Combating Food Deserts

If you are not familiar with the term Food Deserts, they can be described as areas within cities where healthful, affordable food is difficult to obtain. Food deserts are usually found in rural and urban areas - mostly in low-socioeconomic minority communities. They are associated with a variety of diet-related health problems and are also linked with supermarket shortage.

In the African American and other minority communities, the numbers for Obesity and Diabetes are greater than that of the more affluent neighborhoods. Take Atlanta for example. The map below (as reported by the Atlanta Regional Commission) shows the difference in access to Fast Food versus Fresh Food by area. I added the black square to highlight that area I grew up in.

The Atlanta Regional Commission states that, "the blue and green indicate better access to fast foods, while the browns indicate better access to fresh foods. In general, residents living along the GA 400 corridor have the best access to grocery stores, while the residents living in west Atlanta and south of I-20 have the best access to fast foods."

You will notice that the area where I grew up has a high availability of fast foods, but not fresh foods. 


The same, I'm sure can be said for many cities in America. I stumbled upon a video about the lack of fresh food available in West Oakland, California. The greatest thing about this video was that there was a solution being offered and executed by the folks at Mandela Market Place - bringing the fresh food to the hood. Check out the video below.

We all know that most major supermarkets will not bring their business to the hood. The question is, what else can be done with the resources that we already have?

Merry Chocolate!

Mr. FedEx rang the doorbell this afternoon with a package for Desmond's Culinary Services. The box was too large to contain a check and too small to house a full set of Global knives (if anyone from Global reads this, holla at me!). It was, however, the perfect size to hold my box of exotic collection of Haut Chocolat by Vosges Chocolate. This is not your average chocolate!

These truffles are made with ingredients such as Chinese Star Anise, Guajillo & Pasilla Chillies, Fennel, Candied Violet Flower, and Wasabi. Some even contain liqueurs like  Cointreau.

I have never been a big fan of Dark Chocolate as it is a little too bitter for my palate - but I had to taste them all. I actually liked the Tanzanie Dark Chocolate though! My best experiences were with the Milk Chocolate varieties. I decided to share my top three:

#3 - Wink of the Rabbit

Soft Caramel, Milk Chocolate, and Organic New Mexican Pecan

#2 - Naga

Sweet Indian Curry Powder, Coconut, and Milk Chocolate

#1 - Gianduia

Crunchy Hazelnut Praline, Milk Chocolate, and Praline Bits

The most surprising to me was the Naga. I never knew Curry and Chocolate could marry so well!

Great Christmas Gift!!!

Whole Grain Risotto

1 cup Short Grain Rice Blend  

2 cups Cold Water

1 tablespoon Salted Butter

¼ cup Fresh Parsley, chopped

½ cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Kosher and Pepper, to taste

Instructions:

In a heavy sauce pan combine rice, water, butter, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Mix well and reduce to a simmer. Cover and let cook for 40 minutes.

Uncover and fluff with a fork. Add cheese and parsley and mix well.

Serves 4

Vanilla Apple Crisp with Cognac Cream Sauce

For Apple Mixture:
4 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and cubed

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon cornstarch 

Directions...
Melt butter over medium high heat
Add apples and saute for 2-3 minutes
Add both sugars and mix well, cooking for 5 minutes; stirring occasionally
Mix in vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cornstarch
Remove from heat and cover


For Topping:
2 cups old fashioned oats
4 oz butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon flour


Directions...
Combine oats, flour, and sugar
Cut butter into the mixture and rub together with your hands to make a crumble

To Assemble:
With a slotted spoon, remove the apples from the pan (reserving the liquid) and place in a greased baking pan
Top with oats mixture and back at 375'F for 15-20 minutes until topping is golden brown

For Sauce:
Reserved liquid from apples
1/4 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon cognac (Conjure is suggested)

Directions…

Add heavy cream to the reserved liquid form the apples, mixing well
Mix in cognac and bring to a simmer
Remove from heat and drizzle on top of apple crisp

Pan Seared Salmon with Chipotle BBQ Sauce

For Chipotle BBQ Sauce:

1 teaspoon butter

1 tablespoon diced onion

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons ketchup

2 tablespoons beer (do whatever you want with the rest)

3 teaspoons distilled white vinegar

2 teaspoons brown sugar

¼ teaspoon dry mustard

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon dried chipotle pepper

1/8 teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions…

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic; cook until the onion is soft and translucent, about 3 minutes

Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened

For Salmon:

4 skinless (6 ounce) salmon fillets

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions…

Preheat a large heavy skillet over medium heat

Coat salmon with olive oil and season both sides with salt and pepper

Place salmon in hot skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until browned

Flip salmon with spatula and continue to cook for 2 more minutes

Transfer salmon fillets and brush the top with the prepared sauce (simmer remaining sauce until ready)

Place brushed fillets into an oven safe dish and place into a 350’F oven

Cook salmon for 8-10 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 145’F

Pinot Grigio Shrimp Scampi

1 pound large (16-20) ct shrimp, peeled, cleaned, de-veined

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons parsley, chopped fine

½ cup Pinot Grigio white wine

kosher salt and pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon lemon juice, fresh

Directions…

Heat a sauté pan over medium heat; adding olive oil and butter

Once butter has melted, add garlic

Sauté until edges of garlic begin to brown

Add shrimp and wine; stirring to combine all ingredients and coat shrimp

Increase heat and allow to boil for 3 minutes while stirring occasionally

Toss (or turn) shrimp and sauté for another minute or until shrimp reaches internal temperature of 145 degrees F

Remove from heat and add parsley, lemon juice, black pepper, and salt

Serves 4

Are Lockouts Benching Chefs?

Many personal and private chefs pride themselves on the fact that the are able to land high profile clients and notables such and celebrities, entertainers, sport figures. Having such clientele provides a steady flow of income and business as most of the them possess the disposable income needed to pay for exotic meals and throw tons of parties and events that require catered food.

With America's current recession on the minds of all, many of these powerful figures are pulling away from hiring and retaining personal and private chef services. As far as professional athletes are concerned, in addition to the tough economy, you must add the factor that is "The Lockout". 

As the NFL Lockout ends, there still remains the situation in the NBA. It is widely stated that NBA Ballers are pretty big spenders. This would make one wonder, what will they stop splurging on since the checks may not be rolling in as fast? You can forget the house (crib) - that's a keeper! The same goes for the cars (whips); some to drive and others to dunk over. The clothes (gear) are also a must. You can't "stunt" if you let your closet madness fall off. So, that leads to the other expenses around the home.

If you have ever watched the show MTV's Cribs you know that as basketball stars show off their homes, they eventually take you into the kitchen. They often make the comment, "Now this is the part of the house that I know nothing about. That's why I hired a chef to hook things up for me." Below is a clip of LeBron James' personal chef hooking up some Mahi Mahi:

Often times you will also hear the stars say that the don't have the time to cook due to being on the road all the time or constantly in team practices, meetings, and games. With the Lockout in place, none of those activities will be taking place. They will be spending much more time at home. Will this lead to more time to get into the kitchen themselves? No working out at the team facility, where you may have a meal right after; prepared by the team chef. Will they now workout at the home gym and prepare their own snacks and meals?

Whatever happens, I know one thing. They may be able to cook it; but they won't be able to chef it!

If there needs to be a cut in the budget, keep the chefs. You have way too many shoes anyway.

Independence Day: 1776, 1863, 1865, or 1964?

On July 2nd of every year, I usually celebrate my birthday then celebrate Independence Day on the 4th. Beginning next year, things will be slightly different for me. Today, July 3rd, I was hit with the revelation that as an African American, my true Day of Independence or Equality came on the 2nd, not the 4th. No, not because of my birthday, but because the Civil Rights Act was signed on July 2, 1964. I always knew the year of the signing but just found out the day this morning!

So why the reference to the four dates in the title of this blog?

July 4, 1776 is said to be the day in which America became free. We celebrate annually with cook outs, America's Game (Baseball), parades, and of course, fireworks. For the most part America was freed that day; but not all her citizens realized that freedom. Although the country was free from Britain, Blacks weren't free from the institution of American Slavery, which was still going on well after American tasted freedom; I guess no one knew how to share the love. The free citizens still had enslaved servants working in their fields, being paraded around as their property, and yes, preparing all of their meals. You should have known the chef in me would crop up. In the photo below, a beautiful black woman is shown in the mist of pots and pans where she prepares meals for her free boss.

I actually wonder if this photo was taken by the slave owner - and why? Just curious. But what I do know is that this was not a free American.

Then there was the Emanipation Proclamation signed by President Lincoln in 1863, which some say freed the slaves. That is not entirley true. Although that was a major turn in the freedom of slaves, it did not free all 4 million of them. It actually took the 1965 adoption of the Thirteenth Amendment to abolish slavery in all states. But Blacks were still not created equal/free.

It was not until after the Civil Rights Movement yielded the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that Blacks realized true freedom. Led by the likes of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the movement brought light to the fact that although most Americans could live free of prejudges, Black Americans could not. The persistence of people like Dr. King helped give us all the right to be free and created equal.

The photo below captures the beginning of that realized freedom on July 2, 1964:  

President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the 1964 Civil Rights Act as Martin Luther King, Jr., and others, look on.

From this day forward, July 2nd will have a double meaning for me....Happy Independence Day to all!

Come Black Soon!

"There are no good restaurants in this area. We always have to go to Buckhead, Midtown, etc..."

Ever hear that before? That's the sound you usually hear from many who live in African American communities. There are constant complaints about the lack of good restaurants to frequent - let alone African American owned and operated spots. I'd have to agree that most of the best places to eat are very far away from the typical neighborhoods where we reside.

As an African American chef, I often get the suggestion that I should, "open a nice restaurant in our neighborhood." My usual response is mainly that I don't really want to own a restaurant. My new response is, "If I ever wanted to open a restaurant, I wouldn't open one here because y'all wouldn't support me!" Harsh? Well, I have my reasons for making that statement.

I have a few friends that own restaurants. It was always their dream to open a nice, reasonably priced place for "our people to enjoy without having to travel so far." They eventually realized their dream, opening great places with wonderful food and great prices. Employment opportunities for African Americans in the area opened up as they began to serve one another. The buzz from the community was there and all came out to support - at first. As time went on the crowds began to dwindle.

In my opinion, I feel we don't do a great job of giving long-term support for the businesses in our communities. I went to a friend's restaurant one night for some great food and live music, which he has once or twice a week. My wife and I had a wonderful time as we always do when we go. By the way, this was my entree which was only $16:

$16! This would START at $24 north of the city.

The only problem this time was the crowd was too small for a weekend. It angered me a bit because I know the area very well. There are a lot of affluent African Americans who live in the community, but they were not eating there. The thing is, you know they are eating somewhere - why not there? I can almost guarantee that they went to Buckhead or somewhere similar. And these were the same folks asking for a place in their neighborhood. I guess they'd rather travel 30 miles or so and waste gas to pay $10 more for their entree.

In a nutshell, I think we cry for the Black-Owned businesses - don't support them - then complain when they pull out of the community. A restaurant or an establishment of the like is a For-Profit entity - not a 501c3. That means, they need to make money. From what I am told by those who run the restaurants "black people just don't come out and support.". If you don't come in and support them, they cannot survive.

Mango Marinated Shrimp

Mango Marinated Shrimp

with Spicy BBQ Sauce, Sweetwater Micro-Greens

& Whole Grain Crostini

Shrimp:

• 2 Pounds Shrimp (peeled and de-veined)
• 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 Tbsp Fresh Garlic (minced)
• Sea Salt and Black Pepper (as needed)

Combine all ingredients and mix well.

Pre-heat a heavy sauté pan over medium-high heat.

Add seasoned Shrimp and cook for 4-5 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 140’F

Quickly transfer cooked Shrimp into a shallow dish and place into the refrigerator to cool down

Allow Shrimp to cool for around 1 hour or until internal temperature reads 40’F or below

Mango Marinade:

• 2 Ripe Mangoes, peeled, rib discarded
• ½ Cup Yellow Onion, chopped
• Juice of 1 Fresh Lime
• 2 Tablespoons Fresh Cilantro Leaves

Place all ingredients into a food processor

Blend the ingredients together until the marinade is smooth, and the ingredients are mixed

Pour marinade over shrimp and cover with plastic wrap

Allow to marinate in the refrigerator for at least two hours.

Remove from the fridge. Either serve cold or re-heat with a sauce of your choosing, such as a Barbecue Sauce.

Crostini:

Slice ¼ inch rounds from a Whole Grain Baguette

Brush slices with melted butter and griddle until golden brown on both sides

*** BBQ Sauce is purchased convenience.

A Drizzle of....Corn?

In the days of cutting cost, another natural condiment has fallen to the movement of cheap production. Just the thought of a hot buttermilk biscuit drizzled with pure honey makes my mouth water like crazy. This is the feeling I had as I was driving home from KFC to get my once-in-a-while-fix. By the way, Original Recipe; it's the Colonel!

When I arrived home, I began to open the box and lay my meal out on one of my favorite green plates. That's when I saw it.....Honey Sauce. What in the heck is Honey Sauce? Things are officially going downhill when we start faking things like honey!

The ingredients? The usual suspect....High Fructose Corn Syrup - followed closely by Sugar, Corn Syrup, Honey, and Caramel Color (to give it a tan, I guess). Why is Honey the fourth ingredient? 11% Real Honey just won't cut it.

More and more we see Corn taking over all other ingredients as superior. If I were a bee, I'd be buzzing about this Honey thing!

Speed Cooking in China

WARNING!!!!!!!   

This is NOT for those with weak stomachs!

I love Chinese food, but whoa...

Don't say I didn't warn you!

This Week's Recipe: Easy BBQ Turkey Meatloaf

Easy BBQ Turkey Meatloaf 

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground turkey, 97% lean
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup barbecue sauce (I like Cattleman’s)
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• ¼ cup of chopped onions   
• barbecue sauce, for top

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Mix all ingredients together until well blended.
3. Place mixture into a loaf pan lined with foil and sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
4. Spread a layer of BBQ sauce on top of loaf.
5. Bake at 350 for 45 mins or until internal temperature is 165 degrees or above.

Drain off excess liquid and allow to cool.