This post originally ran in July, but we're rerunning it today in celebration of Feed the Resistance: Recipes + Ideas for Getting Involved officially hitting shelves!
Like millions of people across the country, I picked up a sign and marched for women’s rights in January. About three hours in, I had more than an activist fire in my belly. Whether you’re marching, letter-writing, or coordinating a fundraiser, fighting for what you believe in can work up an appetite.
Celebrated writer and cookbook writer Julia Turshen knows that supporting communities and causes often begins around the table. Her newest cookbook Feed The Resistance (released today!) guides activist cooks through delicious, economical recipes as well as ideas for supporting causes in the worlds of food, politics, race relations, and other social issues. Plus, proceeds from the book's sale go to the American Civil Liberties Union.
Combining food and activism comes naturally to Julia. Every Thursday morning, she and her wife, Grace, wake up before the sun comes out and drive half an hour to a church they are not members of. They roll up their sleeves in the church’s kitchen with four other people to cook and package a meal for sixty homebound people in the community.
“I have never been a morning person, but I’ve come to look forward to Thursday mornings more than any other day of the week,” Julia writes. “I love this group of people and the food we make, and it means so much to have a tangible way to give back to our community.”
Julia shared the recipe for the bread pudding she and the other church volunteers often make. It’s made of low-cost ingredients, and is the best way to stretch a ton of leftover bread into something really delicious. This recipe serves 20, but we hope you need to double, triple, or quadruple it as your community grows.
| Cooking spray | |
| 1 | pound [453 g] white or whole-wheat sandwich bread, torn or cut into bite-size pieces |
| 1 | pound [453 g] cinnamon-raisin sandwich bread, torn or cut into bite-size pieces |
| 1 | 14-oz [397-g] can sweetened condensed milk |
| 1/2 | cup [100 g] granulated sugar |
| 4 | cups [1 L] whole milk |
| 1 1/2 | tablespoons vanilla extract |
| 2 | teaspoons kosher salt |
| 1 | cup [240 ml] heavy cream |
| 1 | tablespoon ground cinnamon |
| 12 | large eggs |
| Butterscotch Sauce |
| Cooking spray | |
| 1 | pound [453 g] white or whole-wheat sandwich bread, torn or cut into bite-size pieces |
| 1 | pound [453 g] cinnamon-raisin sandwich bread, torn or cut into bite-size pieces |
| 1 | 14-oz [397-g] can sweetened condensed milk |
| 1/2 | cup [100 g] granulated sugar |
| 4 | cups [1 L] whole milk |
| 1 1/2 | tablespoons vanilla extract |
| 2 | teaspoons kosher salt |
| 1 | cup [240 ml] heavy cream |
| 1 | tablespoon ground cinnamon |
| 12 | large eggs |
| Butterscotch Sauce |
| 1 | stick [8 Tbsp] unsalted butter |
| 1 | cup [200 g] packed dark brown sugar |
| 1 1/2 | cups 360 ml] heavy cream |
| 2 | teaspoons kosher salt |
| 1 | tablespoon vanilla extract |
| 1 | stick [8 Tbsp] unsalted butter |
| 1 | cup [200 g] packed dark brown sugar |
| 1 1/2 | cups 360 ml] heavy cream |
| 2 | teaspoons kosher salt |
| 1 | tablespoon vanilla extract |
A New Way to Dinner, co-authored by Food52's founders Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs, is an indispensable playbook for stress-free meal-planning (hint: cook foundational dishes on the weekend and mix and match ‘em through the week).
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Written by: Katie Macdonald
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