Miami Valley Meals began feeding food insecure Dayton area residents early in the pandemic. The nonprofit sources most of its ingredients from donated and reclaimed foods from commercial food distributors and organizations like the Dayton Foodbank.
Executive Chef Angie Abnett
Lead by a team of two talented executive chefs, Angie Abnett and Laura Cotton transform recovered (a.k.a. “rescued”) foods into hearty and nutritious prepared meals that are then distributed to a network of about 50 nonprofit partners serving the hungry in the Miami Valley—free of charge.
As they celebrate their 4th anniversary this month Miami Valley Meals have provided over 800,00 meals to 116 partners in 36 zip codes in the Greater Dayton region. They have used over 560,000 pounds of recovered food to create those meals.
Executive Chef Laura Cotton
The chefs plan meals using the received ingredients and send them packaged to other nonprofits distribution. As they explain, each day is like an episode of the TV showChopped. We never know what ingredients will be donated and each day they have to figure out how to create a nutritious meal from the assorted food components on hand.
Their model aims to reduce food waste in the supply chain and also in our own facility. Chefs Laura and Angie lead their team to create nourishing meals made with love that honor the dignity of people in need.
We asked both executive Chefs to take on our 10 Question interview and here’s how they answered:
What is your favorite ingredient to cook with?
AA: I love cooking with cabbage. It is so versatile- you can make a slaw, sauerkraut, kimchi, salad for a sandwich or add it to a meal.
MV Meals chefs created 3 spice blends as a fundraiser.
LC: I love experimenting with herbs and spices; when it’s all said and done, I can add whatever Iwant to it and go from there. By experimenting with different herbs and spices, I’ve gotten to create my own special blend with Miami Valley Meals, The Give Back Garlic Blast. We have three spices in total that are available for sale at Dot’s, Gem City Market, The Co, Kettering Hospital gift shops, Amazon, and are adding more shops.
What ingredient do you dread?
AA: Deboning cooked Turkey Legs because the pin bones are so sharp and dangerous.
Plus, it grosses me out!
LC: I detest lamb. I can deal with anything else, but I really don’t like the smell or gaminess of lamb.
Chef Angie supervising mals about to go through the packaging machine.
What’s your favorite dish to make?
AA: Cabbage rolls hold a special place in my heart. The crafting process reflects generations of culinary expertise and family tradition. I particularly enjoy adding a vegan twist to a culinary classic.
LC: Seafood jambalaya – it brings me back to my New Orleans roots and one of my favorite places in the whole world.
What’s your favorite pig out food?
AA: Mashed potatoes are one of my favorites. I have wonderful memories of having mashed potatoes on Sundays at Grandma Shirley’s. It is my comfort food for sure.
LC: My favorite salty food to pig out on are potato chips. Nothing fancy, but if I want something more I make a homemade onion dip. As for something sweet to pig out on, it would be ice cream, specifically dutch chocolate almond or anything with coffee. On a really good day, I might do both.
What restaurant, other than your own do you like to dine at in the Miami Valley?
AA: Amar India is my favorite, I’m vegan and they always accommodate my allergies and have a lot of plant based options. I always receive great service and a beautiful meal every time.
LC: Disappointing everyone here, but my guilty pleasure is Waffle House – it’s always there for me and it’s open 24/7. My favorite location would be the one across from The Greene on Indian Ripple Road where our server knows us and our order. My boyfriend and I go there often.
What’s your best advice for home chefs?
AA: Always try something new with a recipe or ingredient. If you fail it’s okay, try again. Practice makes the perfect meal.
LC: A few pieces of advice: have fun, relax and don’t be afraid to try something new because it could come out wonderful and if it doesn’t, no worries, you’re at home and can hide the evidence.
Chef Lauara accepting a donation.
If you could invite any 4 guests to a dinner party who would they be and why?
AA: My 4 guests would be: Mary Locke (my great grandmother), Eula Myers (my grandmother), Anthony Bourdain and Julia Child. They are a few of my favorite culinary influences. I would love to prepare them a vegan spin on their own culinary classics. I enjoy the challenge.
LC: My favorite dining experiences involve chaotic family functions. Food is love and I can’t think of anything better than a busy home with all my favorite people and some of the best meals I’ve ever had.
Who do you look up to in the industry and why?
AA: I have always admired Julia Child. As a hardworking and driven chef, she demonstrated an unwavering commitment to pushing culinary boundaries. At Miami Valley Meals I have to embrace new challenges daily with creativity. Working with donated food can be a challenge, constantly learning and testing different dishes with the ingredients given. Pushing culinary boundaries is a must in the food rescue industry.
LC: Honestly, I look up to anyone and everyone who has worked in this industry for any length of time. It takes a certain special person to be able to do this job.
What do you do in the Miami Valley on a day off?
AA: I’m always trying out different vegan dishes at home. Crafting my own vegan proteins, fermenting something, or baking breads. I am in two Local bands in Dayton, Ohio. Somersault is an educational rock band, driven by our passions and life experiences. Radar is an indie rock band, with punk rock influences, poetry and rock n roll. I am a drummer in both bands. I add vocal support to Somersault giving me the courage to sing lead songs in the band Radar. On a day I’m free from musical projects, I enjoy spending time with my family, traveling, gardening and reading a good book.
LC: When the weather is nice, I love to explore any of the wonderful parks around the Dayton area, whether it be with my boyfriend or a good friend. If the weather is bad, I love to sit on the couch and read a good book with my cat in my lap.
The team preparing thanksgiving meals to give away.
Share a kitchen disaster, lucky break or other interesting story:
AA: When I was 11 or 12 years old, my mom had a work trip so I stayed with our close family friends. I asked if I could make dinner and they said “sure”, assuming I knew my way around the kitchen. Confidently, I prepared the pork chops, frying them in a skillet for over 45 minutes or so until they were very golden brown. I even prepared instant mashed potatoes and canned vegetables.
During dinner I realized Carl was having a hard time eating the pork chop. I asked him if it was good? He replied yes, “didn’t know you could make pork chop jerky.” He said he was really enjoying it. In reality, the pork chops were burnt and dried out completely. A few days later, after my mom returned home, they told her about the meal, “We let her make dinner, didn’t realize she didn’t know how to cook.”
LC: On an incredibly busy day about 12 years ago, our small team was prepping for four events in our very small kitchen. I was focused on a traditional English high tea meal, while my sous chef was across the kitchen running the hot side.
Unbeknownst to me, some dried pasta had fallen under one of the burners he was working on. I paused to ask if anyone wanted to try some smoked cheese that was part of my dish. My sous replied, “No, I want this fire to go out,” which alerted me to the flames quickly growing from our stove. Realizing salt was no match for this fire, we quickly pulled all the pots and pans and conquered it with a fire extinguisher.
My son, who was on his first server shift ever, witnessed the fire debacle with a shocked face and asked, “does this happen a lot?” to which my Geoff, my sous replied, “first time.”
Being the head chef means you are often putting out fires, both figuratively and literally – and thankfully on this day, we were still able to get out all of our dishes, clean up the mess and even snack on some of that smoked cheese.
Miami Valley Meals
937-938-7141
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More info here.
With your support, MV Meals can continue providing thousands of meals per month to families and individuals in need across the Miami Valley, providing convenience, comfort, and dignity to those experiencing food insecurity. Donate here.
