APRIL 2024

Greetings Tony,

It’s spring fever. That is what the name of it is.

And when you’ve got it, you want –oh,

you don’t quite know what it is you do want,

but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so! 

~Mark Twain

Be an Ambassador for Angels Dine Out - April 18, 2024!

This is the 25th year for Angels Dine Out, and we're busy spreading word. This year we have 46 restaurants participating, and we know it will be another great success.

Angels Dine Out is our biggest fundraising event of the year and it's held on the third Thursday in April. Participating restaurants agree to donate 25% of their revenue from sales on that one day. Some restaurants participate for dinner only, others for breakfast or lunch. A few participate for the full day. "Ambassadors" in each restaurant talk to patrons about Kitchen Angels, thank them for dining out, and offer them the chance to win a $500 gift card. Most importantly, ambassadors encourage donations directly to Kitchen Angels. Ambassadors bring in roughly 50% of the funds we raise from the event!

We are still recruiting volunteer ambassadors, so if you are able to serve in this way, please let Crystal know. If you're curious about what's involved in being an ambassador, check with Lauren. We still need about 20 volunteers, so grab a buddy and sign up! Not only will we hold a thorough training, but this year we will do a follow-up celebration brunch for all ambassadors, at the Legal Tender in Lamy on Sunday, April 21st.

Here is the current list of participating restaurants and the meals for which they are participating:

315 Restaurant & Wine Bar • Alkeme • Amaya @ Hotel Santa Fe • Andiamo! • 

Atrisco Café & Bar • Blue Corn Café • Bourbon Grill • Café Castro • Café Fina • Café Pasqual’s • Cafecito • Cowgirl BBQ • El Nido • SU Sushi at El Nido • Estevan Restaurante •  Flying Tortilla •  Herve Wine Bar •  High Desert @ The Mystic Hotel • Horno Restaurant • India House • Izanami • Jambo Bobcat Bite • Jambo Café •  Joe’s Dining • Legal Tender (on 4/21) •  Maria’s NM Kitchen • Mariscos Costa Azul • Mille • Museum Hill Café • Palace Prime •  Paloma • Paper Dosa • Pecos Trail Café • Piccolino Italian Restaurant •  Plaza Café Downtown • Plaza Café Southside • Posa’s Tamale Factory & Restaurant • Rio Chama Steakhouse • The Ranch House • Rustica • Santa Fe Bite •  Second St. Brewery – Rufina Tap Room • Sky Fire • Terra @ The Four Seasons • TerraCotta Wine Bistro • Tune Up Café

What the colors mean:

Breakfast Only     Lunch Only     Dinner Only  

Breakfast/Lunch Lunch/Dinner

Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

If you haven't made your dining reservations yet, now's the time to get them on the books! We want to make sure each restaurant is fully booked on Thursday, April 18th. Please spread the word to your contacts, friends, colleagues, and family members. The more people who dine out that day, the more donations Kitchen Angels receives for our homebound clients. Thank you!

Thanks to everyone who joined us for our spring kick-off event. Siler-Rufina District held their inaugural "Neighborhood Social" at Kitchen Angels. It was also a "ribbon cutting" of the mural Meow Wolf art director, Brandon Behning, painted on our loading dock. Attendees enjoyed food, music, and networking. It was a festive community event with folks joining us from Homewise, Positive Energy Solar, The Food Depot, Wise Fool, Rotary La Rueda and, of course, Meow Wolf. We love how the Siler-Rufina neighborhood is growing and are grateful to be doing our good work in the center of it all!

In honor of our outstanding volunteers, we are hosting "Frito pie week" as our way of celebrating National Volunteer Week, April 22 - 27. From 11:30 am until 12:30 pm all that week, Frito pies will be available in the volunteer room with a vegetarian option available. For our delivery volunteers, we will have Frito pies "to-go" during delivery time. If you are a substitute volunteer, just show up on a day you're scheduled. If you aren't on the schedule for that week, pick a day - there will be enough for everyone!

This is just one small way we can say thank you for all you do for Kitchen Angels and the Santa Fe community.

"The Greek Lemon Mint Beans & Veggies was really good. As a vegetarian I am always keeping an eye out for protein options, and I love lemon and mint. It was a very nice mix and a good match for me nutritionally." ~Caroline W

"We received our first delivery today and the food is terrific. Thank you very much for setting us up on services." ~George & Ann S

"I received my first delivery today; everything was wonderful. You guys could cook in the best restaurants. I’ll be thinking of you in my prayers. Silver Halos for everyone!" ~Peggy L

"Everything is so good. I love everything you send. And everyone there is so great. Keep up the good work!" ~Agnes O     

"Kitchen Angels’ drivers are Amazing! So lovely and friendly; they always have a smile for me."  ~ Janice O

Where the Rubber Meets the Road

Kitchen Angels delivery drivers are the volunteers who typically have the most face-to-face contact with our clients. And while we regularly share comments and stories from clients about the impact of our program or their interactions with delivery drivers, we don't always stop to reflect on the impact clients have on drivers or the many small ways our drivers help clients beyond simply delivering meals.

Audrey Unrau started at Kitchen Angels as a visiting volunteer on Thanksgiving back in 2021. This past January, she began volunteering on a weekly basis in our kitchen. After her Friday PM kitchen shift, she also delivers meals with another kitchen volunteer, Deb Pritchard. Here's what Audrey says about meal delivery . . .

"Knocking on a client's door and delivering their meal is a heartwarming experience. It doesn't take long before you both get to know and trust each other. Over time it feels more like you are their neighbor and able to have brief conversations. Last week a rather reserved client noticed that I like to wear bold earrings and offered to make me a pair of earrings.

The resilience of clients with chronic medical diseases is inspiring. Most are living alone and manage their own households. The daily knock on their door with a fresh, nutritious meal and a neighborly 'hello how's it going' is a pleasure." 

* * * * * * *

We want to hear from our delivery drivers about your experiences as a driver and how clients may have had an impact on you. Send your thoughts or stories to info@kitchenangels.org. Please let us know if we can use your name. Use the words "Driver Stories" in the subject line.

Greens are popping up everywhere! From the grass to the garden to the grocery store, green has got you covered for the month of April. In New Mexico, early spring is a bonanza of greens such as kale, collard greens, spinach, and chard. There are also arugula and other types of salad greens. Of course, don't forget herbs.

Kale, which is readily available in most grocery stores, either on the stem or in a bag, is an incredibly versatile green: tender enough for a salad, but hearty enough for soups and stews. Food and Wine has thirty great kale recipes, but this simple sauteed kale with garlic and olive oil is a perfect side dish (especially if your kale is a little wilted from the refrigerator). 

Collard greens are also readily available at the grocery store or farmers market, but to get that classic tender, southern collard green takes a bit more work and lots of practice. If you don’t have a southern friend to give you a good recipe, this one from Southern Living is pretty classic, using ham, bacon, and apple cider vinegar. Cooked low and slow, collard greens are flavorful and hearty.

New Mexico also has a few native greens, like purslane. Called verdolaga in Spanish, most people killed purslane because it takes over backyards and lawns. In actuality, purslane is an extremely nutritious native plant that, like kale, can be eaten as a salad green or put in soups and stews. If you want to try purslane, here are some recipes from Forager/Chef. If you decide to forage your own, please make sure to go with an experienced forager and only collect on land where you have permission to be.

No matter where you get them, remember to wash your greens thoroughly before cooking.

KITCHENALITY

Happy Birthday to You!

We want to celebrate you! Present your ID on your birthday and get a special discount on your purchases.

Go ahead and treat yourself . . . you know you want to!

Remember, we always need your donations, especially kitchen basics such as pots and pans, cooking utensils, measuring cups, and baking dishes and pans. Donations are accepted during store hours. Remember, one hundred percent of your donations and purchases support Kitchen Angels' meal delivery program. It just doesn't get any better!

Store hours are Monday through Friday, 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM and Saturdays, 10:00 AM until 4:00 PM.

You can also follow KITCHENALITY on Facebook and Instagram.

Kitchen Angels Recipe Box

Lauren's kimchi recipe didn't make it into the last edition of Halo Headlines, so here it is for April! This spicy condiment is always in season, and incredibly good for you. It has cancer-fighting properties, reduces inflammation, and bolsters the immune system. Some research even points to kimchi slowing the aging process! You can purchase the Korean chile flakes at Santa Fe Asian Market. Enjoy!

Lauren's Kimchi

INGREDIENTS

• 1 gallon Kimchi Brine (1 cup pink Himalayan salt to 1 gallon spring water)
• 1 large napa cabbage
• ¼ cup gochugaru (salt-free Korean red chile flakes)
• ¼ cup Chimayo red chile powder, hot (if you like it milder, double the gochugaru and omit the Chimayo hot chile)
• 1 cup thinly sliced daikon radish
• 1 cup carrot, julienned or peeled into long strips
• 6 scallions, greens included, sliced
• 1 head garlic, cloves minced
• 1 TBSP minced fresh ginger

PREPARATION

1. In a crock or very large bowl, combine the brine ingredients and stir to dissolve.
2. Remove the damaged or tough outer leaves of the cabbage and discard. Rinse 2 unblemished outer leaves and set aside. Rinse the cabbage in cold water, trim off the stalk end and discard. Cut head in quarters and submerge the cabbage and the reserved outer leaves in the brine. Use a plate weighted with something heavy to keep the cabbage submerged. Set aside at room temperature for 6-8 hours.
3. Combine the chile pepper flakes, daikon, carrot, scallions, garlic, and ginger in a large bowl and blend thoroughly. Store in the refrigerator until the cabbage is finished brining.
4. Drain the cabbage for 15 minutes, reserving about 2 cups of the soaking liquid. Set the separated outer leaves aside.
5. Chop the brined cabbage into bite-size pieces, or larger if you prefer, and add them to the bowl of vegetables & chile. Massage the mixture thoroughly with clean, bare hands (or wear gloves if you are sensitive to the chile powder), then taste for salt. Usually the brined cabbage will provide enough salt, but if it’s not to your liking, sprinkle in a small amount, massage, and taste again.
6. Transfer the vegetable mixture, a few handfuls at a time, into a crock, jar or onggi pot, pressing with your hands or a tamper as you go. Add reserved brine as needed to submerge the vegetables and leave about 4 inches of headspace for a crock or onggi pot, or 2-3 inches for a jar. Cover with the brined leaves. Top with a weight to keep the vegetables submerged. You can use a sealed water-filled jar or ziplock bag, or a plate with a weight on top.
7. Set aside on a baking sheet or rimmed dish (in case it overflows), to ferment for 7-14 days. Place it out of direct sunlight, and someplace cool. Check your ferment daily to make sure the vegetables are submerged.
8. You can start to test the kimchi after one week. It will taste mild at this point, like a half-sour pickle. The cabbage will have a translucent quality and the brine will be an orange-red color. Kimchi is often quite effervescent; it’s normal whether it’s bubbly or not.
9. Store in the fridge when you want to stop the fermenting process. This kimchi will keep refrigerated for 9 months. Eat a little at a time until your body gets used to it. Kimchi is a powerful probiotic!

* * * * * * *

If you'd like to contribute a recipe, send your selection to info@kitchenangels.org by the 15th of the month to be considered for inclusion in the next month's Halo Headlines. Use the word "Recipe" in the subject line and tell us your name, how long you've been volunteering with Kitchen Angels, and what your volunteer job is. If it's a "borrowed" recipe, give credit. If you have a photo, send it along.

We're always looking for volunteers. If you're interested in a regular shift or to be placed on our substitute volunteer list, OR if you know someone who's interested, please contact Crystal Hena, Volunteer Coordinator.

Here are the latest opportunities:

Continuing Education

For as long as Kitchen Angels has served pork, we've handled the question of whether or not pork is considered "white meat." Oddly, before 1987, most people placed beef, pork and lamb in the same "red meat" category. "Red Meat" spoke less about the actual color of the meat, and more about if the animal was a mammal and had hooves.

In 1987, the National Pork Board developed the slogan "Pork - The other white meat". Its aim was to "increase consumer demand for pork and to dispel pork’s reputation as a fatty protein." It worked. A study conducted in 2000 showed it to be "the fifth most memorable promotional tagline in the history of contemporary advertising." The effective advertising placed pork at number one on the list of the world's most-consumed protein. It also created some confusion.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture,"all meats obtained from mammals are red meats because they contain more myoglobin (an iron- and oxygen-binding protein distantly related to hemoglobin), which gives them their red color." Kitchen Angels classifies pork, beef, lamb, veal, boar, bison, and venison as red meat.

Something else that has changed is pork's fat content and flavor. Pork is lower in fat than ever before due to modern breeding and feeding methods and because butchers typically trim away nearly all excess fat. Grocery store pork has "39 percent less exterior fat than it did just ten years ago". Of course, that affects the flavor and texture, but there are methods for enhancing your pork dishes. One key is marinading. Click here for more tips!

Community Connections

Kitchen Angels is grateful for the corporate sponsors who make Angels Dine Out possible. The generosity of these businesses is deeply appreciated. They are helping to build a stronger community. Please think of them when deciding where to take your business.

Thank You

March was a big month for Kitchen Angels. We successfully launched our new diet tracks, which was the culmination of eight months of work! A huge round of applause goes out to everyone involved in the efforts. Karen is doing a wonderful job, rolling out the new recipes and guiding the kitchen volunteers through new territory. Big thanks to each of our kitchen volunteers for bravely facing the new recipe challenges! We know the morning shift is working harder than ever, and your efforts are paying off. The clients couldn't be happier with the meals they get to enjoy.

We welcome your feedback! What feels like a positive change? Are there any areas where you can see room for improvement? As we gain confidence with the new diets and recipes, it will become easier.

Again, thank you all for your hard work and dedication to our mission!