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Happier chickens, baking class, job, & Spanish Rice recipe

Cook for Good news February 24, 2010 — Congratulations! Poultry giant Perdue has decided to treat its chickens better in response to shoppers' insistence on better meat. Read more below to see proof that voting with your wallet works! Also find out about the new Cook for Good baking class and the job opening for an editorial and administrative assistant. Finally, enjoy the February end-of-month super-cheap recipe: Spanish rice.

Happier chickens.

I nearly fell out of my chair when I read that Jim Perdue of Perdue Chicken was in Raleigh to promote his company's new USDA certification. USDA auditors have verified that some Perdue chickens eat all-vegetarian food and are raised cage-free and in a humane way (see Perdue's website for what they mean by these terms). Perdue has a website that defines the terms Look for chicken labeled USDA process verified.

Now, are these the happiest chickens? Almost certainly not. But this program does sound like a genuine improvement in large-scale chicken farming. It should also give more people access to chickens raised with some level of kindness. So if you buy chicken at the grocery store, show Perdue you approve by picking up some of their USDA Process Verified meat.

Baking class March 13: Healthy, Homemade Bread, Quick or Slow

Are you curious about baking bread at home, but don't know where to start, or looking for some new techniques? Join me for this fun class and learn how to make delicious, nutritious bread at home. Whether you whip up a fast bread or keep a bowl of slow-rising yeast dough in the fridge, you can make whole-grain, fresh bread with very little money or effort. Of course, we'll get to enjoy samples of hot delicious biscuits and take lots of great recipes home! Cost: $10. See class details or call Whole Foods to register: 919-828-5805.

Cook for Good is hiring!

Seeking editorial and administrative assistant. If you love to cook, have an eye for detail, and want to work part-time at home, help me make Cook for Good a big success. Responsibilities include turning individual recipes and essays into ebooks and Word documents, proofreading, trip and event planning, Internet research, and supporting the CookforGood.com website. See full posting for details. No phone calls, please.

Recipe: Spanish Rice.

I was saving more pasta water than I could use for stoup, broth, or oatmeal until I started making Spanish Rice. With this easy and tasty recipe, you'll make good use of the deliciousness and nutrition that usually goes down the drain when you make pasta.

Thanks for voting with your wallets. The more we insist on wholesome, sustainably raised food and humane treatment of animals, the more the market will respond.