Archives for category: Community Activity

Public Meeting Today for the future of School Lunch in LA
at the LAUSD Building at 4th and Beaudry – GOOGLE IT!
1:00 pm
They Validate! ( Park in the Visconti Lot)
Hi All –

Quick alert – and sorry for the last minute notice . . . I just got this on my facebook page this morning, and you know how I feel about eating well… Especially our youngsters.
When: Today, the school board will vote on whether or not to approve the current $290m/five-year food services (processors) contract.
KIDS SHOULDN’T EAT PROCESSED FOOD – IT HURTS THEIR BRAIN
What you can do: Please consider signing up to speak for 3 minutes to share what you think about the current program, and ask the board to postpone the vote for an opportunity to have a larger dialogue with parents and community.
Where do you go: register at the school board conference room at 4th & Beaudry to speak at 1p
Parking: parking is validated in the Visconti lot.
If you do not wish to speak – you can give your time to others

I don’t know if I can make it – I’m teaching cooking class with 7th graders at that time. But I’m gonna try really hard to get there before it’s over. feel free to text me with updates – 310 850 1884.

Thanks!!

It’s always a good day at the garden school.  Especially Earth Day; check out these awesome hats made in honor of  our mother.

Earth Day In the Garden

Earth Day In the Garden

Last year,  we got lots of fruit trees donated and they are flourishing this season.

We're baring fruit

We're baring fruit

Last week, when we foraged,  the kids picked all the green peaches, nectarines and plums.

OOPS. Good thing fruit is like hair… It’ll grow back.

This week I’ll have a more specific direction when they start searching for their second lunch, “forage on the ground floor only.” No trees.  It was a heartbreaking moment for me,  but they had a good time doing it!

Getting ready for second lunch

Getting ready for second lunch

Seriously GREAT night!  Our leaders , Sunita and Indra Led us through 10 different recipes.

Sunita and Indra getting ready for the students
Sunita and Indra getting ready for the students

Sunita and Indra were flawless in there demonstrations and assistance and we made a FEAST!  You’ll notice that some recipes have  few to no amounts listed. If you weren’t at the class this may seem a little strange.  I suggest you mix the spices together  before adding and taste!  The leading ladies suggested all the chefs that night could have used more onions.  Make sure you have a gracious portion- don’t be skimpy, this is the base for much of the flavor.

Indra’s Recipes

Indra’s  Sri Lanken  Chicken

Clean and washed  5 Chicken Pieces ( boneless thighs preferred)
½ tsp each salt and pepper, 2 tsp chile powder, pinch of tumeric
2 cloves, 2 cardamom pods, ¼ tsp fenugreek
1 inch of cinnamon, 2 tsp curry powder from your cousin, ½ tsp soy, 1 tsp oil

Combine all to marinate chicken  2- 4 hours or overnight

Saute :
1/2 to 1  onion, bay leaves ( curry leaf)
¼ tsp mustard seeds –  look for the small ones
1 green chile, ½ inch of ginger –  minced
2 cloves of garlic  – minced, ½ tsp cumin seed
2 tsp of dry roasted curry powder

Add chicken. Stir 5 minutes.  add 1.5 – 2  tomatoes, mix. Cover for 5 minutes.
Add ½ cup of water and  ½ cup of coconut milk. Adjust to suit.
Reduce.
Enjoy!

Taking in the Spice extravaganza
Taking in the Spice extravaganza

Parippu ~ Lentil or Dal curry

1 Cup of Dal, triple washed.

1.5 cups of water
tumeric
1 clove of garlic
onion bits and green chile
1 inch of cinnamon stick

Simmer together till done.

Saute: Onions,  garlic, chile powder, bay leaves, red chiles,  mustard seed in olive oil
( feel free to add maldib fish)

Then: add the dal, ¾ cop of coconut milk and ¾ cup of water. Salt at the end.
Sprinkle with curry powder, just a bit.

Cucumber Salad – A Delicious Cold Pickle

Peel and cut the cucumber in quarters lengthwise.
1 tomato  – Decide by taste whether to remove or leave the seeds. Slice small.
Add ¼ of a red onion, sliced the same size as the cucumber.
add green chile rounds.
Salt and Pepper to taste.
Squeeze on the juice of lime.
(Add Maldib Fish if you like.)
Chill and Enjoy

Potato Curry

Boil 2 to 3 potatoes  till just cooked through,  cool,  peel and cube in 1 inch pieces.

Saute:
¼ onion, 2 garlic cloves, 1 green chile, ¼ tsp mustard seed, ½ – to 1/3  tsp tumeric
oloo har ( fenugreek)
fresh bay ( curry leaf)
1 or 2 red chiles

add ¾ cup of water and ¾ cup of coconut milk.
Add potato.
Heat and reduce.
Sprinkle with Curry powder from your cousin ( or the spice man)  before serving.
(add Maldib fish if desired)

Enjoying our Indian Feast Together
Enjoying our Indian Feast Together

Sunita’s Recipes

Baingain bhartha

oil
mustard seeds
asoefetida
turmeric
sliced onions
salt
chili powder
garlic cloves
chopped tomato
globe eggplant
cilantro for garnish

1) Poke a few holes in the eggplants.  Roast until they are collapsed, turning every 20 minutes, for about an hour.  Cool, and peel off charred skin.  Set pulp aside.
2) Heat oil on medium-high heat in pan.  Add some mustard seeds and asoefetida.  When the seeds start popping, add the turmeric and sliced onions.
3) Sautee onions until clear.  Add the salt, chili powder, garlic, and chopped tomato.  Sautee a little longer.
4) Add the eggplant pulp and cook for a bit.  Shouldn’t take too long as the eggplant is already roasted.
5) Garnish with chopped cilantro.
——————————

Spinach-Lentils

(Note this one can take a while unless you decide to pressure cook the lentils first)
Soak the lentils first.

oil
mustard seeds
chopped onions
turmeric
chopped garlic
ground coriander
salt
masala
chopped spinach
soaked mung lentils

1) Heat the oil in a pan.  Add the mustard seeds.
2) When the seeds start popping, add the coriander, onions and turmeric.
3) Sautee until the onions are clear.
4) Add the garlic, coriander, sal, masala, spinach and lentils.  Add a little water to cover.
5) Cook on medium low heat (for quite a while) until lentils are cooked through.
——————————

Toor Dal

ghee (or oil)
cooked toor dal (in pressure cooker)
mustard seeds
curry leaves
masala
chilli powder
tamarind pulp
jaggery (or brown sugar)
salt

1) Heat the ghee in a pan on medium high heat.  Add the curry leaves, mustard seeds, and chili powder.
2) Lower the heat and add the cooked dal and stir well.
3) When it starts boiling, add salt, masala, tamarind pulp and jaggery.
4) Add water to make it the consistency you desire.
——————————

Cauliflower

oil
cumin seeds
asoefetida
chopped green chilies
chopped cauliflower
salt
fresh ginger
cilantro

1) Heat oil in pan.  Add cumin seeds.
2) When seeds begin to sizzle, add asoefetida and chilies.
3) After a minute or two, add cauliflower and salt.  Stir well to coat and cook.
4) Grate in fresh ginger to taste near end of the cooking.
5) When finished cooking, stir in chopped cilantro.

It’s here!  The new and Improved website for Jennie Cooks Catering Company.

Take a look around and have a party!  Or recruit some friends and let’s get together and cook up a storm on a Sunday afternoon.  There’s so much to  do with good food, and I want to help you eat well.

 Oh my julia I love you so

Oh my Julia I love you so

Everybody eats! Everybody  wins!

Mama Botanica is at it again, and we’re spreading the word.

screening  of "Fresh "

Screening of "Fresh"

This coming Wednesday  4.21.10 starting at 6 pm  the Earth Day festivities begin!  We’ll be screening “DIRT – The Movie” It’s the latest film about how we can save our dear mother earth.  We actually catered the  the screening a few weeks at the Pacific Design Center – a zero waste event of course.

Simple Centerpieces

Simple Centerpieces

So come on around – bring a potluck dish to share. Park on the street and walk down the driveway next to Cal Asia.  I’ll be making a few vegan offerings and some delicious Magic Mambo Punch.  A 5$ donation is suggested to cover eatwares and beverages.  The movie will start around 7 pm.

our address 3048 Fletcher Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90065 – my phone – 323.982.0052 an RSVP would be greatly appreciated.

It’s that time of year again. Farmer Chris is taking orders for  his delicious grass fed beef.

The Kerstons
The Kerstons

His farm, Chaffin Family Orchards,  is  up the pike in Oroville.

I split a 1/2 cow last year with 5 friends.  If your interested, Let me know and we can increase  the order to a whole animal.

one pound packages
one pound packages

He’ll deliver at the end of June if the schedule is the same as last year. (Their olive oil is also delicious as well as the apricot preserves.)

Call for prices it’s different than your usual purchasing arrangements.

It’s a community service,  there is no mark up in the cost.

New York Strip Steak from Chaffin Family Farm

New York Strip Steak from Chaffin Family Farm

And they have big beautiful chickens for order too.

Remember… EAT WELL TODAY!

The Mystery Lunch Box Challenge is ON!  Scheduled at Jefferson High on April 27th, May 4th, 11 and 13th as an after school offering, this crash course in teenage cooking survival skills is  a BLAST!

Chef MB and the  Junior Chefs

Chef MB and the Junior Chefs

I’m looking for a couple more  chefs to guide these amazing youth toward delicious whole foods with the use of a fry pan, herbs and your  wonderful knowledge. (oh and some olive oil of course)

diggin in to those delicious plant based delicacies!

diggin in to those delicious plant based delicacies!

Please contact me if you can be of service (there is pay involved). Chefs must commit to all 4 sessions.  ( the first being the introduction to the class and the last being the cook off.)

Still need a little inspiration to be of service? Check out this video.

I’m looking for my mini me.  Someone who can cook and answer the phone, talk nice to clients, help with shopping, day to day operations, and give me a day off  (or two) every week.

You must be level headed, intelligent, an excellent chef with a catering background. The ideal applicant is not afraid to work early in the morning and is a driven by the love of food, and the need to create excellent meals served graciously everyday. This person must be a dedicated hospitality professional, love people, and my dog Maizee.  (Just seeing if you’re paying attention)

My mini me (and I say that only because I’m 6 feet tall)  is proficient in EXCEL, WORD, can sound like me when posting on the blog, and help with the viral marketing I already have in place.

How much for this fabulous position?  I’ll let you know after I see your resume.  It will start as a part time job on an hourly basis, with the option of working parties at party rates.  I will tell you this.  I have never offered this much before.  I’m willing to pay because I need help and I need to trust the Shoppe will run well in my absence. There will be a trial period with 3 candidates before anyone is awarded the position.

Please submit your resume and tell me why I should pick you in a cover letter. My e-mail is on the side of my blog.  And I look forward to hearing from you.

Update: the Lovely Eliza Swords has stepped up as the GM for Jennie Cooks and  as my mini me.  She’s doing well. Feel free to give her a call and encourage her to  give you the best deal possible.  Let’s see what she does… Yes – this is a trick.

Please tell me – why is it okay to put up your Christmas lights the day after Thanksgiving, but if you leave them up for the entire month of January, you’re a loser? On that note, Just because a party is long gone,  can’t I still remember it fondly and share some pix a few months later?

pretty pie makers & box decorators

pretty pie makers and box decorators

The answer: yes I can!
For starters, check out these awesome pictures and wonderful blog entree from Nozizwe.

 we use the honor system

we use the honor system

She made the prettiest pie and  we bartered for some of her awesome photos.  (I’m big on the barter thing)

Busy Busy Busy

Busy Busy Busy

It was a great way to kick off the holiday season and get all the busy bakers in the mood to  be thankful, joyful, grateful.

creating tradition for years to come

creating tradition for years to come

I certainly hope you can make it in 2010.  We made 130 pies this year –  and we couldn’t have made even one more.  Next year, more apples, more molasses, more pecans…. MORE BEER!

I’m checking things off my list  and one of them was a blog post about the Eat-In last September for Slowfood.

ready set...

ready set...

Lisa did a great review here. I added a few pictures and now… off my list !

gathering signatures and letter writing station

gathering signatures and letter writing station

good times, good eats

good times, good eats