"Mind the tornado" - White Queen

White King:"What tornado?"
White Queen: "The one that blew me clear up!"

Alice Through the Looking Glass and What She Saw There - Lewis Carroll

There is a certain time in the Southern US (and other areas) that produces storms. In the fall, it's hurricanes and in the lovely months of spring tornadoes. With all the bad weather, I thought why not make my good, old reliable Turkey Chili.



I remember the fall storms in which my particularly Turkey chili was created. Turkey Chili is one of the first few dishes I learned how to cook when browning meat was still "hard" and baking seemed impossible. It's a really colorful chili and it's just light enough. Perfect for stormy springs.



1/2 cup chopped broccolli
1 medium bell pepper
2 medium stalks of celery
1 pound of ground Turkey
14 oz of vegetable stock
1 28 oz can of chopped tomatoes (or the equivalant of fresh tomatoes)
1 regular can of kidney beans
Chili powder
Garlic powder
Cumin
Sage
Pepper
Creole seasoning

Add around a 1/3 a cup of vegetable stock to your pan (Turkey is a poultry and you have to keep it moist at all times).
Very lightly brown your turkey. Add the seasoning.
Add more stock and your kidney beans. Let cook on medium/high heat for a few minutes, 5.
Add the tomatoes and let cook for 5 minutes.
Add the green veggies and more stock and season once again.
Put a lid on your pan and let simmer on medium heat for 20 minutes, while stirring every 10 minutes.
Return lid and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes and serve.
I specifically didn't add measurements for seasoning because that is very subjective to the individual. Enjoy. :)



I would like to take a brief minute to encourage everyone to donate to the American Red Cross to help those in Mississippi affected by the tornados of last week. This is the largest and most damaging storm the state has seen since hurricane Katrina.
Individuals in this area lost everything they own and precious family members. To donate or learn how to get involved:
http://redcrosschat.org/2010/04/24/disaster-alert-tornado-in-yazoo-city

Buttermilk is evil incarnate

Growing up in the south, my grandmother made just about every recipe with buttermilk. Something about buttermilk has naturally skeeved me out - even as a small child. The length people kept buttermilk in the fridge...It is just unnatural. So, with my hatred of buttermilk I have never made those fluffy pancakes everybody imagines when you say "pancakes". I normally make vegan pancakes, which are sweeter and thinner than the IHOP variety, but not today. Oh no, I made normal fluffy pancakes (minus the buttermilk). Not only did I make normal pancakes, but BANANA pancakes. I just think adding fruit makes it more fun.

The recipe I used is adapted from Jamie Oliver's food recipe a day for the food revolution. I am very excited about his community organizing activities to change how people think, eat and involve food in their everyday lives. The TV show following him in West Virginia has just ended last night. It was phenomenal. If you get a moment to watch it or itune it, I highly suggest it. I feel that it's so important that our school systems have healthy choices for kids. Many times children living in highly impoverished areas only get the meals at school. These children, as well as those in more influential neighborhoods, depend on this food to sustain them through the rest of the day. Lunches filled with sugars and filler is not only going to end in energy depletion, but will not sustain any one through a day. Furthermore, studies show where we start in our lives directly impacts where we end up as adults. Why not give our children a great start? His website is http://www.jamieoliver.com/ and you can sign his petition here: http://www.jamieoliver.com/campaigns/jamies-food-revolution/petition.


Banana Pancakes
1 cup of self-rising flour
1 cup of milk
Pinch of salt
1/2 a banana*
Splash of almond extract

*Depends on how much banana that you like. I would add more. The 1/2 I added was a very subtle banana taste. It's really a great feeling with the soft gooey banana and the rich pancake. The texture is a nice juxtaposition.

Cut and quarter bananas. Add all ingredients into a medium bowl.
Add butter to a skillet. Let the pan get so hot that the butter completely melts.
Using a ladle, scoop out one ladle full at a time on to the hot skillet.
Flip the pancakes when they start to form bubbles and are brown on the opposite side.
Repeat on the other side. Cover in fruit and syrup. Enjoy. :)

Hola

This is my first official blog. I have been really inspired by food bloggers like Joy the Baker and Smitten Kitten and my personal friends to create my own blog. I really like the Julia Child feel of relating food to your life and sharing what inspires the moment that you decided to cook. I am Graduate student (mediocre) in the Social Work School at the University of Georgia. My time spent here is among other aspiring foodies, Martha lovers, Barefoot lovers and people who just love food (which has added to my waste line). So, I want to share my trials into food/Social Work with you fine people in cyber space. Welcome to the disorganized chaos of my food imagination.