Posts Tagged ‘recipe’
“Between shortage and absolute poverty an ocean of shades and gradations do emerge on the scale of deficiency”*…
Even on the shallower end of that scale, there are consequences: it’s time to whip up some alternative bean dips…
We can expect a dip in hummus supplies thanks to a forthcoming chickpea shortage.
Chickpeas are just one crop in a string of supply chain issues due to weather conditions, war and woefully backlogged shipping vessels across the globe. Quantity issues have been bolstered by worldwide fertilizer shortages and widespread supply chain issues, with crops such as tomatoes and wheat [pita!] being hit just as hard.
According to Reuters, chickpea crop yields are anticipated to drop as much as 20 percent this year. This decrease in the quantity of the legume—an important protein source for many diets— comes as a result of both unfruitful weather conditions and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Russia and Ukraine were top exporters of chickpeas, and the war has led to supply chain shortages. In fact, with Ukraine rendered unable to seed its chickpea crop, the result was a deficit of an estimated 50,000 tonnes of chickpeas that otherwise would have ended up in the European market. Before the war, Russia was responsible for around a quarter of global chickpea trade. Other prominent chickpea growing areas, such as Australia, are struggling to keep up with demand as farmers deal with drought and sellers fight for freight space on shipping vehicles.
Shipping—along with drought and flooding— is also a main concern for the American chickpea market. Merchants are contending with ocean vessels backlogged with deliveries and, in turn, grappling with increased prices of land-based legume transportation. The result is a hike in prices for the once cheap and efficient source of plant protein. In the US, chickpea prices have increased 12 percent from last year, according to NielsenIQ data and Reuters’ report.
It seems unlikely that chickpea stocks will be replenished anytime soon. Turkey, the second largest exporter of the legume, banned chickpea exports in March in an effort to ensure food security and enough stock on its own shelves…
“A Global Chickpea Shortage is Looming,” from Modern Farmer (@ModFarm).
“Mmm, this is delicious. What’s in it?”
“Chickpeas, lentils and rice.”
“And what’s in this?”
“Chickpeas and lentils.”
“Try it with rice.”
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As we ponder paucity, we might send comforting birthday greetings to Dorcas Lillian Bates Reilly; she was born on this date in 1926. A chef and inventor, she worked for many years in the test kitchen at the Campbell’s Soup Company– where she developed hundreds of recipes, including a tuna-noodle casserole and Sloppy Joe “souperburgers.” But she is best remembered for “the green bean bake”– or as it is better known, the green bean casserole— a holiday staple in tens of millions of households every year. While her recipe made good use of her employer’s Cream of Mushroom Soup, she believed that the French’s crispy fried onions were the “touch of genius” in the dish.
Giving peas a chance…
Your correspondent is no chef (his oven is used to store books); but he knows a killer recipe when he sees one… from Food Network:
English Peas
Paula Deen
Show: Paula’s Home Cooking Episode: “Hail to the Chief”Ingredients
* 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
* 2 cans (14 1/2-ounces) English peas, drainedDirections
Melt the butter in small pot and add the peas. Cook over medium heat until peas are warm.
But as compelling as the recipe is, the comments that follow on the Network’s web site are the really tasty bit; e.g.:
I substituted bacon for the peas, and omitted the butter. Delicious recipe, would make again.
My husband loves canned peas. Every time I open up a can of them I have to hold my breath, because they smell like a urine-soaked subway car. Can I substitute bacon for peas? I’d appreciate a revised recipe explaining to me how to combine butter and bacon in a pot. And please keep it simple, Paula. None of these 3 ingredient recipes that a home cook can’t possibly tackle.
This was outstanding! I did make a couple modifications. I eliminated the butter, and in place of the peas I substituted one can of Chef Boyardee spaghetti and meatballs.
And many, many more… (Readers interested in pursuing the bacon theme that emerges in the comments might consider the ideas in earlier posts, e.g. here, here, or here.)
As we endeavor to reduce the degrees of separation between ourselves and bacon, we might wish a lightly sauteed Happy Birthday to David Wesson, the chemist who created Wesson Oil; he was born on this date in 1861. Wesson’s achievement was the process that allowed the deodorization of cottonseed oil (which had before been used as shortening, of olfactory necessity, only when combined with twice the amount of less fragrant lard). Wesson’s cottonseed oil was the first vegetable oil used for cooking in the U.S.
source: Lipid Library
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