Albany Med students cook with refugee kids to engage, inspire

ALBANY — The basement cafeteria and kitchen of the Refugee and Immigrant Support Services of Emmaus building slowly started filling up with middle and high school-aged kids on a rainy Tuesday afternoon. The volume of their excited chatter and laughter increased as they waited for the older students of Albany Medical College to empty out and organize the contents of their plastic grocery bags.

"OK guys, today we're doing breakfast for dinner!" said second-year AMC student Tania Rodriguez.

The kids filed into the kitchen to wash their hands and dispersed to different areas for each recipe: Four boys washed potatoes at the sink for the breakfast casserole, other kids took turns cracking eggs into a large bowl, and a young boy cooked sausages in a frying pan.

This is the scene at RISSE twice a month at the Cooks for a Cause program, where first- and second-year AMC students gather with middle and high school-aged kids to cook and eat a meal together. Past meal themes were Italian (with baked ziti and garlic bread) and Mexican (chicken fajitas and très leches cake).

"We had a family mentor program before where AMC students helped vulnerable families to do paperwork and medical-related issues, and it was so successful," said Francis Sengabo, operations director for RISSE. "When they came to request it with youth, I said maybe that will be successful because we need that integration for the whole community in general."

Sengabo, who was a Rwandan refugee himself, said the program is a great way to keep the kids stay busy and engaged after school. But the main result he hopes to see from Cooks for a Cause is a more motivated youth inspired to stay in school and pursue higher education.

"Many people from my country like to go to school because they see people that do change the family and life of the community," he said. "I think students from AMC can little by little talk to them and change their mind to do this and that."

The passion is apparent: while most of the kids disperse near the end of the cooking to play games, one boy, Rodriguez said, chooses not to play with his friends and instead continues cooking in the kitchen.

AMC students have many volunteer options they can pursue (the school requires 40 hours of service learning to graduate). Shruthi Perati, a first-year student, said she chose Cooks for a Cause to connect with the community.

"Food is a great platform to connect with people of all backgrounds," she said. "And I think doctors really need to know their patients and community, so this is a great way to do that."

Rodriguez, who is one of the head organizers of this year's program, loves cooking. But her personal interest in RISSE stems from her background: Her father and grandfather were refugees from Cuba.

"They came from having a job and a home to living in a one-bedroom apartment with six other families," she said. "Now I'm able to go to high school, college, and now medical school because of that opportunity they gave me. I see these kids and that kind of track and want to give back."

While many of the kids are still too young to know what they want to do with their lives, many of them are passionate about soccer, so Rodriguez tells them they can join soccer teams in high school and college. Her main goal, though, is to give them something to look forward to outside of school.

The kids were timid and shy during their first gathering with the medical students in October, carefully paying attention to the chopping, mixing and frying instructions. In November, they were quick to line up to confidently cut peppers and onions. And by January, the excitement and comfort level had increased exponentially.

"I can see how interested they are to come," Sengabo said. "Like today, it was raining and some of them didn't have a ride so they walked here in the rain — they are so enthusiastic."

Etha, who is from Thailand, was flipping pancakes for the first time in his life. He instinctually timed the flip for a perfect, golden color.

"Maybe I can be a chef one day," he said.

A Chef's Guide to Cooking at Home

There's nothing quite like a home-cooked meal. Childhood memories of mom's chicken noodle soup or nana's chocolate sheet cake - certain foods, their taste and smell evoke memories and take us back in time. There is something so satisfying about cooking and baking for the people I love, passing on good vibes and creating a treasure chest of food memories to have forever.

The benefits of home cooking are clear - a recent study suggests that people who cook at home frequently eat healthier and consume fewer calories than those who cook less and eat out regularly. For families, cooking at home can translate into time to both prepare and create meals together; an enjoyable experience to be shared with loved ones.

For busy parents, cooking can be a daily ritual that allows for quality bonding time, while also carrying out a task that needs to be completed - two birds, one stone. Furthermore, according to a Cornell article in their Parenting in Context series, children who participate in family mealtime are 12% less likely to be overweight and more likely to eat healthy foods, succeed academically, and have improved mental health. Despite the numerous health benefits of home cooking, many Americans struggle to take on the task.

Key Ingredient, a free online cookbook system with more than 1 million subscribers, was created to simplify and streamline the experience of preparing homemade meals. In 2014, a random sample of Key Ingredient users (2,287 responses), found that only 22% of participants actually cooked these recipes after saving them to their Key Ingredient Cookbooks. Why aren't more people cooking at home?

Safety First

Richard Ingraham, private chef for the Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade, had some tips for cooks to keep all of their fingers as he taught a hands-on, jazzed up shrimp and grits class with his infectious positive energy. Our Common Threads kiddos swarm him every time he walks into the kitchen with total devotion and pay complete attention to him in class.


1. Keep your knives sharpened, because dull knives can be dangerous. To those of you new to this classic kitchen caveat--this may seem like a contradiction, but, because dull knives can often resist our chopping and slicing efforts, their use can lead to knife slippage that could potentially catch some skin.

2. When using a cutting board, keep a wet towel underneath. This will keep the board in place and protect your beautifully chopped fruits, veggies, and lean meats from ornamenting the floor.

3. If a knife should fall, let it drop. Do not try to catch it. As the old saying wisely warns, "A falling knife has no handle."

4. Keep your knives separate from other pans and dishes in the sink. This easy tip can protect you from the misfortune of grabbing (a now perfectly sharpened) knife hidden beneath the dirty dishes.

5. When done washing do not dry your pots and pans manually. Letting them air dry prevents cross-contamination.

A Guy’s Guide to Cooking: Start with a chicken

Starving musicians often sing for their supper, so the best way to get them to come over for a pickin’ party is to feed them.
                                                     

Our little band, Texas Switchgrass, had a date in a recording studio, and I got everybody to show up to practice by serving home-cooked meals for the boys. I’d make a salad, a simple chicken dish, mashed potatoes from scratch and steamed broccoli. They’d all show up. Such is the power of good friends, good music and good food.

A couple of them skipped the broccoli.

“Cooking doesn’t have to be hard, it can really be quite simple,” says Daniel Pittman, the executive chef at LUCK in Trinity Groves, West Dallas. “If you get overwhelmed, it’s not going to be any fun.”

Apparently, I’m not the only single man in Dallas who is learning how to cook, but I might be the oldest. Hipsters and millennials are cooking, too.

“Absolutely,” Pittman says. “I think younger people today are looking to enjoy local things, the better things in life. They want good coffee, good beer, good food. I think the males want to impress the young ladies, so they become foodies.” Bingo.

Pittman got his culinary training at El Centro College in Dallas and worked at Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas for 10 years before he and two partners opened LUCK. The restaurant features 40 locally brewed craft beers on tap.

“Our target audience would probably be craft-beer enthusiasts,” Pittman says, “people who like simple comfort food and people who are into things local.”

Working in the tiny kitchen at LUCK, he shows me how to make the most of a roast chicken.

“Simple roasting: You put it in the oven. You take it out when it’s done,” he says. “I oven-roast potatoes, Brussels sprouts and butternut squash all at the same time, right next to the chicken.”

Tomato Scrambled Eggs

The lycopene contained in tomatoes contains rich vitamins and mineral elements which can protect the angiocarpy and prevent the heart disease. The lycopene has a strong ability of oxidation to eliminate free radicals, protect the cells and slow down the cancerous process. Tomatoes can effectively prevent prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, and laryngeal cancer and so on. In addition, nicotinic acid contained in tomatoes can maintain the normal gastric secretion and accelerate the formation of red blood cells, which is beneficial to maintain the resilience of the skin and protect the skin. One of the ways to prolong the life of the old is to eat an egg every day. In addition, eggs contain rich vitamin B2 which can decompose and oxidize the carcinogenic substances inside the human body. Even the trace elements contained in eggs play an important role in prevent the cancers.

In addition to tomatoes prevent prostate cancer have to do with things, but also reduce pancreatic cancer, rectal cancer, laryngeal cancer, oral cancer, risk of breast cancer and other cancers. Tomatoes contain vitamin C, there is thirst, stomach digestion, cooling Pinggan of removing heat from the functions and effects of lowering blood pressure, hypertension, renal patients were assisted with special treatment to do good with. Eat more tomatoes have to do with aging, keeping skin fair. Eggs were a miracle of nature, a highly refined have eggs, the temperature can get chance, no need to add any nutrients from the outside, you can hatch a chicken, this is enough eggs nutrition. Cook the same recipes from your favorite restaurants for friends and family and have them convinced that you've ordered in. They simply will not believe that you've learned the secret, guarded recipes from the best restaurants. To know more about it see on the link below. Hope this recipes and the information will useful for you.

These products are colorful, tasty, and healthy. According to a 1997 University of Illinois nutrition study, the lycopene in canned tomatoes may help to prevent prostate cancer. Other studies, including a year-long study conducted by the University of Toronto and another study at Harvard University, turned up similar results. Tomatoes are acidic and, to prevent a reaction between the acid and the metal, the inside of the cans has been sprayed with a protective lining. Dents may damage this lining and the product may be spoiled. Using the empty can as a mesuring cup, add 1 1/2 cans of chicken stock to the puree. Pour in a little more stock if the soup seems thick. Add remaining ingredients except croutons. Cover soup and heat until it starts to simmer. Garnish with Caesar salad croutons and grated Parmesan cheese. Makes 6-8 servings.

How To Cook Tofu ?

Tofu is normally packed in container with water. One of great tofu properties is that it acts like a sponge and absorbs other liquid it is combined with and that means it will also absorb other flavours. May it be from marinade, cooking sauce, seasoning or other ingredients you cook it with.Even if you marinate it for several hours or even overnight the end result will not be as good as if you dried it well in the first place. When you dry it well it can absorb more flavours in one hour of marinating then compared to overnight marination of non-dried tofu.It is a powerhouse of recipes that are intended for the whole family to enjoy. Browse yourself to the many recipes that are classified accordingly. Mouth watering chicken dishes are ready to be explored at your own convenience. Beef recipes will also delight you with how easy they're to prepare. Vegetables and fish recipes are also endless that you can have your heart's desire. While bodybuilders deprive themselves of sweets, Anabolic Cooking has a collection of well loved recipes that will satisfy your sweet tooth. Not just yours because you will be surprised at how your kids will also ask for more of what you have cooked.

Now that tofu is dry prepare marinade of your choice. Whatever you like. Tofu is now ready to absorb other flavours and it is going to taste wonderful. Guaranteed. When preparing marinade you can use whatever you like except tofu marinade does not combine well with oil. Use ginger, garlic, tamari, chilly, and/or any other ingredient.But what does it taste like? Usually not very nice. It has mild taste and strange texture. It tastes a little like wet socks. Not that I've tried wet socks. So the taste itself is not that compelling. But why do people love it so much, what is the secret of cooking tofu right?They provide all the information one needs to know about a particular subject. In the case of Anabolic Cooking, this cookbook is more than what it truly is. It is a powerhouse of ideas and an excellent source of healthy and delectable cooking.

A method which quite many amateur chefs may have never heard of is tagine cooking. Tagine food is so named since earthenware pots are usually used. These pots are often a circular container covered by a big domed lid. This way of cooking is commonly found in Moroccan cuisine.Nowadays tagines could be found in mage stores and home accessory stores alongside cookware. You can even find them on Amazon. There are a variety of tagines with different sizes and styles. The price could be as cheap at $20 or as expensive as $100 or more.he simplest way to do this is to soak the tagine in water for a few hours (you can place it in a washing sink). After that, dry the tagine and coat the interior of the base and the lid with a thin coat of olive oil. You then need to put it in an unheated oven before you raise the temperature to around 320 deg. Fahrenheit. Remove the tagine from the oven 2 hours later, allow it to cool down. Coat the tagine with another coat of olive oil.