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| When the Supper Clubs come to serve the residents of the AIDS Services of Dallas, comfort food (think tuna casserole and macaroni and cheese) rules. |
sharing comfort
“I hope it ain’t chili,” she says with a chuckle. “Lord, help us, if it is. Last week, we had chili three nights in a row. That ain’t good for no one.”
I assure her we haven’t brought anything that spicy. It’s fried chicken with all the fixings: mashed potatoes, baked beans, and corn bread. She ponders this, as if deciding whether the menu is worthy of her nobility, and announces to our clan, “That sounds good. Let us know when y’all are ready.” Tonight’s dinner is approved. The Queen has decreed it so.
So goes the ritual for our Supper Club group. Supper Club is a volunteer program organized by AIDS Services of Dallas for the residents of its four housing units in Oak Cliff. ASD provides furnished, service-enriched housing and assisted living in private apartments for nearly 225 men, women, and children suffering from HIV/AIDS. Many of them are formerly homeless and live well below the poverty line. Though state funded, ASD depends on volunteers to help care for its residents.
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| Serving anywhere from 20 to 60 residents a night, the hands move fast and the food flies when the Supper Club arrives. |
“We’re only funded enough to provide breakfast and lunch,” says Sharon Feigenbaum, development associate and lead volunteer coordinator for ASD. “That’s why the Supper Club program is so essential to our residents. Our volunteers provide dinner for people who might not have a meal otherwise.”
Ironically, it wasn’t the ASD that founded the Supper Club program. When ASD moved into Oak Cliff in the 1980s, the organization met resistance from its new neighbors. People picketed and protested. Mail carriers were urged to wear gloves when delivering the mail, underscoring the public’s ignorance concerning AIDS.
“It was really crazy,” says Sharon. “When the national media picked up the story, several women from the neighborhood didn’t want everybody to think that this is how all of Oak Cliff was. They decided to do something about it. So, they started cooking and delivering meals to our residents as a sign of goodwill.”
comfort food to go With work deadlines, soccer games, ballet lessons, and social engagements, who has time to cook? We feel your pain. We also feel your hunger. That’s why we’ve complied this list of area restaurants and gourmet-to-go specialists who know a thing or two about cream of mushroom and aren’t afraid to use it. KING RANCH CASSEROLE CHICKEN POT PIE FRIED CHICKEN MOM’S MEATLOAF HOMEMADE PIES |
And from those women’s generosity the Supper Clubs were born. Today more than 60 groups provide dinner and fellowship on a nightly basis. Some go a step further, organizing bingo, card games, and even movie nights. During the holidays, some Supper Clubs serve their meals and then go caroling to all the ASD houses.
The groups are as varied as the residents they serve, consisting of singles, religious organizations, and academic institutions. “One man does it all by himself,” Sharon boasts. “He cooks, serves, and cleans it all up. He just loves being involved.”
But many Supper Club groups are like mine: just a bunch of friends who have been blessed by life and want to share their good fortune. We don’t sing or play the guitar, much to the chagrin of the Revlon House. (If they ever heard us sing, they would thank the Lord for our silence and good sense.) In fact, some of us can’t even cook, though the ones who are spatula-impaired do purchase a mean chicken tetrazzini. But that’s okay. We do our best, and once a month, we are rewarded for it by the smiles of gratitude from our Oak Cliff friends. Our work seems small but pays huge dividends.
“Without the Supper Clubs, we couldn’t get by,” says Sharon. “These meals—and the fellowship—mean the world to our residents and the ASD as well.”
Or as the Queen so regally puts it, “We’ll see you boys next month. We’ll be here and hungry.”
The following are recipes used by various Supper Clubs. Obviously, comfort food is a popular theme, as are casseroles.
Granny Curtis’ Yum Yum Chicken
(serves 6)
You know any recipe requiring this much
“cream of…” soup must be good. It’s popular, too.
boiled and shredded
8 ounces sour cream
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 box Stove Top stuffing mix
2 cups chicken broth or water from boiled chicken
1/2 stick margarine or butter
Distribute shredded chicken evenly in a 9×13-inch casserole dish. Mix the sour cream, cream of celery soup, and cream of chicken soup and pour evenly over the chicken.
(serves 6)
A Southern classic that’s quick, easy, and inexpensive.
2 1/2 cups cooked chicken, cubed
1 10-ounce pkg. frozen mixed vegetables
1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 1/3 cup milk
1 1/2 cup biscuit mix
1 can french fried onions
1 can cream of mushroom soup
(serves 6)
This dish refrigerates and freezes well,so it can be prepared ahead of time.
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cups chicken broth
3/4 tablespoon white pepper
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons onion, chopped
4 cups rice, cooked
8 ounce-can water chestnuts, sliced
1 1/2 cup almonds, sliced
1 cup celery, chopped
2/3 cup butter
3 cups corn flakes
(serves “a whole mess of people,” says the recipe’s author)
A proper gumbo is good for what ails you, and this Cajun
comfort brew is zesty and memorable. Skip the cayenne pepper
for a tamer version.
6 pounds gumbo crabs
5 onions, quartered
2 bell peppers, chopped
6 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
6 quarts of water
6 tablespoons flour
6 tablespoons oil
2 1/2 pounds cut okra
Gumbo filé
Salt
Pepper
Onion salt
Garlic salt
Cayenne pepper, to taste
over rice.
(serves 8-10)
Yes, the name is unappealing. But many a Texas child grew up eating this sweet, simple, yet undeniably delicious dessert. Serve with ice cream.
1 can pie filling (apple, peach, or cherry)
1 stick margarine, melted
1 cup pecans, chopped
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