Le Blog!
Food and eating solutions without food rules, eating restrictions, eat-like-me-look-like-me diets nor “eat this, not that” food fears.
Instead, I share the best information on balanced, practical ways to eat well and maximize your health through food enjoyment, mindful tasting and cooking food you love. There are also recipes, culinary nutrition tips, and posts on how food culture impacts how and what we eat.
Quinoa Boulettes vs Ikea Swedish Meatballs
Mom would make Swedish meatballs for parties yet we weren't Swedish, didn't know anyone who was and Ikea was a two-day plane trip. Several decades later, braving my first trip to the hip-mega-everything store in search of kitchen doodads, I got overwhelmed and lost,...
Happy Cooking: Jacques Pepin American Masters
Jacques Pepin American Masters Culinary Icon
Julia Child, Albert Einstein, George Lucas, Bob Dylan and now, Jacques Pepin, headline a PBS American Masters series. Pepin’s edition portrays his evolution from 13-year old apprentice to respected, influential chef turned popular Read More
From Bubbly, Burpy Beast to Sourdough Bread
In our household, National Sourdough Bread Day is a reminder to be generous.
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No Cell Phone Zones and Digital Dining Etiquette for Healthier Habits
Gaps in my childhood memories are like holes in Swiss cheese, yet recollections of meals evoke a solid sense of belonging and comfort.
Feeling gushy about meals is easy when you nourish yourself, nurture friends and family and take a...
Pizza as a Path to Veggie-Eating Kids
Pizza Veggie Opportunities
Ask a group of American kids to all agree on meal they like. Pizza, a unifying force in the kid kingdom, wins. However, ask kids to agree on specific vegetables toppings and you’ll hear some “yuck” comments. Unfortunately, most pizzas for...
Fast Flatbread 3 Ways–Watch out Pizza
Fast Flatbread 3 Ways
(makes 6 one-person servings)
Flatbread, is quicker to make than its cousin--pizza. It doesn't require careful measuring, sifted flour or yeast and doesn't make you wait. It’s five minutes from your pantry to a lump of...
The Sweet and Meaty Taste Science of Grilled Vegetables
“Let’s grill tonight” translates to “let’s eat meat tonight”
in many backyard BBQs. It’s not surprising since grilled meat products create hundreds of complex aroma and flavor compounds. Grilled vegetables create less of these craveable compounds but develop delicious flavor profiles that can make them...
Citrus and Almond Olive Oil Cake with Tangerine Glaze
This isn’t a typical olive oil cake. Often they are dense and extra unctuous, which can be desirable, or lighter and cake-like.
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Golden Horseradish Hummus
Golden Horseradish Hummus
Hummus needs chickpeas. I've met modern interpretations at restaurants and was disappointed when I could find no trace or taste of it.
Chickpeas have a distinct flavor and, culturally, if chickpeas are subbed out for other beans, you have...
Easy French Brown-Butter Tart
For bakers and home cooks who bake often, making tarts is easy enough. However, not everyone, including me, appreciates the specific measuring and techniques required for good tart dough. Now, after discovering this easy brown-butter tart, I’m dreaming of future tarts.
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Swiss Chard Hazelnut Dessert Tart |Tarte Sucrée Aux Blettes et Noisettes
Swiss Chard Hazelnut Dessert Tart
Really. It’s not so bizarre to use vegetables in dessert. Consider zucchini bread and carrot cake. Other popular recipes include red velvet beet cake, sweet potato pudding and avocado chocolate mousse. Dessert tarts made with...
Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Sumac
Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Sumac
Pan-seared cauliflower steaks work great, yet often require finishing in the oven. This cauliflower steak with sumac option shortcuts the pan-searing for a longer, but less fussy, roast in the oven.
While these “C-steaks” may not satisfy a...
Boursin and Yogurt Artichoke Gratin
Boursin and Yogurt Artichoke Gratin
French and American gratins, pronounced “Grawh-tAHn”, range from dense, cheesy and cream-laden to light dishes made simply with a béchamel sauce.This artichoke gratin, satisfyingly filling yet not overly cheesy works well as a dip...
Parsnip Puree Soup and Crisps
Parsnip Puree Soup with Crisps
You’re so sweet, you’re so fine, but a sugar bomb in wintertime. Okay, the song doesn’t go this way but, in winter, cold converts parsnip starches to sugar at high levels and if the parsnips freeze before harvest,...
It's about Making Food First
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