That just goes to show you how  naive my upbringing had left me. I’d never even considered the need to research the history of refrigeration until now, because when I was a child, my mother’s kitchen always had modern appliances.

Although I’d certainly heard about the ice man from all three of grandmothers, I’d never actually seen or needed one because we had never owned an old-fashioned ice box.

So, where was an ice man when I needed one last week? He no longer exists in America, of course.

Will Smith Sr., by the way, stopped delivering ice several decades ago. When I interviewed him on my former radio show called “The Real Deal” ( heard on WHAT 1340-AM in Philadelphia back when it aired talk), we talked about his record company and not his ice truck, which he’d long ago put to final rest. But it was fun hearing his stories and learning about the father who had raised mega-super star Will “the rapper/actor” Smith.

But back to my story from last week.

I had just spent about $300 on food for my daughter’s college graduation party, and a lot of it required refrigeration - chicken wings, salmon, lamb, assorted cheeses, eggs and humus. I’d been planning the menu for months, and wanted to prepare most of the food the night before so that  I could enjoy her guests and not be sequestered in the kitchen during the party. And just as I was about to begin prepping the food, my refrigerator died.

All of a sudden, a pool of water was leaking down from the freezer, and it was 10  o’clock at night. We couldn’t call anyone to fix it, and we certainly couldn’t call any friends that late. So, we dug around the basement and pulled out the summer coolers, and my mate went to the store and bought 50 pounds of ice to protect the food. That carried us through the night and the next day. I had to work around three ice chests plopped on the dining room floor. We had to keep buying  ice all through the party. I spent the entire celebration cooking, after all, but it was well worth the effort.

Our daughter was happy, and thankfully no one got food poisoning. Me? I’m still exhausted but thrilled that we were able to figure our way out of that mess and yes, we called the repairman the next day.

And thank GOD he was able to fix the refrigerator that we own because the cost for a new subzero one starts at around $1,500.

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Ever since I watched the movie Food Inc., I’ve been determined to shop for groceries locally. Unfortunately, that means paying higher food prices, but at least I know that local markets ensure better quality food. Particularly chicken and meat, which I buy right from the butcher. And you really can tell the difference between chicken that’s grain-fed on the ground and sees the sunlight and those grown in factories.

When animals are raised in natural environments and fed their natural diets, their life and death are much more humane. That alone makes the meat taste much better. Also, we may not realize this, but animals sense that they are headed for slaughter and their fear translates into our food because of the adrenaline that their bodies pump into their bloodstream right before they are killed. Factory-grown animals also are laced with chemicals and hormones to make them grow abnormally fast, which contributes to the nation’s high obesity rates.

It really doesn’t take much to make free-range chickens taste good. A few seasonings and a nice presentation, and chicken can be prepared as a low-fat meal to satisfy everyone. One of our family favorites is Chicken Fajitas, which are easy to make and tailor to individual tastes. I like to have all of the garnishes set out for individual fixings (as photographer Silas 216 does in the photo at right. And photographer Nemo, below, puts his cast iron skillet to very good use, too).

Chicken Fajitas

1 package fajita or sandwich wraps (I prefer gourmet sandwich wraps that come in fancy flavors like whole-wheat garlic and tomato-basil)

One pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, slivered into finger-like sizes

2 fresh red, orange, yellow or green peppers – washed, seeded and sliced into thin pieces

½ lb button mushrooms, washed, capped and sliced

1 red onion, washed and sliced

2 vine-ripe tomatoes, diced

½ tsp sea salt

½ tsp ground black pepper

1tsp fresh chopped cilantro

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp oregano

¼ tsp lime zest

1 tsp lime juice

1 cup fresh grated cheese (we like parmesan mixed with cheddar)

1 cup salsa

1 cup sour cream (optional)

1/8 cup virgin olive oil

2 avocados washed, seeded, skinned and sliced

Whisk together the herbs, spices, lime zest, lime juice and olive oil, and marinate chicken in it overnight. ½ hour before serving, sauté’ chicken in a screaming hot skillet until each piece is browned on all sides. Make sure that each piece has room to breath, so it may be necessary to prepare it in batches to make sure that it’s completely cooked. Set aside and cover to let the meat rest. 

In the same pan, sauté the onions and set aside, then the peppers and set aside, and then the mushrooms. Place them each in separate serving dishes or arrange separately on a platter. The salsa, tomatoes, sour cream and avocados are additional garnishes, according to individual tastes.

Since this is finger-friendly food, make sure all of the diners wash their hands thoroughly (which they should do anyway).

The wraps are best served warmed and stuffed individually. There are special fajita dishes that keep the bread warm, but another way to warm them and still keep them moist is in a vegetable steamer. Or you can place them under a clean damp dish towel and warm them in the oven. Place your own combination of toppings alongside the chicken in the middle of the wrap, fold each end under and roll to perfection.

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Here in Philadelphia, where I still have two children enrolled in public schools, serving breakfast has been added to the long list of non-teaching responsibilities that schools have inherited because of  lax parents who don’t completely do their jobs. Children skipping breakfast or eating candy instead on their way to school has such a negative effect on their academic performance that Philadelphia’s School Superintendent Arlene Ackerman holds school principals accountable for making sure that children get breakfast.

I just don’t understand what kind of parent doesn’t understand the importance of making sure that their children eat wholesome meals. And I’m really surprised when my children tell me that not all of their friends’ parents cook healthy meals like I do. Especially, breakfast, which nutritionists say is the most important meal of the day.

Breakfast kick-starts the body, so every morning, we make sure that our children get a hearty meal.We prepare turkey or soy bacon or sausage; eggs; grits;  French- toast, pancakes, or Eggs in A Basket. Protein is a very necessary body-builder and it’s also great brain food.

On the weekends we allow them to have non-sugary cereal and fruit and yogurt or bagels.

The problem is that with Philadelphia public schools having to feed hundreds of thousands of students, many who attend schools that don’t have  kitchens. I don’t trust anyone else with the responsibility of feeding my children their most important meal of the day. It’s essential that children eat protein in particular.

Whenever my youngest and pickiest child tries to skip breakfast, I remind her that not eating it is nearly as crazy as trying to drive a car with no gas. A vehicle just isn’t going to drive on empty, or without oil and water.

Our eldest student has to leave the house at 6:30 in order to get to school on time. And, no matter how hard we all try to get her out the door on time, sometimes she just doesn’t have time to eat before she catches her train downtown. So, although we really don’t advise folks to eat on the run because it interferes with proper digestion, we do pack her Eggs in a Basket to eat during her 40-minute train ride,  just to make sure that she gets something healthy in her body before she puts her brain to work.

Eggs in a Basket (feeds 6)

Ingredients

1 loaf of bread, preferably seven-grain or rye but our children love potato bread

1 dozen caged-free, all natural eggs

2 tbs butter, or coat pan with no-stick cooking spray

Salt, pepper to taste

1 non stick frying pan

1 cookie cutter, but the top of a glass will do

Directions

Using a cookie cutter or the top of a glass, cut a hole in the center of each slice of bread, careful not to break the crusts

Heat  butter or vegetable spray in pan until it sizzles

Place bread slices in pan, leaving about one-inch of space in between (cook in batches, if necessary)

Crack the egg into the center of the bread, and salt and pepper to taste

Continue to flip the Egg-in-a Basket and cook until the bread has browned on each side and the egg yolk is hard

Toast and butter the bread centers, and serve them to the side of the Eggs in the Basket

(Our youngest daughter hates egg yolks, so we separate her eggs and make hers with egg whites only)

Serve hot with turkey or soy bacon or sausage, grits, home-fries or a side of fruit

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If you are still running around looking for that last-minute gift, get a panini maker, and you’ll be loved forever. It’s the gift-of-the-century and can change the way you look at food. You don’t have to spend hours in the kitchen putting together five different food groups. You can put them all together in a sandwich, grill it and end up with an entire  meal.  

Paninis are great because they are fast and can be very healthy, depending on what you fill them with. Making them requires only your imagination.

I like paninis with a good cheese and thick grained bread, surrounded by peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes and  arugula.But they are just as good with smoked turkey, roast beef or any other filling that you’d put in a sandwich.

Also popular are food martinis, and blending the two is hotter than hot. I call it the panini-martini, a smart, efficient way to serve food. Let’s face it, on a daily basis most folks do not want to put a whole lot of time into making a dish. In fact, the faster to cook and eat, the better. Once the fillings have been prepped, paninis take less than 10 minutes to make from start to finish. The only downside is they are best served fresh, so for parties they should be made-to-order.

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It’s the spirit of the season that matters most,  and it’s far more important for people to gather with good cheer than to stress over serving expensive food.

Both my sister Diane and her husband Bill have been “foodies” since their college days, when they didn’t have one dime to spare for parties. Thirty years later, they’ve long since graduated to gourmet and give exquisite soires. This year, they hosted 60 guests for an incredible Thanksgiving feast. The next day, while Diane was making her traditional fancy leftover sandwiches, she reminisced about their early years together when fine dining meant creating sumptuous recipes out of practically nothing.

A hearty meal relies more on good tastes and than anything else.

This year, instead of a formal expensive sit-down dinner, host a chat-and-chew party around highboys with bar stools for informal sitting. If your budget is slim, stretch expensive food with portion control and present individual servings. Serve a variety of well-made but inexpensive finger foods with hot cups of made-from-scratch soup on the side. Instead of lining crudités on a platter, use glasses to house individual servings. Shot and juice glasses are perfect host to individual servings of olives and other garnishes. Even expensive sandwiches can stretch a long way when they’re cut and garnished properly and paired well.  Sandwich wraps cut into small portions nestled in martini glasses over a bed of chopped salad or coleslaw take deli-food to an entirely new level.

Making the perfect sandwich is an art. Diane always starts with gourmet rolls and breads, and an impressive array of sauces and relishes such as olives, figs and sundried tomatoes. One of my favorites of her poor-boy creations is roast beef with cream cheese, red onions and tomatoes, which she puts on a huge roll, but I prefer wraps. Her recipe is loaded with calories, but I’ve adapted it to a healthier version that reduces fat and includes arugula, beets and coleslaw, and less or even no beef (replace it with smoked turkey breast, or a tofu or avocado spread to cut down on cholesterol).

Sandwich bites

Ingredients

• 1 lb thinly sliced roast beef, turkey breast or a tofu or avocado spread
• 1 cup low-fat cream cheese, softened
• ¼ cup finely diced red onion
• Thinly sliced vine-ripe tomatoes
• 1 cup shredded arugula
• 1 cup coleslaw
• 5 large sandwich wraps
• ¼ cup shaved  parmesan cheese
• Three cooked beets, chilled and  julienned

Directions

• Pre-heat oven to 300°.
• Mix red onions and cream cheese, and set aside.
• Mix beets and arugula, and set aside.
• Spread each wrap with a layer of cream-cheese mixture. and warm until bread is soft.
• Layer wraps in this order: roast beef, coleslaw, arugula and beets, tomatoes, and sprinkle on some parmesan.
• Roll each one tightly, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at 1east 15 minutes before serving.
• Slice into bite-sizes pieces just before serving, and place in martini glasses over a bed of lettuce, coleslaw or couscous.

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Cast iron is the perfect cookware because it retains and distributes heat evenly, and becomes seasoned over time – the  longer the  better. Cast-iron pots, pans and dutch ovens come in several sizes and shapes. My 12 -incher, well-seasoned through three generations, is at least 50 years old.

This skillet can never be replaced. Muddie died two decades ago, but I can still picture her frying fish or making succotash in the same  frying pan that  I use to bake cornbread,  fry chicken, sauté vegetables, roast a leg of lamb or create  my own special version of her  succotash.

Ten years ago, our kitchen was so small that two people couldn’t work comfortably in it at the same time. Over the years, we’ve been renovating, but at one point it was so crowded that I’d  store my pots and pans in the oven to make space. One day when my new stove arrived and I was at work, my mate  Natu forgot  to retrieve the pots and pans  from the oven before the delivery man hauled the old one away.

It was the  dead of winter,  there was snow everywhere and the old stove had been dumped  at a junkyard  miles away from our house. I didn’t care about any of  my other cookware, but when I found out that my cast-iron pan was missing, I was devastated and  gave my man the silent  treatment for days. No matter how much he apologized, I was really depressed about that skillet. It was one of those heartbreakers that I’d have to learn to live with, and I stayed  in a real blue funk about it.

Then one day, I came home to find it  sitting on top of my bright new stove. I felt like I’d hit the lottery. Desperate to fix his mistake, Natu had tracked down the delivery man and driven 50  miles,  trudged through two fields of snow to the junkyard, poked  through thousands of  discarded appliances and found our yellow stove. The pan was still inside the oven. 

It’s a miracle that he found it, and I feel grateful that he realized how important my grandmother’s cast -iron skillet was to me,  felt awful about losing it and cared enough to go  find it and bring it back home.

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