Food

When a Business You Disagree With Comes To Town

,

Chick-fil-a mealAt one of the many Christmas parties I went to during the holidays, I met up with a good friend of mine named Stella.  In her day job, she works as a full-time nurse, but during after hours, she is a full-time social justice warrior.  I get an email from her at least once a week about whatever progressive, anti-Trump protest, rally, cause or petition she wants me to support.

While dining at the party, Stella told me about her latest crusade; taking down Chick-fil-a.  It was announced recently that the fast food franchise would be opening its first store within Boston city limits this year.  There has been pushback by many progressives, including our late Mayor Menino, for many years to keep out businesses that don’t align with the city’s liberal values.  Chick-fil-a founder, the late S. Truett Cathy, and his family run their business based on their Christian values, which includes being closed on Sundays to celebrate the Sabbath.  However, the main objection to the restaurant coming to Boston has been the fact that Chick-fil-a donates money towards anti-LGBT causes.

Stella, who is openly bisexual, said that she will not only not eat at this new Chick-fil-a, but will also just support businesses that support a pro-LGBT agenda going forward.  She wanted me and others at the party to take that pledge to do that as well.

I consider myself to be a progressive myself.  While I support full rights for LGBT people, I am also a capitalist.  I was never really a fan of this effort to “ban” certain businesses from coming to the city because of different beliefs on social issues. As a small business owner, I believe in letting the free marketplace decide on the fate of a business.  If enough people decide they don’t want to support a business for whatever reason, whether it be because of the owner’s personal beliefs or simply because the company’s products or services are poor, then that business will cease to exist.  That’s how capitalism works.

I am also a realist.  I think it is admirable to say that you will not do business with companies based on personal beliefs; however, it is not realistic to a certain extent.  Sure, there are lists that exist showing businesses that support “XYZ” causes that you can find online.  But in reality, if you tried to only support businesses that support all your personal beliefs and politics, you would not have many places to shop or eat at. You more than likely interact with people at businesses every day who have a wide variety of belief systems that you would be shocked by if you knew ahead of time.  Do you know what the cashier at your local supermarket thinks about abortion? How about the bartender at that restaurant you like to eat at? What does your dry cleaner really think about black people? Does your plumber have a bias against people with disabilities having rights?  The only difference here is that Chick-fil-a publicly advertising its opinions.  It is not against the law to have certain opinions and beliefs.  Same-sex marriage has been legal in the United States for a couple of years now, but that doesn’t mean everyone in the country supports it.  Heck, abortion has been legal for 45 years, and there are still many people against it, including business owners.

With that said, this would be a different conversation if there was evidence Chick-fil-a was discriminating against LGBT people in employment. When personal belief is used to go against the law, that is where the line is drawn.  There is still no federal law barring companies from discriminating against LGBT workers; however, there are a few states, including Massachusetts, that do protect against LGBT employment discrimination. But employment discrimination at Chick-fil-a doesn’t seem to be the case here.  Wal-Mart has also been “banned” from Boston for its many documented poor labor practices.  However, the failed push to bring the second headquarters for Amazon, which has similar labor issues, to Boston might signal a change in the city’s attitude about accepting these companies.

In the meantime, I do enjoy a Chick-fil-a sandwich every once in a while at the nearest restaurant to Boston, not because I support the company’s anti-gay stances, but because it is simply a good sandwich.

What’s Cooking: Rasta Pasta

I love eating Rasta Pasta!

I am going to a cookout this weekend, and I thought why don’t I break out an old Jamaican recipe this time.  I don’t remember where I got the recipe originally, but it’s good. Below is a vegetarian version of the recipe I have been using for years:

Vegetarian Rasta Pasta (serves 6)

1 lb. penne pasta or macaroni
2 cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped
2 scallions, chopped
1/2 cup red sweet peppers, julienned
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp each: thyme and basil
1/4 tsp hot pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cup cooked corn kernels
1 cup broccoli, broken into florets and lightly steamed
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 quart of tomato sauce

1. Cook the pasta until firm and tender. Drain and place on a serving dish.
2. Saute the garlic, scallions, sweet peppers, and onion in the oil until the onion is transparent.
3. add the thyme, basil, hot pepper, corn, broccoli, parsley, and sauce, and heat fully.
4. Pour the sauce mixture over the pasta, and serve hot.

Traditionally, it is made with jerk chicken, shrimp and alfredo sauce. This video shows a version with just chicken.

What’s Cooking: Frito Pie

I am going to a barbeque today and I plan to bring a very American dish – Frito Pie!  This wonderful concoction originates from the Southwest.  I was first introduced to it when I went on a brief business trip out to Albuquerque many years ago.  It is basically chili con carne eaten out of a bag of Fritos.  This being New Mexico, there was also a dash of red and green chile, making it a “Christmas” Frito pie.  New Mexico cuisine is a mix of Mexican, Spanish and Native American foods.

I went to the National Museum of the American Indian in May and tried a version with Bison meat and cornbread. It was pretty good!

For the party tonight, I will be making it as a casserole with the Fritos at the bottom of the bowl, instead of pouring it into Frito bags.

Frito Pie Recipe

Here’s my recipe.  If you want to do a vegetarian version, ignore turkey instructions and brings beans and mixture to boil.

  • Two pounds lean ground turkey
  • A quarter cup of sliced jalapenos
  • Two tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • One tablespoon of garlic
  • One cup of frozen corn
  • Two can (15 ounces) red or black beans, rinsed and drained optional
  • Four-1/2 cups Fritos corn chips
  • Two cups shredded lettuce (optional)
  • One-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 3/4 cup chopped tomatoes
  • Six tablespoons finely chopped onion
  • Sour cream and minced fresh cilantro (optional)

In a six-quart stockpot, cook turkey over medium heat until it’s light brown, breaking into crumbles; drain. Stir in red chile sauce, flour, salt, jalapenos, and garlic until blended. Gradually stir in beans.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 12-15 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally.

To serve, pour Frito chips into the casserole dish and pour chili mixture on top of it. Then put cheese on top and put in the oven until the cheese is melted at 360 degrees.  Take out of oven and top with lettuce, tomatoes, and onion. If desired, top with sour cream. Should make 4-6 servings.

What’s Cooking: Gambas al Ajillo

I had another dinner party at my house during Easter weekend, and you know what that means!

I love cooking Spanish food for my guests.  Our friends Melissa and her husband Johnni were visiting from Spain. I worked with Melissa many years ago on a media development project in Senegal, and we have stayed in touch with her ever since.  Melissa and Johnni are both natives of Valencia, the home of another favorite dish paella.

I thought it would be cool to showcase my Spanish cooking skills with this simple shrimp, olive oil, and garlic dish, which is also a native food to Southern Spain.  As usual, it went over well with my guests and here is the recipe.

Gambas al Ajillo (Garlic Shrimp)

  • 1 pound of large raw shrimp
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
  • 4-6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika (or any other paprika)
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)
  • salt
  • pepper
  • chopped parsley for garnish (optional)
 Directions:
  1. Add butter, olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes to a saute pan and heat over medium heat.
  2. Saute for about 1 minute or until garlic becomes fragrant, being careful not to burn it.
  3. Add the paprika, lemon juice, and shrimp and saute for 2-3 minutes, until shrimp are pink and cooked through.
  4. Season with salt and pepper, and pour shrimp and oil into the serving dish. Top with parsley if desired and serve with crusty bread for dipping or on top of cooked Calasparra or any white rice.  I like to also mix in sauteed vegetables.

 

«< 6 7 8 9 10 >