One thing I love about the holiday dinner is that so many of you will take a moment during the excitement and anticipation to think about our neighbors who perhaps aren't having such a good year, and to go out of your way to purchase a few items to donate to our annual food drive.
As in past years, all your donations will benefit the Greater Chicago Food Depository, the main food bank in our area. Every single dollar you donate will provide three meals to a hungry Chicagoan. Last year, the Food Depository distributed nearly 72 million pounds of food, 37% of which was fresh produce. 164,000 meals are provided on a daily basis. It is truly an honor and one of my very favorite holiday tasks to deliver your generous donations each year the morning following our party.
The first question I always get is, "What do they need the most?" Of course, the food bank will accept all non-perishable food donations, but the following highly nutritious items are especially appreciated:
• Canned tuna, chicken or salmon
• Peanut butter
• Meals in a can (soup, stew, chili)
• Canned vegetables and fruit
• Olive or canola oil
• Spices (cinnamon, chili powder, cumin, salt-free spice blends)
• Breakfast cereals
• Healthy snacks (granola bars, nuts, dried fruit)
If possible, please avoid items packed in glass. We will have some boxes available to collect your donations at the party; if you prefer to donate a check or cash, you can give them directly to me.
Thank you all for your kind support of our annual food drive, and I can't wait to see you at Pearl's!
“Assuredly it is a great accomplishment to be a novelist, but it is no mediocre glory to be a cook.” -- Alexandre Dumas
"I give you Chicago. It is no London and Harvard. It is not Paris and buttermilk. It is American in every chitling and sparerib. It is alive from tail to snout." -- H.L. Mencken