Supporting North Fulton Community Charities

As the weather gets cold and our thoughts turn to holiday giving, I wanted to take a moment and give attention to North Fulton Community Charities. For 30 years NFCC has supported families in need through out north Fulton. Not only do they run the theft shop on Elkins Road, but they organize a food bank, emergency assistance, winter coat drive and sponsor individual families for holidays. They even have a job assistance program. With federal benefits programs like SNAP being cut recently, needy families are counting more than ever on organizations like NFCC for help.

So what can we do to help? Here at Northside Foods Amalgamated Industries, we are frequent patrons of NFCC. Any time I clean out a closet, I set aside items we don't need anymore to donate to their thrift shop. We also shop there for deals on stuff that can be up cycled, like furniture and clothing.  When we have extra canned goods, they go to the food bank there. It's not much, but a little help is better than none, right?

NFCC anticipates serving over 1300 families in Roswell, Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton and Mountain Park this holiday season. These could be our neighbors, friends or co-workers. You never really know who needs a helping hand in our community. I'm setting a goal for myself of donating a few items every week to NFCC between now and January 1st.

NFCC is just one of many food banks and community assistance programs. Even if you aren't in my neighborhood, please consider supporting them.

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Oh noes! Too many choices!

There are two "Taste of" events competing on the Northside tomorrow night. I haven't decided which, if any, I will be attending.

First up, is the first annual "Taste of John's Creek" event, sponsored by the John's Creek Chamber of Commerce. Advance tickets were $15, but I think it's too late for that. Day of and at the door tickets are $20 per person. You can purchase them at the main office of the Chattahoochee High School, which is fitting since the event is to benefit extra curricular programs at the school such as marching band, debate and of course, the football team. According to the website, it's an array of local independent restaurants, as well as the big national chains looking to burnish their reputation in the community.

The event will be held at Chattahoochee High from 5pm to 9pm.

The second event is the "Roswell High Taste Fest", presumably called that to differentiate it from the annual "Taste of Roswell" sponsored by the city. Same price as the Chattahoochee High event, but they are limiting attendance to just 3,500 people. They don't list out the participants on their website, instead its a rotating series of logos in the corner. I simply do not have the patience to sit their and watch it. I did note that my personal favorites Relish and Land of a Thousand Hills coffee shop are represented. This event also supports Roswell High's extracurriculars, including sports teams and music programs.

It will occur from 6pm to 9:30pm.

It's a bird! It's a plane! Its...SUPER H MART!!!!

We're lucky enough in this neck of the woods to have access to the Super H Mart, a chain of Korean grocery stores. They seem to be scattered around the country, where ever there's a large Korean population. It's not a speciality store, but a full service grocery, featuring many imported items from Asia, along with a full American staples.

One of the teachers I work with runs a Japanese Culture Club for the students. After I mentioned Super H Mart to her, she decided she wanted to take them there as a field trip. As I mentioned, it's chock full of food from all over Asia, not just Korea. When I made sushi with my International Studies classes last spring, this was where I went to get supplies. So I took her there so she could scope it out and see if it was appropriate for her students.

While we was there, I snapped a few pictures:

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Mmm...free samples... We ended up buying several bags of these to take home. In fact, I still have some in my freezer. I think I know what dinner is tonight...

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One of the best parts of Super H Mart is the food court. It has fast food selections from Japan, Korea, Thailand and China. I have never been able to go without stopping in for a treat.

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This one promises both Chicken AND Joy. How can you top that?

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My coworker, who worked in a Korean restaurant while in college, ordered a Korean dish who's name escapes me. It was steamed rice, veggies, and a raw egg cracked over the top. You stir in the egg and the heat from the rice cooks it. It also comes with kimchi and hot sauce, which are mixed in to your preference.

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I got a steaming bowl of pho with steak slices. Not the best pho I've ever eaten, but still very good. And you can't go wrong with a bowl of soup big enough to stick your head in.

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We also ordered Thai spring rolls as a side. Again, I've had better. But I've also had worse.

The first few times I visited a Super H Mart, it seemed like I was the only white person there. However, with their super low prices and huuuge produce section, it seems like there were more this time. Many people are discovering that ethnic grocery stores have unbeatable deals if you're willing to drive a little further and endure a little culture shock.