The snap of bright bell peppers and red cabbage, and the chew of a rice wrapper make an appropriate first day of spring dish. And we tell you how to do it in today’s culinary episode of Look Who’s Here! (THE FULL RECIPE IS HERE)
While many people are talking about their latest recipe tests and fails while we’re all avoiding COVID, that’s not what inspired this episode. It was my work as a part-time direct support professional with the Emmaus Community of Pittsburgh. In this job, we support people with disabilities in getting to their workplaces, their baseball games, and cooking at home. Emmaus provides homelike settings. Meals prepared and shared between staff and residents are a centerpiece. “Breaking bread together” is a mantra.
Like with any family, home-cooked meals can present some challenges at Emmaus. Food allergies, taste preferences and even concerns about fire when cooking are all hurdles. Then there’s personal fatigue and a lack of cooking experience on the part of both staff and residents.
Yet cooking is one of my favorite parts of the job. I’m lucky to have professional restaurant experience and an associate’s degree in culinary arts. Marisa Niwa is one of my favorite Emmaus residents to cook with because, like me, she’s open to trying just about anything, and especially likes to incorporate healthy fresh vegies in the mix. She’s great at chopping and we often laugh a lot as we make dinner. I’ve also seen Sharay Bolden make some fantastic salads. So I invited the two to work on a recipe together that requires no cooking, is gluten-free, and adaptable to a variety of tastes. We used Detoxinista’s recipe for “peanut free” sauce to accommodate those with peanut allergies.
Bon appetit! And, you know, in the era of COVID we are all more aware of our need to wash those hands!
This is produced by Unabridged Press in partnership with the Center for Media Innovation at Point Park University, as part of the All-Abilities Media Project supported by The FISA Foundation, and an anonymous foundation.
