When I was working as a Prison officer my family restaurant background culinary skill came in handy for me to supervise and spearheaded the inmate’s project to cook for the old folk every first Sunday of the month. Henceforth, the birth of charity project known as CHARITY BEHIND FOUR WALL the goal was to teach the inmates the value of helping, giving and contributing back to the community. We would work out the menu and without failed the inmates would dished out new menu every Sunday. Culinary Arts in the prisons facilities need a lot of creative imagination because of the limited resources ingredients, not to mention "cleanliness which is next to holiness”, observing strict food safety and hygiene practices......
Cooking for the old folk was totally different ball game and experienced, every aspect of their safely came into play. Way of making the meat to be tender and soft if too hard they might have difficult in swallowing and choke . We would marinate the meat in the spices of choice for about two hours before cooking, helps to soften the meat. When its time to cook it you firstly heat some oil in a pan, hot enough for meat to sizzle when added, allow this to brown for a few minutes. When all the meat is nicely brown add some water (enough to level with the amount of meat you are cooking) pop lid on pan and allow to cook just below boil level (bubbles nicely, not a fast boil). Once the water has reduced to about half, add any other flavor you want, and then continue cooking. Meat will be full of flavor and nicely tender too.
The project was a huge success, caught the public and media attention subsequently was featured in the Channel News Asia on inmate cooking for the Old Folk in St Joseph Home. I guess people seem to be continually interested to learn about how inmates able to dished out the food with such limited resources.
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