This is not diet food. This is serious down home food. Not that I've ever lived in or near the South. But I have traveled there and every once in a great while get to cravin' some hush puppies, black eyed peas and fried okra. mmm hmm.
Meet Papa's Soul Kitchen. The other night, N. and I were looking for some reasonably priced eats and were weary of our regular dining establishments. We were stuck in a rut. We were looking for change. Enter handy iPhone app UrbanSpoon! A couple of shakes and we were on our way.
There is no point in postponing the truth. We had a blast. Live Bluesy-Jazz. Outdoor Seating. Lemonade served in a mason jar. Cool, laid back atmosphere. You know that feeling you get when you walk into a place and it feels just right? Yep, that was it. And the food... was just what the doctor ordered for to soothe my soul.
We started with hush puppies and fried okra. Then moved to fried chicken with mac-n-cheese. N. had corn and I had black eyed peas and they did not disappoint! The fried chicken was some of the best I've had. And it looks like they are doing some construction to move the band and fun outside. We can't wait!
Papa's Soul Kitchen & BBQ is located at 400 Blair Blvd. Eugene, Oregon. In my humble opinion, it's worth a visit if you haven't already made the trip.
All photo's courtesy of me and my aforementioned iPhone. So, please do pardon the quality. It's meant to give you just enough taste of the experience to want to try it out for yourself. Or not. I suppose it's worth mentioning that Papa's Soul Kitchen & BBQ wouldn't know me if they saw me. I have received no kick backs - ha!, no free food or drink, no special favors of any kind for writing this post. This is just me sharing with you.
Recently, I came across this article about the Maya Nut and how it is changing lives. At one time, the Maya Nut was an staple food for the Mayan people, providing high levels of important nutrients such as protein, calcium, fiber, iron, zinc and vitamins A, B, C, and E. Today, in the rainforests where the Maya Nut tree grows, people are going hungry. They have forgotten about the nut, and don't know how to use it. Biologist Erika Vohman is working to bring the nut back to the people that need it the most. People in Honduras, Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua and El Salvador. People that are cutting down rainforests to plant food crops - crops that have nowhere near the nutritional value. One Maya Nut tree produces 400 pounds of food a year and is less susceptible to climate change than the crops that have been brought in to replace it. The Equilibrium Fund, of which Vohman is the Executive Director, is teaching woman how to use the nut to make pancakes, cookies, salads, soup and shakes to feed their community year-round.
"The Equilibrium Fund mission is to improve rainforest conservation, food security, women's income, status and self-esteem through production, consumption and sales of Maya Nut (Brosimum alicastrum)."
Women are becoming champions of rainforest preservation.The project is having a positive affect on poverty,health and is impacting gender equality. Balance is returning to these communities. Women are talking to each other again about how to use resources readily available to them - and they are teaching those that 'haven't' remembered yet. One nut. All the difference.
Forgotten food. Forgotten wisdom. Forgotten resources. Solutions right in front of us, if only we remember. Sometimes the best solution is to return to our roots. I started thinking about cultures and indigenous people and traditions that are passed on through the generations using nothing more than a story and practical application. No books. No Internet. Just Mother to child teaching, demonstrating and talking about the ways of life. Ways to survive and thrive. How is it possible that such critical information to a cultures very survival simply stops being communicated - or heard? We all bear witness to how that happens, what that looks like. In truth, the break down of information can happen in one generation. I am reminded of the shame my ancestors felt in their heritage and how hard they worked to disassociate themselves from it. Language lost. Culture lost. Life skills lost.
I gain hope as I witness many younger people working to restore their cultures, traditions, and languages. The Equilibrium Fund endeavor is an inspiration. What inspires you? What good works have you recently witnessed or learned about that bring you hope? The conversation is open. We would love to hear your perspective.
If you would like more information on the Equilibrium Fund or to get involved, check it out here. You can download the Equilibrium Fund Maya Nut Cookbook here. For information on how to purchase Maya Nut go here.
Have you ever had the experience of suddenly, out of nowhere, craving a food that you haven't even thought about in a long time, if ever?
A couple of weeks ago I was sitting at my desk totally focused on work, when suddenly, without explination or subliminal prompting I had to have Seaweed Salad with a light sesame treatment.
Since then, I have become a bit of a seaweed specialist. I know where the best Seaweed Salad is in town. Just so happens to be at the best Sushi Restaurant in town. Izumi's. Double yum.
Now, to perfect the recipe at home. My Honey is working on that!
Update: Seaweed happens to be very good for we human folk. You can learn a little about its benefits here or here.
