July 2010

Independence Means:   

Freedom From Control or Influence of Another or

Others.. I Am Free!!         

In the Kitchen With
Chef Deborah Spriggs-Ross

Except, her father was not an executive chef. Despite the fact that he did all the work that is expected of an executive chef, and even treated his customers to specialties like homemade beer and gourmet doughnuts, he would only be given the title of short-order cook.

That was the top job for Negroes back then, even in a great city like Chicago. “My dad was an extraordinary chef for his day,” Chef Spriggs-Ross shares with Unity.

“He was into organic and natural foods, and this was the  60s.

He started his shifts at three and four in the morning, and his recipes went far beyond grill food or soul food. His Indian succotash was a community favorite,” she adds.

My Father was my hero.  He used to say Deb when you grow up life will be different for blacks. 

You won't be treated with disrespect or looked upon as a second class citizen.  One day Deb you will be free to do every thing you want!!!

One Day!! 

All my recipies this month will be dedicate to my Hero My, Dad Mr. Lavernon Spriggs RIP

The Health Aspect  of Eating Foods in Season

Not only does your food taste better if you buy it in the season it’s best suited for, it also holds a higher nutrient content. When food is at its peak, it's more appealing to your taste buds, and it also nourishes your body more!

Where to Find Ripe Summer Foods

If it’s available to you, a farmers market or self-pick farm is a great place to find the freshest food of the season. You’ll probably find the best selection of foods there, and the sellers will usually have taste samples available. Stores on the other hand have to wait for shipments, and since they don't hand-pick their selection, you have to be careful when choosing from the bin.

How to Determine if Your Food is Ripe

Look for vibrant color, as a dull color signals unripe or wilting food. Make sure that any food you pick up is not soft and mushy−this means it’s bruised, and while this isn’t bad for you, it won’t taste so great. Too firm, on the other hand, is also not good. This means the food isn’t ripe, and this affects both the taste and the nutrient content.

Choosing the Perfect Fruit

Even foods that are in season have their bad days, so look carefully when selecting. A good way to determine if your fruits are in tip-top shape is to gently squeeze them, making sure the skin is pliable, but not mushy. You can skip over ones with brown patches−that’s a bruise. Make sure that the skin doesn’t look pinched or wrinkled either; this means the fruit is drying out, and won’t be as juicy as it could be.