Table Talk for July 9, 2009

• By TOMMY SIMMONS
• Advocate Food writer
• Published: Jul 9, 2009

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When our “Lagniappe” file gets filled, it’s time to bring some of that information to readers. This week’s “Table Talk” column includes excerpts from some of the grilling-related news releases the staff received in recent weeks, but more importantly I want to draw attention to the shortage of funding for the senior food help program offered by the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank.

The Adopt-A-Senior food help program is being cut by 75 percent due to a drop in donations for funding the program. Through Adopt-A-Senior, qualified senior citizens are given a 50-pound box of food once a month. The box contains staples —  rice, beans, canned vegetables, dry cereal and such.

According to Soncheree Johnson at the Food Bank, dedicated donations to underwrite the Adopt-A-Senior seniors program have dropped. Due to increased food needs from food pantries and dining sites throughout the 10-parish area serviced by the Food Bank, there are no additional funds available to buttress the Adopt-A-Senior budget. Dozens of senior citizens have been notified that they can no longer receive the monthly food boxes and will have to explore other social service agencies to supplement their food needs.

Johnson said the Food Bank wants to continue to help the seniors and hopes that many will be able to visit food pantries or dining sites for help.

When asked how great the shortfall was, Lynn Brown with the Food Bank said that the Food Bank needed 120 renewals or new donations of $100 each for the Food Bank to be able to continue helping just the current seniors in the Adopt-A-Senior program.

The Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank is accepting donations to try to maintain the Adopt-A-Senior program. A $100 donation will support a senior citizen by providing 12 boxes of staple foods during the year. The 50-pound Adopt-A-Senior boxes are distributed through the Food Bank warehouse on the last Wednesday of every month.

I have witnessed firsthand the effectiveness of the Adopt-A-Senior program in helping supplement the food needs of an 86-year-old
great-great-grandmother, who is still caring for a disabled daughter, a granddaughter, great-granddaughter and several great-great-grandchildren at her small home in South Baton Rouge.

Donations for Adopt-A-Senior can be sent to the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, 5546 Choctaw Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70805.

Make grilling safer  
Last month’s issue of Ladies Home Journal magazine offered tips on how to lower health risks associated with eating foods that have been charred by grilling at high temperatures. Here are some of their suggestions:
■ Barbecue at lower heat. You’ll create substantially fewer heterocyclic amines (HCAs), cancer-causing substances in meat grilled at high temps.
■ Trim the fat. You’ll reduce the cancer risk produced by carcinogens called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that can be deposited on foods from flare-ups.
■ Flip burgers often. Turning them once a minute reduces HCAs.
■ Grill meat (not poultry) medium rare or less. This also cuts HCAs. Eating beef medium-well or well done can more than triple the risk of stomach cancer, according to the Ladies Home Journal report.
■ Microwave. Two minutes of precooking meat, poultry and fish can cut 90 percent of HCAs. Finish on the grill.
■ Marinate first. An hour in a thin marinade can reduce HCAs 57 to 88 percent.
■ Flavor with garlic, rosemary and sage. These antioxidant seasonings block HCAs and PAHs.
■ Add soy. Mixing half a cup of textured soy protein with a pound of ground meat cuts 95 percent of potential HCAs in burgers.

Tips on grilling fruit
In addition to tips for healthful grilling,  there was a news release from Spigola Ristorante, an Italian restaurant in Hamilton Township, N.J., that offered tips on grilling fruit.

Fruits like apples, pineapples and pears are great for grilling. Just cut them open, remove the core and seeds. Soak in water that has a teaspoon on lemon juice added. While the fruit is soaking, clean the grill thoroughly and heat to desired temperature. Brush the fruit lightly with cooking oil and place on the grill, pulp side down first, then turn over to the peeled side.

It takes only minutes per side for fruit to be properly grilled. Watch it carefully so that it doesn’t become overcooked. A couple of minutes per side, on a medium-hot grill will do the trick.

Bananas can be grilled by peeling, splitting lengthwise and brushing with oil. To grill berries, toss the berries with a sprinkle of sugar and enclose in a foil package. Place the foil package on the grill and grill for five minutes, then turn over and grill on other side.

Fire safety at hand
With the rise in at-home cooking and grilling, it’s important to have a home fire extinguisher at hand. Many kitchen fires can be prevented if a cook has a home fire extinguisher within easy reach of the cooking area.

First Alert, a fire extinguisher manufacturer, introduced a new style of home extinguisher this summer called Tundra that is easy to use. This is important when faced with a flare-up. No one wants to grab an extinguisher and then have to figure out how to operate it.

A First Alert Tundra is less than 10 inches tall and weighs just 22 ounces. It can be easily stored in a kitchen cabinet.