Pasta Champion San Francisco (California) by Ruth Paget
Thanks to doing the supplemental reading listed in my health and nutrition textbook at Cass Technical High School in Detroit (Michigan), I learned that several grains have very good protein and fiber content.
Being a teenager in recession-era Detroit, I was very interested in inexpensive proteins with a high-fiber content, which made them an attractive way to stretch money and still be healthy.
These grains with good protein and fiber content include:
-buckwheat
-whole wheat
-oatmeal
-brown rice
-pasta made with semolina flour, which comes from durum wheat
(Quinoa was probably mentioned too, but I might not have noted it due to expense. Quinoa, originally from the Andes Mountains in Latin America, is now grown in Rockies in Colorado.)
I ate tons of oatmeal as a child and teen in Michigan to brace myself for winter mornings. Later when I moved to Monterey County California, I made tons of refried rice to save money. Sacramento, California’s capitol, is an important rice growing region like that along the Mississippi River Valley.
I have made use of California’s Asian markets and bulk rice buying at Costco and Foods Co (owned by Kroger) to make my beloved refried rice with cooked shrimp, peas, corn, carrots, and scrambled eggs.
I consider pasta made from semolina flour to be a gourmet treat, especially if you combine it with organic vegetables like those you can find in Salinas, California.
I like to tinker in the kitchen and have cooked several recipes from The San Francisco Cookbook Volume II edited by Michael Bauer and Fran Irwin. These recipes are so loved that you can find them on many restaurant menus now.
I think making them with children is a fun family activity that teaches self-sufficiency and nutrition at the same time.
I like the following pasta recipes from The San Francisco Cookbook Volume II: -creamy lemony spaghetti with olives and basil
-spaghetti with marinated fennel, tomato, and olives
-papardalle with arugula, cherry tomatoes, and bread crumbs
-jalapeño macaroni
-crab pasta
-pasta with saffron-scented cream, peas, and prosciutto
-oven-baked quinoa loaf
-lemon-asparagus rice pilaf
I love it that San Francisco has encouraged the development of so many pasta dishes made with organic vegetables that the whole country can enjoy.
By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
