

This article was translated from our Spanish edition using AI technologies. Errors may exist due to this process.

This story originally appeared on The Conversation

After the Christmas excesses, it is common to implement some type of plan to lose the kilos that we have gained.

Light , sugar-free or fat- free foods are some of the most sought after in the supermarket. But do we know what we are buying?

Officially, these claims are called " nutrition claims ." After many years in a legal vacuum, the European Commission (EC) regulated them in 2006. Until then, anyone could attribute (almost) miraculous properties to their products.

Regulation No. 1924/2006 of the EC includes the more than 30 nutritional declarations that can be made of food.

In them not only the presence or absence of energy contribution stands out. Also different types of fat, fiber, protein, sugar, vitamins or minerals. Among the most popular are " high in fiber ", " no added sugar ", " with calcium " or " low in salt ".

What kinds of foods carry nutrition claims?

It is the packaged foods that carry nutritional claims. These are common, for example, in breakfast cereals, cookies, dairy or vegetable drinks and margarines.

Except in some supermarket chain, you can hardly see nutritional claims on fresh fruits, vegetables or fish. Does that mean they don't contain important nutrients?

Absolutely. Natural foods are the basis of our diet and many statements can be made from them. Let's look at some examples.

For example, what could we say in the case of lettuce or orange? They do not have added sugars, have low energy value and do not contain saturated fat or salt. They are rich in fiber, contain folic acid and vitamin C.

Another case, lentils. What statements could we make about them? They are rich in protein and fiber, have no added sugars, are low in fat and in saturated fat.

In addition, they are rich in vitamin B1 , folic acid, B6 , iron , phosphorus and zinc and contain vitamin B2 , magnesium , potassium and selenium.

What are nutrition claims used for?

The statements are used for commercial purposes. Their goal is to increase the sales of the products that carry them. The European Commission itself recognizes that they give a positive image to food.

Numerous research papers have studied its effect on consumers' purchase choice. In fact, they are more likely to choose products that carry claims . However, these can be misleading about the actual content of the product .

Some authors have gone even further and say that the statements give a "healthy halo" to food. In this way, consumers assume that the product that carries them is healthier than it really is.

So, aren't foods with nutrition claims healthy?

Not necessarily. Its use only provides information about one of the nutrients in the food. The nutrient that the manufacturer is interested in highlighting.

To determine whether or not it is healthy, it would be necessary to take into account all the nutrients it contains, in addition to its energy intake.

Recent studies in Brazil , Canada and New Zealand show that a large number of foods with nutrition claims are unhealthy. Similar results are to be expected in Spain.

To prevent non-recommended foods from making claims, the EC undertook to establish additional nutritional requirements. The institution was working on it in 2008; however, it has not yet managed to materialize any legislation in this regard.

The result is that we find butter or light margarine with 40% fat on the market. Light or zero soft drinks with acesulfame K, cyclamate, aspartame or stevia. These are sweeteners and therefore not recommended by the World Health Organization .

Cookies rich in fiber with more than 400 kcal / 100g are also common. Chocolates with no added sugar are real calorie bombs, with lots of saturated fat.

Nutritional statements on products for sale in Spain

The conditions of use of the nutrition claims authorized by the EC are clearly specified. Despite being mandatory, the truth is that legislation is often violated.

The BADALI team of the Miguel Hernández University published a study of the prevalence of nutritional claims in 3 197 foods for sale in Spain. We also analyze compliance with Regulation No. 1924/2006 that regulates them.

We were surprised by the large number of nutritional claims we found. About a third of the foods analyzed had them. The average was more than three statements per food.

Those who made them the most, nuts and seeds, legumes and non-alcoholic beverages. The most mentioned nutrients were fats and vitamins, followed by minerals and fiber.

Of all the nutritional claims analyzed, only half complied with the legislation (49% of 3 839). Nuts, seeds, fish, shellfish, sweets and chocolates were the foods with the most misstatements.

Conclusion: "nutrition claims" does not mean "healthy foods"

As we have seen in this article, nutritional claims are often made from unhealthy foods. Furthermore, about half do not comply with the legislation.

So what is the practical use of consumer statements? This is a question legislators should ask themselves.

Our recommendation is to reduce the consumption of those foods with added sugar, fat or salt. Whether or not they carry statements.

^{This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article .}

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Things we like: HotBox food fit for a case of the munchies - Duluth News Tribune

Dinner was passed through the car window, came in a handled box folded to a peak and, tucked within the stack of relatively inexpensive food was a plastic toy with instructions dating back to 1997. This is not your child's happy meal. Or is it. Cut to an image of our daughter lamenting the shoddy 20th century mechanics of a plastic Goofy toy with wheels.

Toy or not toy, HotBox, the new pop-up alternating kitchen space with Gumbo Boi at Zeitgeist, is a ton of fun.

Rob Abrahamson's concept is slightly elevated nostalgia food with "got-the-munchies" humor. So the macaroni and cheese is comfortable and gooey, yes, but it's also covered in a layer of hyper-orange Flamin' Hot Cheetos. The bulk of the menu is variations on the hot dog (including one with the Mac and Cheetos). The ristet dog, with its Danish roots, is good with its pickled cucumber, and the corn dog is a little better, topped with grilled corn-and-bacon mixed to an almost scalloped texture.

Tankatsu donburi sammy has breaded pork cutlets on toasted bread. (Christa Lawler / clawler@duluthnews.com)

The saki comes through on the tonkatsu donburi sammy, which is breaded pork on thick, toasted bread. I ditched the bread for the last few bites.

Our cheezy hash cakes still had a sheen of grease, in a good way, and had a solid crunch level. The daughter went back for seconds.

The desserts are quintessential "raided the fridge" material: house-made Dunkeroos (animal crackers and Funfetti-style frosting) and Oreo Fluff with so much fluff, the perfect thing to spoon in while never breaking eye-contact with the A.C. Slater on your television screen.

The fortune cookie read like a code: a string of numbers that seemed to say, "We're in your basement and you have carpeting on the walls."

HotBox is open from 3-8 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Pre-orders and pickup only, though the bar at Zeitgeist has been open for limited hours. Meanwhile, Gumbo Boi, with its Louisiana roots, is open 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. and 4-6 on Mondays and 3:30-6:30 p.m. on Fridays.

HotBox

222 E. Superior St.

hotboxduluth.com

The house-made Dunkeroos are a throw-back to days of pantry surfing. (Christa Lawler / clawler@duluthnews.com)

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