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Cooking for a Community Fridge

patti

By patti
in Food Traditions & Culture

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patti

patti

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted
11 hours ago, JeanneCake said:

@patti do you have a restaurant depot near you?  Where are you buying your supplies? (not the food, the paper goods like the styrofoam containers?)

 

No restaurant depot, but a couple of restaurant supply stores. I have bought from each of those, but also found good prices on deli containers on Amazon (with careful looking), and I usually get the styrofoam three compartment and one compartment plates from Costco or Sam’s. I’ve priced things at Webstaurant, but the shipping costs don’t make sense for what I’m currently buying. I would love to know of other sources.

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Dear Food: I hate myself for loving you.

YvetteMT

YvetteMT

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, patti said:

 

No restaurant depot, but a couple of restaurant supply stores. I have bought from each of those, but also found good prices on deli containers on Amazon (with careful looking), and I usually get the styrofoam three compartment and one compartment plates from Costco or Sam’s. I’ve priced things at Webstaurant, but the shipping costs don’t make sense for what I’m currently buying. I would love to know of other sources.

I know my local Chefstore has containers like the ones you are using. 

  • Like 2

Hunter, fisherwoman, gardener and cook in Montana.

JeanneCake

JeanneCake

Posted
Posted

@patti, there's a restaurant depot in Baton Rouge and one in New Orleans. How far away are you from one of those locations? 

 

Do you have a Gordon Food Service cash and carry near you?

 

What kind of container is the most useful for you? Can you give me the manufacturer and/or item number ?

  • Like 2
JeanneCake

JeanneCake

Posted
Posted

Restaurantdepot.com has the 9x9 3compartment hinged styrofoam containers for .11 each, the case pack is 150 units for about $19.  

 

The church could possibly get a membership to Restaurant depot and even if its an hour away I would encourage them to get a membership.  They can buy the containers and let people (like you) use them to fill the community fridge. And possibly even get competitive pricing on bulk items like cans of beans, veggies, pasta.

 

I'm tempted to buy a case and ship them to you....

  • Like 7
JeanneCake

JeanneCake

Posted
Posted

@patti do you know Emaco Foodservice in Lafayette?   In the world of food service, there are broadliner distributors  (like Sysco, Gordon FoodService) and smaller ones that usually service a local area.  From what I can find, Emaco seems to be a smaller distributor (in terms of distance serviced) with strong ties to the community.  That company might allow for cash-and-carry sales, or they might be willing to let the church buy on behalf of those filling the fridge.

 

  • Like 5
patti

patti

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted
18 hours ago, JeanneCake said:

Restaurantdepot.com has the 9x9 3compartment hinged styrofoam containers for .11 each, the case pack is 150 units for about $19.  

 

The church could possibly get a membership to Restaurant depot and even if its an hour away I would encourage them to get a membership.  They can buy the containers and let people (like you) use them to fill the community fridge. And possibly even get competitive pricing on bulk items like cans of beans, veggies, pasta.

 

I'm tempted to buy a case and ship them to you....

 

You are considerate, generous, and kind!

 

Although I have a contact person at the church, I’m not a member, and I while I know they set aside money in their budget for stocking their pantry, I am not privy to any other details on their buying processes. 

 

13 hours ago, JeanneCake said:

@patti do you know Emaco Foodservice in Lafayette?   In the world of food service, there are broadliner distributors  (like Sysco, Gordon FoodService) and smaller ones that usually service a local area.  From what I can find, Emaco seems to be a smaller distributor (in terms of distance serviced) with strong ties to the community.  That company might allow for cash-and-carry sales, or they might be willing to let the church buy on behalf of those filling the fridge.

 

 

While I had not heard of Emaco Foodservice, after looking them up, I have heard of the owner, Ema Haq, who is a well known restauranteur, respected for being generous to the community. One of the more visible things he does is that he opens his restaurant every year on Thanksgiving (or maybe Christmas) and dining is free for the food insecure.

 

Coincidentally, I did business with one of his restaurants many years ago in my capacity as coordinator of an educational travel program. His staff worked with me and my less than generous budget so that my group could dine in for dinner one night of their visit.

 

Thank you! Definitely worth investigating.

 

As far as my purchase price for the three compartment hinged styrofoam to go containers, it’s about 15 cents a unit from Costco and maybe 14 at Sam’s. That is what I have used most frequently in the past. 

 

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Dear Food: I hate myself for loving you.

patti

patti

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

Pulled BBQ chicken sandwiches will be on the menu this week. Easy enough in the slow cooker, and SO much easier than pulled pork or ham. PLUS, I already have half of the chicken I need in the freezer, not used in a previous CFM.  I’ve made these twice before for different CFMs. Once, paired with a corn salad, and another time, served with rice dressing and coleslaw.

 

Pulled chicken for sandwiches and corn salad.

8FECE557-F35D-40B5-9750-81F3515639B6.thumb.jpeg.9a93635cc51247d345bf82c4a44fd89a.jpeg

 

IMG_1344.thumb.jpeg.684cc916f533cee65f33f5dd39491579.jpeg

 

 

BBQ pulled chicken sandwich, rice dressing (aka dirty rice), coleslaw, boiled cookies (not homemade).

 

4E5A18DA-D58A-4128-9067-503C5FDE8828.thumb.jpeg.c35212207fa912250fc2c7d48fc8019e.jpeg

 

 

 

 

I’m thinking bean salad as the side this week. Two kinds of Rancho Gordo beans (Domingo Rojo and Rio Zape) along with canned chickpeas, cucumber, onion, fresh herbs, etc. I know that green beans are often used in three bean salad, but I didn’t really want to use them. Opinions? Suggestions? Dressing recipe ideas? Alternate side ideas?

 

 

Not sure what day of the week I’ll be cooking or delivering yet.

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Dear Food: I hate myself for loving you.

Smithy

Smithy

Posted
Posted
38 minutes ago, patti said:

I’m thinking bean salad as the side this week. Two kinds of Rancho Gordo beans (Domingo Rojo and Rio Zape) along with canned chickpeas, cucumber, onion, fresh herbs, etc. I know that green beans are often used in three bean salad, but I didn’t really want to use them. Opinions? Suggestions? Dressing recipe ideas? Alternate side ideas?

 

What about olives added to it? You could take it in a Mediterranean direction like this salad I had a few days ago: a nice vinaigrette, not too sweet.

 

20260204_182020.jpg

 

One issue is that it might clash with the sweetness of the pulled meat sandwich. I'm not sure about compatability, but I'm throwing it out as a suggestion.

 

You say you don't want green beans in the bean salad. What about wax beans? Or are you simply trying to avoid those long skinny legumes this time around?

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patti

patti

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted
46 minutes ago, Smithy said:

 

What about olives added to it? You could take it in a Mediterranean direction like this salad I had a few days ago: a nice vinaigrette, not too sweet.

 

20260204_182020.jpg

 

One issue is that it might clash with the sweetness of the pulled meat sandwich. I'm not sure about compatability, but I'm throwing it out as a suggestion.

 

You say you don't want green beans in the bean salad. What about wax beans? Or are you simply trying to avoid those long skinny legumes this time around?


The bean salad recipe I was looking at included capers, but I wasn’t sure if I was going to include them. They do offer that brininess. Will do taste tests and ponder. Thank you!
 

I’m going to avoid those long skinny legumes this time. 😀

  • Like 3

Dear Food: I hate myself for loving you.

Darienne

Darienne

Posted
Posted

I always have a bean salad on hand, particularly because it keeps so well.  A Tabbouleh salad also for the same reason.  My bean salad is canned or cooked chickpeas, black beans, red &/or white kidney beans, some other canned bean which I have on hand, canned or frozen corn, I'd add black olive slices but Ed doesn't want them, red or white or green  onions, a bit of garlic (I don't seem to tolerate my former amounts any longer), fresh or dried parsley and a simple olive oil and lemon juice dressing.  Never any sugar or long skinny beans or lima beans.   Love it.  

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Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope, always. 

Tropicalsenior

Tropicalsenior

Posted
Posted (edited)

I know this isn't relevant to you patti but for those of us who are living alone or cooking for two, making bean salad can be a problem. By the time I have added three kinds of beans and chickpeas, I have enough to feed us and my neighbors. So I usually mix the beans together first, before I add the dressing, take out what I need for one meal and freeze the rest in small portions. That way I can have bean salad just when I want it and we're not eating bean salad for a week.

Edited by Tropicalsenior (log)
  • Like 3

Yvonne Shannon

San Joaquin, Costa Rica

A member since 2017 and still loving it!

blue_dolphin

blue_dolphin

Posted
Posted

The Creamy Oregano Dressing from Samin Nosrat's book, Good Things is quite nice in a bean salad. It uses aquafaba, which keeps it nicely emulsified.  In the book, she uses it in a White Bean, Celery and Tuna Salad and a Marinated Chickpea Salad with Cucumbers and Dill, either of which could be salads for another fridge meal. I’ve made and enjoyed both and they hold up nicely. 

She also uses that dressing to marinate “Souvlaki-ish” chicken thighs that she grills and are great in a wrap.  
If you want to try the dressing, the recipe is available here:

https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Food/dig-samin-nosrats-everyday-recipes-new-good-things/story?id=125524145


 

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