See also: Photo Diary over at DailyKos

94 year old cook and great grandmother, Clara, recounts her childhood during the Great Depression as she prepares meals from the era. Learn how to make simple yet delicious dishes while listening to stories from the Depression.

Below are a couple of her episodes, but in the next few days, I’ll be adding “poor man’s meals” from my own repertoire.

Check out her youtube channel for more!

Happy Samhain!

Tonight’s fall dinner is quick and simple. I used to make this all the time as a law student. You’ll need about 20 minutes, including clean up time. If you don’t have a panini or hot sandwich press (they run as cheap as $20-$30), you can improvise by using two pans (more info below). This recipe makes 2 sandwiches (1-2 servings, depending on your appetite). Adjust recipe accordingly, if serving guests.

What you need
1 and 1/2 cups of Sliced Button or Portabella Mushrooms (either is fine, button mushrooms are cheaper)
2 and 1/2 tablespoons of Balsamic Vinegar
3 teaspoons of Italian Seasoning (basil, margoram, sage, thyme, etc.)
1 pinch of Salt
1 pinch of Garlic Powder or 1 clove of Minced Garlic
1/3 Red Onion, enough to garnish your sandwich
2 slices of Cheddar Cheese
4 slices of Whole Wheat Bread (regular loaf will do just fine)
1 tablespoon of Olive Oil (vegetable oil will also do just fine)

Preparation
1. Using a small frying pan, add olive oil, mushrooms, balsamic vinegar, italian seasoning, salt, garlic and saute over low heat for 7 minutes. At about the 5 minute mark, mix in the red onions. Don’t overcook. Turn stove off. Turn on your sandwich press so it gets nice and hot.

2. Place a slice of cheddar cheese on a slice of bread. Add half of the sauteed mushrooms and red onions to the bread, and cover with the second slice. Repeat for the second sandwich.

3. Place both sandwiches on the panini press, if it is large enough to hold two sandwiches. If not, place one at a time. Leave on panini press for about 5-7 minutes, depending on how toasty you like your sandwich and depending on the heating power of your sandwich press.

4. If you don’t own a sandwich press: After you’ve done step 2 and have your sandwiches ready, place them in a non-stick frying pan or on a griddle (do not use olive oil or butter) over low heat. Place a second pan, pot, or griddle large enough to cover the sandwiches on top of the sandwiches and press down to flatten out the sandwiches. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side or until nice and toasty. You won’t get the nice grill marks you would get from a sandwich press, but it’ll taste just as good.

And that’s all. Of course, you can add a small salad to complement. Let it cool off a minute or two before sinking your teeth into them. Filled with flavor and texture, these are hearty, healthy (that is, if you didn’t cheat by adding more cheese), rustic, satisfying, and positively perfect for a cold autumn work night. Don’t forget to wash it down with some ginger green tea or mulled wine!

Enjoy!

Tonight’s Fall Dinner is a weekly series and will appear every Friday for the rest of the season.

You don’t need anything special to prepare this. Everything I used was already in my pantry. Most butternut risotto recipes call for either chicken or vegetable stock. I don’t use either of those. They generally have too much sodium and preservatives. I’ll show you how to make your own vegetable-seasoning broth to add to this recipe.

I do, however, use a quick cheat in this recipe. Instead of using a fresh whole squash, I used a 12oz. frozen, cooked squash. It’s just as healthy (although fresh squash does have more Vitamin A admittedly) and doesn’t involve the hassle of peeling and cutting up squash. While I pride myself on my culinary skills, peeling and cutting squash is not my forte. I tried preparing fresh squash once during a date. Pieces of squash and peel went flying everywhere. Yeah, I know, I was trying to show off, but I had no idea that preparing fresh squash would be such an ordeal. Should have at least tried it out ONCE before the date. Smooth, real smooth. I haven’t tried to prepare fresh squash ever since. Never again.

Onwards with the recipe. This makes dinner for 4. Serving sizes are 1-1 and 1/4 cups.

What you need
12 oz. Frozen Cooked Squash
1 cup of Arborio rice
1 medium sized onion or 2 small onions chopped
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of butter (or substitute)
1 cup of white wine (I used a Chardonnay that’s not too dry)
4 cups of vegetable seasoning broth (recipe to follow)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon turmeric (optional; the point of adding turmeric is not to add flavor, but for medicinal purposes; turmeric is often used in Indian cultures; in a nutshell, it keeps the immune system strong and helps to prevent the onset of disease)
1/2 cup of cheddar or parmesan cheese

Ingredients for the vegetable-seasoning broth
1/4 cup onion powder
1/4 cup dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon of italian seasoning (parsely, sage, margoram, basil, etc.)
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon dill weed
1 teaspoon of rosemary

Preparation
1. Mix the vegetable-broth ingredients with 4-5 cups of water in a pot and place over low-medium heat. Bring to slight simmer. Do not boil.

2. Add the olive oil, butter, and chopped onions to a non-stick pot over low-medium heat. Saute for 3 minutes or until golden. Next, add the frozen squash to the pot and let it melt. This should take 5-10 minutes. While the squash is melting, add salt, pepper, thyme, and turmeric. After the squash is completely melted, add the arborio rice and stir in. Cook for two minutes under low-medium heat. Add the wine, and stirring constantly, cook over low heat for 5 minutes.

3. Your vegetable-seasoning broth should be simmering by now. Using a ladle or measuring cup, add 1/2 cup of the broth to the butternut squash risotto at a time. Stir constantly. Continue adding the broth 1/2 cup at time, enough to cover the top of the rice and cook over low to low-medium heat. This process should take about 20-30 minutes, enough time to fully cook through the rice and produce a rich, creamy flavor. Turn off the stove when done.

4. Grate the cheddar or parmesan cheese. Add cheese to the butternut squash risotto and mix through. You can also opt instead to grate a little cheese and sprinkle it over the top.

Mmmmm, yum! Its fragrant, flavorful, healing, and nutritious. Don’t forget to wash it down with some mulled wine. Happy Fall! Enjoy!

The autumnal equinox has arrived, a day of equal day and night, a day to recognize the bounty of this year’s harvest, and day to pay respect to the impending winter and waning light. Autumn is a contemplative time of year, with its cornucopia of seasonal colors and flavors to awaken and delight our senses and spirit. Pumpkin, squash, foliage, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg. It is a time to reconnect with nature, the paradise that is our planet, the mystery of our existence, and the cycle of death and rebirth.

It is also a time to reflect back on this past year’s accomplishments and challenges. Another year has almost elapsed, and it is already close to the end of September. It might seem difficult to feel celebratory when many of us are also hurting from a poor economy, are unemployed, have debt (many of us have massive student debt), have no health care, et al. But now, more than ever, it is vitally important to recognize that there are certain forces outside of our control, that the universe works at its own pace, and that we must maintain our health, sense of humor and remain in high spirits. The one thing that no one can take from you is your crown or your spirit. Further, no matter what our lot in life, it is always important to turn attention away from the self and remember there are always certain privileges you have that others do not.

There is a fundamental shift taking place in the way of life here in America. Materialism and corporatism are proving to be less than sustainable cultures. There is an uncertainty in the air. We are being forced to rethink this classist, feudal system, find new ways to challenge it and expose it, hold its enablers accountable, and return to simplicity and equity.

Now is the time to remember that we are guests here on planet earth for some period of time, unbeknownst to us. The changing of the seasons occurred long before we were here and will continue long after we are gone. Now is the time to find ways in which to create and share value while we are still here. Positive energy begets positive energy and bears fruit.