Yesterday afternoon I stood amongst a dozen or so glowing high school students in a sunny garden on the East side of Portland. Over the last 4 weeks these students (plus the occasional others who showed up less frequently) met every morning at Fir Ridge Campus to work in the garden, the classroom and the kitchen. The grant I wrote several months ago (and received) funded the summer program. As I learned from some of the funders who joined us at the celebration, the funding represents part of the resources being distributed to projects in East Portland as part of the East Portland Action Plan.
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“From Soil to Stovetop” – A Success!
Food Revolution – One Class at a Time
Last night I stood in a mostly empty gymnasium inside a catholic church in NE Portland. Sitting down beside me were 18 men, women and children who had all escaped the comforts of beautiful summer weather to sweat in a large, metallic industrial kitchen. What might seem like a desperate attempt to reach out, was in fact a meaningful experience for all who attended.
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Culinary Math
Flashback to high school – close your eyes and recall the evil tale spoken by the dreaded math teacher:
Sam and Jolene want to make pumpkin pies. Each pie shell consists of 3 ounces of flour. If they want to make 20 pies, how many pound of flour will they need?
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The Kale Vacuum
Last night I taught the thirteenth class of my last ‘food literacy and cooking skills’ series. By the end of May I will have completed 2 sessions – 4 series – 16 weeks of classes. Each group of families has taught me as much as I may have taught them. And last night’s group was no exception.
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Interview with Mark Bittman
For all you Bittman fans, here is a great interview to watch. The topics range from his views on basic cooking techniques to standard pantry items to the local food movement to dining with Adolf Hitler. Like his recipes, I think his matter-of-fact demeanor is rather charming and appreciated, especially when you think about the pretentiousness of foodies. Definitely a nice break from the sensationalism of the Food Network.
Enjoy!
