July 29, 2010

The eight of us with our white or black or golden skinned hands made an image of cooking camaraderie as we pulled apart 4 cooked chickens from Costco–total cost $19.80.  It was a first for all of them,  and a lesson I hope will stay with them. Now they know first hand how much meat you can get off of one of those chickens, how quick and easy it is, and by adding some halved grapes and toasted pecans you can create something fine.  We winged a dressing of mayonnaise, sour cream, olive oil, lemon juice and fresh dill from items we had on hand in the refrigerator.  The dill was “not perfect but still perfectly good,” to quote my neighborhood grocery store in Washington, D.C. from a sign that hangs over the bruised vegetable bin…

There are so many places these days from which to draw cooking inspiration.  An article in Martha Stewart’s magazine, Everyday Food, took a little twist on the Italian antipasti platter, but made a sandwich using thick crusty bread and many of the items usually found on an antipasti platter. This sandwich could travel well to a picnic, or be enjoyed at home in your own backyard or kitchen…

Cool food for hot days: Today it was HOT outside and also inside the Fortune Kitchen. We made cold pasta salad using fresh grape tomatoes, olives, capers, fresh herbs, tuna and an olive oil dressing so Joyce (faithful volunteer) could show our clients an authentic summer dish from Rome.

Welcome to “Bits and Bites from Miss Betty’s Kitchen,” a regular feature written by Betty Wilson, who has been volunteer teaching “Miss Betty’s Practical Cooking/Nutrition Class” at Fortune for the past four years.  Betty will post vignettes about her students and her class, photos of the colorful and delicious meals they make together, and some of the recipes she loves and teaches in her class.  The following is an introduction to what Miss Betty’s class is all about.