FoodDay.org at Super Fi Emporium

Hey followers,

     This is the third installation of the West Harlem Group Assistance (WHGA) blog. This entry serves as a reflection of our time at FoodDay which occurred on October 24th, 2013. The event was hosted by the Partnership for a Healthier Manhattan to teach members of the community (primarily youth) healthy eating practices. See the flyer below:

Part of the education process revolves around dispelling certain beliefs members of the community have around food. One myth that has plagued the community of Harlem is the misconception about healthy foods- primarily fruits and vegetables; that they are expensive and taste bad. This myth partially stems from the particular resources (A topic we'll save for a later date) available to members of the community. The Food Day event attempted to combat this myth by providing inexpensive healthy snacks using foods/ingredients regularly found in the community.

WHGA members held the "Make your own Salad dressing event". This was an opportunity for members of the community to see how simple and cost-efficient it is to make salad dressing. The ingredients used to make the salad recipe cost a little under $25.00 but could easily last a year with regular use.

Although we strictly followed the recipe, that doesn't mean you have to. That's the beauty of making your own dressing: You can make it according to your own taste bud (The Beauty of America!). Why succumb to the likes of Kraft and Wishbone when you can make your own dressing in the comfort of your own home? Why should everyone have the same flavor in their dressing - That's communism! Prove that you live in a democratic society and exercise your right by making your own salad dressing!

See the recipes below (Try them and let us know what you think!).

The two recipes we served at the event. Try them and let us know what you think!

Since dressing can't be served by itself, we added some romaine lettuce to our dressings in sample cups. The romaine lettuce was a nice complement to the dressing; adding minimal, if any, interference with the flavor. However, dressings weren't the only flavorful items being served at the event. There were other delicacies there, but we at WHGA believe the most memorable one came from Harlem Seeds.

Some of the samples we had at the event

Harlem Seeds is an organization whose mission is to inspire young people to live long healthy lives; by empowering them to make appropriate food and lifestyle choices provided everyone with a harmonious snack that was comprised of kale, sun-dried tomatoes, sauteed garlic in olive oil and spike seasoning blend. Who knew that Kale (dare I say superfood?) and sundried tomatoes, both nutritious vegetables could formulate such a delicious snack? Harlem Seeds knew and were willing to let everyone in on their secret.

And lastly, WHGA would like to leave this blog post with feelings of satisfaction and accomplishment. FoodDay [h2] was a fantastic event that brings WHGA's one step closer to Healthy Equity and a healthier Harlem. I met a plethora of interesting people who I'm excited to see in future events. Overall, the future of Harlem looks bright and promising.

-WHGA