Increased Gambling In Illinois - Another Half-Baked Recipe

When Illinois started the Illinois State Lottery, the powers that be said that the revenues from it would help to fund education throughout the state. That never did come to pass, however, and this year, an additional $171 million is threatened to be slashed from Illinois schools. To make up the funding gap, legislators have passed a law to allow more gambling in Chicago and throughout Illinois.

Will the increased tax revenue from the additional casinos make up the funding difference? I doubt it. It may even create additional problems once people have even more opportunities to lose their money. It seems to me to be yet another regressive tax. After all, who will be more likely to spend fortunes at the casinos than those with little or nothing to lose, hoping desperately to win the solution to their financial problems by gambling away what they have?

Just in case increased gambling doesn’t solve our problems, a March On Hunger is planned in Chicago on Saturday, June 25^th. It will be held at Soldier’s Field and step-off time is 8:15 AM. Money raised will go to the Greater Chicago Food Depository. I have a feeling they’ll still need the money so if you have time, walk with them. For more information, you can contact the Tov Network www.tov.org or the Greater Chicago Food Depository www.chicagosfoodbank.org.

All this talk of hunger can make you hungry. Here’s another quick, easy and very filling recipe from Peace de Resistance for eggplant parmesan. It feeds 4 to 6 people and takes about 20 minutes to prepare.

                                                               Eggplant Parmesan

1 eggplant cut in slices

1 pound chopped beef
2 cans tomato sauce
dried parsley, sweet basil, salt, garlic powder, oregano to taste
mozzarella cheese shredded or cut in very small pieces
grated parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 Fharenheit. 

Steam the eggplant slices in a pot on medium heat for about 10 minutes.

While the eggplant is steaming, mix the tomato sauce with the seasoning.
Sauté the meat in olive oil. Drain the fat. Then add to the sauce.
In a casserole dish, put a layer of eggplant, layer of sauce, layer of mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle top with parmesan cheese.
Bake for 45 minutes.