December 4, 2002 Op-Ed http://otherpress.douglas.bc.ca Mea cP OP Recipe Guru We all want food—food that tastes good. Usually that means money and if we don't have it, we eat whatever we can get our grubby paws on. Hunt and forage. For example, Safeway almost always has free samples, and last week the cafeteria gave out cookies for filling out their survey. That’s fine and all, but students can’t live on free morsels alone. We need to eat and if we don't have the bucks to order a meal or if we don't know how to make cheap food that doesn’t taste like crap, what hap- pens? We binge one day; savouring every bite, then choke down Hamburger Helper for the next five. We look forward to family functions, especial- ly dessert. We sidestep invitations that require us to bring a dish, and we eyeball those fries left all alone on the corner table. In short, we are crav- ing substance and can be bought with a slice of pizza. It’s time to fight this evil and stop coveting our neighbour's porkchops. We can learn how to make our own food that tastes good, one frugal step at a time, and never buy another generic brand of chicken noodle soup again in our lives. We can learn, damn it. Rise with me, Starving Student, and shout to the world: I eat, therefore I am. Christmas is one of those times when we can forget our daily diet of ‘what’s there to eat?’ Everywhere you go there’s food. Weird food. Take smoked oysters for instance. Now there’s a treat no one hauls out at Easter and plops next to ham. So why do we take frilled toothpicks and spear these things at Christmas? If you can get past the look, taste, smell and texture of the things, they’re actually quite good, especially if you drown one in vinegar, sprinkle it with salt and gulp it back like a shoot- er. A word of warning: don’t let the oyster oil drip on your clothes— youll stink. Now listen up: while you're out and about over the holidays, keep your eye out for discarded turkey carcasses. Most people are so stuffed with eggnog, shortbread, and Brussells sprouts they'll be glad to get rid of what's left of the bird. You, on the other hand, will make some soup thar’ll last you through January. Turkey Soup: It's not hard to make soup. Just put the turkey carcass in a big pot— break it into pieces if you have to—and cover it with water. Peel and cut up a couple of potatoes, throw these in. Add a stick or two of celery, car- rots, and an onion. For salt, pepper and spices—start off with small amounts (1 teaspoon) you can always add more later. Put the pot on top of the stove and let it simmer away on low heat for a couple of hours. When the vegetables are soft, turn off the heat. Let the liquid cool down and lift the carcass out with tongs (use forks if you have to) and put it in anything big enough to hold it. Now, here’s the gruesome part. You're going to pick like you've never picked before. Slide, pull, rip or tear off any turkey meat you find. Put all this meat (you'll be surprised at how much there is) to the side for a minute and look at that big pot. You're going to have to strain the contents. That means you'll have to carefully pour just the liquid (called stock) from this pot into another pot or container. This is much easier if you have a colander to catch the solids. See all those mushy vegetables and bones you've strained out? Some people throw all of this away because they can’t be bothered to pick out the vegetables—we won't be doing that. Dive in and pick out anything edible, throw away what's left. Now put the stock, meat and vegetables back into the empty pot and simmer again while you figure out what you want to add. How about a couple more potatoes? Peel and cut into small pieces. Want some more carrots, celery and onion in there? Chop away. How about some frozen peas and corn? Hey, you've got leftover green beans and mashed pota- toes in your fridge! Chuck them in the pot. As your soup brews, give it a stir every once in a while and throw in a handful of rice or some broken-up spaghetti noodles. Hell, throw in a couple of oysters if that’s what you want, Remember, this is your soup— you picked it. Join Mother Hubbard in the New Year for her next project: How to deal with a sausage. © page 8 When one man controls all branches of government, schedules his own elections, Folate mrt cl diem ita te Lael opposition, most call it a... DICTATORSHIP Remembering in All Worlds Erin Culhane Opinions Editor I live in two different worlds. My primary world is in Maple Ridge, where most of it all happens. It is there that I bring the kids to school, drive my daughter to Sparks, my son to hockey, throw the ball for the dog, work, sleep, eat, love, laugh. It’s a good life. My secondary world is here at Douglas College, where I learn, work on the paper and have the opportunity to converse with other stu- dents about important issues. It’s a good life. It was in my secondary world in which last week the conversation turned to December 6, when I was asked by the Editor, Adam Honsinger, to consider writing a piece comment- ing on National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. Doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, does it? You're not likely to find any greeting cards relating to the day. It's not a money-making occasion, but a commemorative one. And although it was legis- lated by the Canadian government in 1991, youre no more likely to receive any literature informing you of this important day by the fed- eral Liberals—it’s no longer a hot topic in the House of Commons. The day coincides with the anniversary of the 1989 Montreal massacre when 14 young women were killed at Ecole Polytechnique. On that day 13 years ago, a horrible man named Marc Lepine walked into the school in Montreal, assault rifle in hand, and held an entire classroom of intelli- gent, young engineering students at gunpoint. He separated the women from the men. He aimed his rifle at the women. He open fired. Then he turned the gun on himself and ended his own life. Why? Lepine believed that the 14 female students had taken his rightful place in the School of Engineering. In both of my worlds, the memory of this hor- rid event leaves me feeling emotionally depleted In Canada, we call it a... DEMOCRACY and sad beyond words. But it is in my secon world that I have the time and the opport to discuss what December 6 means. It is t that I am surrounded by a wonderful com tion of naiveté and knowledge. It is there people know that National Day Remembrance and Action on Violence Ag: Women is not only a reminder of the trage Montreal, but a time to evaluate the way wo in all parts of the world are treated. In my primary world, there seems to b time for discussion about matters like t Sadly, it is in Maple Ridge that I’ve cringe comments about the small stature of some o women on the Ridge Meadows RCMP det ment. “Oh, she just got her job because sh woman,” I’ve heard. For every woman that got her job “just bec she’s a woman” there’s certainly a man that his because he wasn’t a woman. And even if a woman gets a job because o gender, to fill the status quo, so what? Wo have been historically screwed over. We live world in which women are for a large part treated like crap. Mark Lepine shot those wo solely because of their gender. Women are r solely because of their gender. I commend groups and individuals who take the time to remember the women who murdered 13 years ago. Women who t would have families of their own, succe careers, caring husbands, mothers and fa who love them. And I encourage everyone, no matter world you live in, to take a few moment Friday to consider where we're at as men women and what we can do or say to things even a little better. Thoughts? I look forward to hearing the opinionsubmit@hotmail.com