Cooking for a Community Fridge

[MaryIsobel]

I have made a committment to myself that starting in December, I'm going to do birthday cake kits for our local food bank. I hate the thought of any child going without a birthday cake. A kit contains a 9x13 foil pan, a box of cake mix,a can of pop/soda (which can sub for the oil and eggs called for in the cake mix instructions) a can of frosting, a package of candles, some sprinkles and a package of balloons and maybe streamers or some little toys. For December, I will focus on Christmas, with red and green sprinkles and balloons and streamers. Just waiting to hear back from the food bank as to whether or not  I can include sprinkles re-packaged in baggies.

[patti]

9 hours ago, MaryIsobel said:

I have made a committment to myself that starting in December, I'm going to do birthday cake kits for our local food bank. I hate the thought of any child going without a birthday cake. A kit contains a 9x13 foil pan, a box of cake mix,a can of pop/soda (which can sub for the oil and eggs called for in the cake mix instructions) a can of frosting, a package of candles, some sprinkles and a package of balloons and maybe streamers or some little toys. For December, I will focus on Christmas, with red and green sprinkles and balloons and streamers. Just waiting to hear back from the food bank as to whether or not  I can include sprinkles re-packaged in baggies.

 

Yay! I know you’re going to make some families very happy. So many have to go without the fun extras, and I know it must hurt, both as a parent, not to be able to provide for your kids, and as a child, not getting to feel special on their birthday. Thank you.

Edited yesterday at 02:14 PM by patti (log)

[patti]

Even though I haven’t decided on this week’s CFM (but have an idea), I think I’ve decided what I’ll do for Thanksgiving week. It would seem obvious that I’d do some kind of Thanksgiving themed meal, like roasting a turkey or baking a ham and making a few traditional sides. But I’m thinking that during Thanksgiving week, school kids will be home and maybe I should make lots and lots of sandwiches, instead. There are numerous places offering free Thanksgiving meals (one place says they are preparing 5,000 meals), so this would be different. Not that I’m trying to be different, just trying to be practical.

I’m not sure if I would do them as bag lunches or just packs of sandwiches, but pictured is a bag lunch I’ve done in the past. The sandwich was PB&J, but I could do a variety.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s a pic from a community fridge in Oshkosh. Inspiring!

 

Edited yesterday at 01:56 PM by patti (log)

[Darienne]

9 hours ago, MaryIsobel said:

I have made a committment to myself that starting in December, I'm going to do birthday cake kits for our local food bank. I hate the thought of any child going without a birthday cake. A kit contains a 9x13 foil pan, a box of cake mix,a can of pop/soda (which can sub for the oil and eggs called for in the cake mix instructions) a can of frosting, a package of candles, some sprinkles and a package of balloons and maybe streamers or some little toys. For December, I will focus on Christmas, with red and green sprinkles and balloons and streamers. Just waiting to hear back from the food bank as to whether or not  I can include sprinkles re-packaged in baggies.

This is terrific!!!  Hooray for you and Patti and all the others who make similar commitments.  

[MaryIsobel]

8 hours ago, patti said:

 

Yay! I know you’re going to make some families very happy. So many have to go without the fun extras, and I know it must hurt, both as a parent, not to be able to provide for your kids, and as a child, not getting to feel special on their birthday. Thank you.

Thanks Patti. I know my cake kits will not be organic or locally sourced or even vaaguely healthy, but if they bring a smile to a kid's face - who cares?

[patti]

The manager of the food pantry offered me a couple of small pork shoulder roasts to use for a CFM, so that means I’ll put my other idea for this week on hold. When people donate meat, someone has to cook it, and I accept! I will pick up the roasts tomorrow and buy a third one, if necessary. 
 

Pulled pork sandwiches? Pulled pork baked potatoes? With pasta? Not pulled pork? TBD.

 

Disclaimer: My husband says I ask for his opinion and then do it my way, anyway, so, um, fair warning!

[FauxPas]

50 minutes ago, patti said:

The manager of the food pantry offered me a couple of small pork shoulder roasts to use for a CFM, so that means I’ll put my other idea for this week on hold. When people donate meat, someone has to cook it, and I accept! I will pick up the roasts tomorrow and buy a third one, if necessary. 
 

Pulled pork sandwiches? Pulled pork baked potatoes? With pasta? Not pulled pork? TBD

 

 

If you can cut the roasts into steaks, would Filipino Pork Adobo appeal? It's an easy recipe and flavorful - a bit tangy with vinegar and garlic and lots of umami from the soy sauce. I usually serve it with white rice and steamed veggies like carrots + broccoli. 

 

Ingredients are pretty simple. 

https://panlasangpinoy.com/filipino-food-pork-adobo-recipe/ but I add a bit of brown sugar at the end, to taste.

Maybe more like this:

https://www.recipetineats.com/filipino-pork-adobo/

 

There are Filipino-style recipes to make a little dessert side, like a flan or a banana fritter or banana Spring Roll. Not sure you'd even want to do that though. Banana bread might be a fun addition instead if you were so inclined.  🙂

 

Turon or Maruya are the names of some of the Filipino ones, we used to get them in Hawaii.

I made a type of banana fritter years ago, but didn't have access to the right type of bananas so just mashed them up a bit, I think. 

 

If you want to do something else with your pork roast this time, keep the Adobo in mind for the future. It's a very inexpensive dish to make and has quite complex flavour. I almost always have some pork shoulder steaks in the freezer for making Adobo. It's also an excellent chicken dish. 

Edited 12 hours ago by FauxPas
typo in meat cut (log)

[Darienne]

I adore pulled pork.  I was about 65 before I ever even tasted it.   Remember I'm a Canadian from the far frozen north.  I didn't even know that pulled pork existed.  After my first taste....from a food truck at a gourd show in Ohio...I made it constantly using a recipe for Cochinita Puerco Pibil from Roberto Rodriguez, filmmaker responsible for Once Upon a Time in Mexico, a truly dreadful movie starring Johnny Depp.  Depp's character kills the chef who makes him the most perfect Puerco Pibil.  I'll get Ed to buy a pork shoulder this week.  We are plumb out of suckling pigs.

 

Sorry to intrude on your cooking decision but I am very passionate about this dish.

 

Edited 12 hours ago by Darienne (log)

[MaryIsobel]

2 hours ago, Darienne said:

I adore pulled pork.  I was about 65 before I ever even tasted it.   Remember I'm a Canadian from the far frozen north.  I didn't even know that pulled pork existed.  After my first taste....from a food truck at a gourd show in Ohio...I made it constantly using a recipe for Cochinita Puerco Pibil from Roberto Rodriguez, filmmaker responsible for Once Upon a Time in Mexico, a truly dreadful movie starring Johnny Depp.  Depp's character kills the chef who makes him the most perfect Puerco Pibil.  I'll get Ed to buy a pork shoulder this week.  We are plumb out of suckling pigs.

 

Sorry to intrude on your cooking decision but I am very passionate about this dish.

 

Also Canadian but pretty close to the border on the west coast. I think I first had pulled pork about 10 years ago - so in my "ahem" 50's. What a revelation - so many ways to use it and in this day and age around here -- pork is the best bang for your buck meat-wise.

[Maison Rustique]

Pulled pork is so versatile. I'd never have thought of it, but back when I was recovering from hip surgery and eating mostly frozen meals, I got one (maybe Marie Callendar's) that was macaroni & cheese with pulled pork--pulled pork (with a light BBQ sauce) was on the bottom and baked with the Mac & cheese on top. It was really tasty and I've made my own version at home a couple of times since.

[patti]

10 hours ago, FauxPas said:

 

 

If you can cut the roasts into steaks, would Filipino Pork Adobo appeal? It's an easy recipe and flavorful - a bit tangy with vinegar and garlic and lots of umami from the soy sauce. I usually serve it with white rice and steamed veggies like carrots + broccoli. 

 

Ingredients are pretty simple. 

https://panlasangpinoy.com/filipino-food-pork-adobo-recipe/ but I add a bit of brown sugar at the end, to taste.

Maybe more like this:

https://www.recipetineats.com/filipino-pork-adobo/

 

There are Filipino-style recipes to make a little dessert side, like a flan or a banana fritter or banana Spring Roll. Not sure you'd even want to do that though. Banana bread might be a fun addition instead if you were so inclined.  🙂

 

Turon or Maruya are the names of some of the Filipino ones, we used to get them in Hawaii.

I made a type of banana fritter years ago, but didn't have access to the right type of bananas so just mashed them up a bit, I think. 

 

If you want to do something else with your pork roast this time, keep the Adobo in mind for the future. It's a very inexpensive dish to make and has quite complex flavour. I almost always have some pork shoulder steaks in the freezer for making Adobo. It's also an excellent chicken dish. 

 

10 hours ago, Darienne said:

I adore pulled pork.  I was about 65 before I ever even tasted it.   Remember I'm a Canadian from the far frozen north.  I didn't even know that pulled pork existed.  After my first taste....from a food truck at a gourd show in Ohio...I made it constantly using a recipe for Cochinita Puerco Pibil from Roberto Rodriguez, filmmaker responsible for Once Upon a Time in Mexico, a truly dreadful movie starring Johnny Depp.  Depp's character kills the chef who makes him the most perfect Puerco Pibil.  I'll get Ed to buy a pork shoulder this week.  We are plumb out of suckling pigs.

 

Sorry to intrude on your cooking decision but I am very passionate about this dish.

 

 

@FauxPas and @Darienne - Both of those recipes are intriguing, and I will keep both the Adobo in mind for future reference, as well as the Puerco Pibil, but I’m going to have to go with a southern style pulled pork this time around. Thank you!

 

8 hours ago, MaryIsobel said:

Also Canadian but pretty close to the border on the west coast. I think I first had pulled pork about 10 years ago - so in my "ahem" 50's. What a revelation - so many ways to use it and in this day and age around here -- pork is the best bang for your buck meat-wise.

 

I agree that pulled pork can be a revelation and it is a great bang for your buck. 

 

1 hour ago, Maison Rustique said:

Pulled pork is so versatile. I'd never have thought of it, but back when I was recovering from hip surgery and eating mostly frozen meals, I got one (maybe Marie Callendar's) that was macaroni & cheese with pulled pork--pulled pork (with a light BBQ sauce) was on the bottom and baked with the Mac & cheese on top. It was really tasty and I've made my own version at home a couple of times since.

 

Hmm. I’d thought I’d do pulled pork sandwiches, coleslaw, and roasted sweet potatoes, but now you have me debating….

 

Decisions, decisions! 🤔

[Darienne]

2 minutes ago, patti said:

 

 

@FauxPas and @Darienne - Both of those recipes are intriguing, and I will keep both the Adobo in mind for future reference, as well as the Puerco Pibil, but I’m going to have to go with a southern style pulled pork this time around. Thank you!

i wouldn't use my regular Rodriguez-inspired recipe for your purposes...way too many ingredients.  But, oh so tasty.  And so useful to add to other dishes to spice them up a bit.