Cauliflower, scallops, and my neighbor

Learning to tie shoes is hard work, made better by a good friend.
I intended to  post a serious cooking blog tonight about all the good cooking I'd done today--but things didn't quite work out that way. I did begin the day with good spontaneous cooking. Early this morning, I loaded the crockpot with chicken broth, canned tomatoes, a bouillon cube, veggies out of the freezer--carrots, green beans and peas--plus some new potatoes that needed to be used and some spinach I'd bought for the soup. Added salt, pepper, and thyme. Let it simmer while I went to church, and served it for lunch to Elizabeth and Weldon. The carrots, having been frozen, were still a bit crunchy, and the potatoes really weren't soft, but the flavor was great and we each ate two bowls. It was a sendoff luncheon for Elizabeth who is going on a two-week intensive yoga trip to India--and is so excited! Weldon will stay home and experiment with recipes for their gluten-free, dairy-free lifestyle. I have pretty much decided that when I find an odd  recipe I send or save it for them. Today is was kale and macaroni and something.
Tonight's menu was scallop cakes (omigosh, do you know how much a pound of sea scallops costs? On sale, it was $20) and cauliflower. I tossed the cauliflower flowerets with olive oil, salt and thyme and roasted them while makng the soup this morning. Delicious just that way!
Well, tonight, things went awry. My neighor Jay came for a drink (at my invitation) and stayed for supper (at my invitation).  In fact, he cooked--or tried to--the scallop cakes, but something was off. We analyzed it later and decided I needed more flour and I needed to use the elecric skillet instead of the cast iron one which doesn't cook as evenly. But the flavor was great. And I made a vinaigrette dressing for the cauliflower--good stuff.
While we were eating it began to snow, and nothing would do but that Jay, a Vermont native, took Jacob outside to catch snowflakes--big,  wet,sloppy ones on his tongue. Jay kep having to tell him not to close his eyes.
I had every intention of making some chocolate mini cupcakes tonight, but the hilarity of the evening--and the snow--meant it was 9:30 before I got dinner put away. Guess that's a project for tomorrow, The cupcakes take a chocolate cake mix, a can of pumpkin, and a cup of chocolate chip morsels. A Weight Watchers recipe and so delicious!
I may not have been a great cook tonight but I sure had a good time.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

How hungry are you?

Today is Blog Action Day. Bloggers all over the world are asked to take on a social issue. This year's topic is right up my interest alley--food.
Tonight my neighbors came for dinner. I fixed pasta with a subtle anchovy/lemon zest sauce. At the last minute you add 1 cup pasta cooking water and two egg yolks to make a "silky" sauce (it really was). I accompanied it with "slightly exotic roasted cauliflower salad" and pimiento cheese for an appetizer. We ate well and had wine to go with our meal. I eat well most days--often whatever strikes my fancy, from smoked salmon to creamed tuna, really rare hamburger patties to chicken salad. I'm spoiled. I can go to the freezer or fridge and decide on a whim what I want. Got a desperate craving? OK, I'll go to Central Market and pick up whatever delicacy I'm craving--maybe a lamb chop or Dover sole (do you know how much it costs in a restaurant vs. what you can cook it for at home?).
In spite of all this luxury at my disposal, in America in 2010 48.8 million Americans lived in "food insecure" homes--32.6 million adults and 16.2 million children, which means the latter weren't getting the nutrition they need to build healthy bodies and strong minds as they grow. I live in Texas, which second only to Misissippi, has the highest rate of food insecure homes. Don't think food insecurity--let's call a spade a spade, hunger--doesn't exist in your county, your city, even your neighbborhood. It's everywhere.
What can we do? I don't know, but I was raised to believe I am my brother's keeper. That means I support government programs that aid the poor--not welfare, because it's so badly administered--but health care, Head Start (which is now gone I think), school lunch programs, whatever it takes to feed the hungry. We worry about the millions starving in Africa and well we should, but we have to look out for those at home. Sometimes our charity gets such an international vision that we forget to look under our noses.
What can we as individuals do? Support the local food bank, look online at the food programs available and after checking them out, donate cautiously, support any program at the religious affiliation of your choice.
Just because you're well fed, don't assume everyone is.
No, I'm not going to eat bread and water in penance. In fact, I may have a little chocolate. But I want to and will do my part. How about you?