"soup kitchen" news and stories

As we all get ready to sit down to a belly-bulging turkey dinner this Thursday with the ones we love, it's also time to remember the holiday is about giving thanks.

But during these tough economic times, many people will get their meals this holiday season from food banks and soup kitchens. Volunteering to charitable causes in a time of abundance gives others a reason to give back.

Find out how you can help after the jump.

Despite their inborn Southern love for the artisanal, aged country ham, the Lee Brothers have to admit that city ham, the shortcut that is brined, cured and smoked in as little as two weeks (as opposed to the 1-2 year aging of country ham), can be quite delicious. They tasted their way through the city to find all the top spots to get your ham.

In the basement of the Broadway Presbyterian Church, everyone can find a four star, multi-course meal. This isn't a restaurant, however. It's a soup kitchen. Michael Ennes, the chef, insists on using homemade stocks, avoids trans fats and tries to use organic and local products and produce whenever he can. The meals he serves include roasted turkey with a mango-ginger glaze and tropical fruit stuffing and Andalusian oxtail and lentil stew. "At one time, Mr. Ennes dreamed of being a starred chef" and although he has to rely on donated ingredients much of the time, he couldn't be happier with his work. Broadway Presbyterian is a place where everyone is served and everyone's opinion is valued. "They're still customers, whether they're paying $100 a plate or nothing."

Mark Bittman, the minimalist, introduces people to pancakes: Polenta Pancakes, Baked Pancakes, Light, Fluffy and Rich Pancakes, Recipe: Everyday Pancakes.

Can you identify the origin of a maple syrup by tasting it? The answer is yes. Not all maple syrups are the same and the differences between the varieties are surprising.

A few last minute suggestions for stocking stuffers.

Frank Bruni dines at The Russian Tea Room and gives it 1 star.

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Want to help "stamp out hunger"? You can start by making an effort not to waste food, but perhaps a more direct route to take is to leave a can or three of non-perishable food items in your mailbox this Saturday. If you live in the US, Saturday May 13th is the National Letter Carrier's Food Drive (a.k.a. the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive), which means that postal workers will be collecting the cans of food from mailboxes and delivering them to local food banks and soup kitchens.

Actually, you're not limited to canned goods. Anything that is non-perishiable, not expired and not packed in glass is readily accepted, so browse the aisles of the grovery store for packaged soups, pastas, juices and similar products. If whatever you choose to donate is a bit bulky, you can leave it in a bag next to your mailbox or drive it down to the post office and drop it off there.

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