Asparagus-Basil Pesto Move over wheat – the action in the pasta world is with “alternatives” made from vegetables, legumes, quinoa and grains like rice and corn. These alternative pastas are only about 2% of the pasta category, but their growth is remarkable, up 19% annually. Compare that to traditional wheat pasta, a “low growth” category, […]
Red Sauce – An American Icon?
April 25, 2019 by Leave a Comment
Thank you, Bon Appetit, for “Red Sauce America ” a celebration of the Italian American Restaurants we love. (1) . Who doesn’t have a memory, or many, made in an Italian-American “red sauce” restaurant? I do. As I child, my family frequented Banchero’s, in San Leandro, California. Your meal came in courses – a relish […]
What is Healthy?
April 9, 2019 by Leave a Comment
Thai-Inspired Turkey in Lettuce Cups (Larb or Laab) I get lots of questions about foods and diets- many about what is “good” or ‘bad.” Are potatoes bad? Is a low-carb diet good? Is whole milk healthy? Can I drink diet soda? Most of the time my answer turns into a series of questions. What foods […]
Eat Like You’re On A Tropical Vacation
February 28, 2019 by Leave a Comment
Nappa Spoons with Lentil-Rice Caviar, Mango, Avocado, Almonds and Mango-Chia Sauce You may not be basking in sunshine on a beach today, but it doesn’t mean you can’t give yourself a taste of an exotic vacation. With mango prices as low as a dollar each,I took a culinary adventure with this tropical fruit in […]
Fuel Up For Winter Sports
February 25, 2019 by Leave a Comment
Chocolate Oat Breakfast Sundae I don’t typically make much of breakfast, but there’s nothing like a series of snow storms to work up an appetite for a hearty start to the morning. An upcoming snow shoe adventure got me cooking. Warm oatmeal is a winter classic. Chocolate, berries and nuts make it even better. Steel […]
Honor Your Heart with a Bowl of Ribollita
February 8, 2019 by Leave a Comment
February is National Heart Month It’s nearly Valentine’s Day – time to celebrate friends and loved ones. It’s also time to honor your heart. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women and an elevated blood cholesterol level is a major risk factor (1,2). Food and lifestyle choices matter. Eating […]
Drop Everything and Make Cookies
December 23, 2018 by Leave a Comment
Bourbon-Orange Pecan Pie Bars Tradition reigns at Christmas, and a tradition I treasure is baking cookies. When holiday chores loom, I’ll postpone mailing, wrapping and other to-dos, to get to work in the kitchen. I pay attention to “added sugars” and have cut back. I’m thrilled that the new food label, debuting in 2020, will […]
Food Bridges the Seasons
November 16, 2018 by Leave a Comment
Butternut, Blue Cheese & Fig Galette August seems like long ago. That’s when we made what has become an annual visit to Krueger Pepper Farm, loading up on end-of summer produce – a variety of tomatoes, including fresh San Marzanos, peppers, tomatillos, eggplant, corn and melons. First, we go into the fields to do […]
Beets are Red Hot
October 22, 2018 by Leave a Comment
Beets are Red Hot Move over Caesar – beet salads are taking over as a standard starter on many restaurant menus. At least it seems so – I see a lot of creativity with beets. If you love a good beet salad, try my go-to recipe, Roasted Golden Beet Salad with Walnuts and Sherry-Walnut Dressing […]
Blackberry Peach Crisp
August 29, 2018 by 1 Comment
ENJOY Your Food and Company Growing your own food is deeply satisfying. Foraging for food is just as rewarding. Every summer about this time people with bags and baskets line nearby roads and trails picking wild blackberries. It can be painstaking and time-consuming to brave stickers, webs and spiders for even a pound of berries. […]
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