This will be part of a series of journal entries on food at Elkton, as it bears some attention.
I had the best meal I’ve had at Elkton today. It was nothing complicated, but properly seasoned and cooked, food made from modest ingredients can be delightful. The entree of my affection today was the humble Chicken breast patty sandwich. First off, it was made with real chicken breast! It was also breaded with the correct amount of batter and breading, which was properly seasoned. All the meals at Elkton, I’m told, are made by the inmates working in the kitchen. This particular chef de cuisine clearly had access to a family recipe…it had that taste. This meal was far better than any other I’ve had at Elkton. I caveat that with the fact that I don’t usually eat dinner, and that I avoid beef for religious reasons.
The meals provided by the institution here are highly uneven. Some are fairly passable, but many are border line inedible. The most common culprit is over-cooking which leads to dryness. Also, the sides can vary greatly. For example, today we had tater tots (understandable) and Christmas cookies (?!). I couldn’t bring myself to devour the adorable little gingerbread men, so I passed them on to another inmate. Giving is the heart of Christmas after all. More greens would be good at lunch like the occasional salad we get. Either way, there is a reason why the units have their own economies built on food. I’ll write more about that soon.
