Live to Eat

Eating for Luck: New Year's Day Soup (with more Christmas ham)

2011-01-01T09:59:00.000-08:00

For as long as I can remember, my family has eaten a traditionally Southern lucky meal on New Year's day: black eyed peas, cooked greens and pork for a little health, wealth and progress. I'm truly afraid to know what my year will be like if I don't eat this meal, so that hasn't changed since starting my own family. What has changed is the amount of time and effort I put into this meal - far less than my mom does every year when she roasts a pork loin and spends the afternoon making hoppin' john and collard greens. That tradition changed a couple of years ago when I was simply too tired and hung-over to consider the thought.

Instead, I've found a terrifically easy Southern Living recipe for New Year's Day Soup, complete with black eyed peas, spinach and, you guessed it, leftover Christmas ham! The best part is that most of the effort involves opening cans. I love to serve this with cornbread (hint for the truly lazy, like me: Trader Joe's cornbread mix is better than anything I can make homemade and also super easy). Though I'm not hung-over this year, I am pregnant which, on most days, feels about the same as having had too much to drink. So, minimal effort is still key!

If you have never eaten a lucky meal on New Year's, it's not too late to start... just start with this soup. Best of luck to you in the new year!

101 Things to Do with Leftover Christmas Ham

2010-12-28T16:03:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I may not know of exactly 101 things to do with the 3 pounds of Virginia ham I have leftover from the holidays, but I'm on a mission to use every salty scrap - and no one in this family is going to eat another ham biscuit or ham roll to make it happen (especially not me since I'm back to wheat-free living after a gluten-ous holiday). So I'm still basking in the glow of what I threw together tonight: Risotto Milanese southern style. Heavenly, IMO.

What I love about risotto is that it is like a blank canvas - like pizza, when you use this method of cooking you can add whatever herbs, vegetables, meats, and cheeses you have on hand and it will probably be good as long as you don't add too many. And you can make it with whatever grain you have on hand. I have successfully made risotto with bulgar wheat, brown rice and the standard Arborio rice. The one challenge is that it demands attention, so having a two-year old running around is not always optimal... but slightly older kids can easily participate by stirring the rice constantly.

While the traditional Italian risotto Milanese is made with prosciutto, I made it using country ham. For those of you who haven't experienced a Virginia ham, this salt-cured specialty is a tradition dating back to early American colonialists. It's very salty and, unlike a honey-baked ham or others, I look at this ham as an accompaniment, not a main dish - a little goes a long way - very much like Italian prosciutto which is dry-cured. That's why it's perfect for this dish. Additionally, I threw in some peas to make this a complete meal, but it would make a rich side-dish for just about any meat.

Risotto Milanese Southern Style

2 T olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
Large pinch saffron threads
1/4 cup chopped ham
1 cup Aborio or other short- or medium-grain rice
Kosher salt and black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
4-5 cups hot stock
1 T butter 1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan
1/2 cup cooked fresh peas

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil on medium-high in a nonstick skillet. When oil is hot, add onion, ham and saffron, cooking until the onion is soft and translucent.
Add the rice and cook until it's glossy and coated with oil, about a minute or two.
Add the wine to deglaze the pan and let the liquid cook off.
Add stock (I prefer chicken but you can use vegetable or beef) 1/2 cup at a time, stirring after each addition. When the stock is just about evaporated, add more stirring frequently. Be careful to keep the rice moist enough that it does not stick to the pan.
Taste after about 20 minutes. When the rice is tender but is still slightly al dente, after 20-30 minutes, add peas with last 1/2 cup of stock and season with salt as needed. After most of the liquid is absorbed, remove from heat and add one tablespoon of butter, pepper and cheese to taste. Serve immediately.

Basic Gluten Free Banana Bread Recipe

2010-11-08T12:26:00.001-08:00

In my quest to plan for a gluten-free, vegan Christmas dinner that suits various family members (not an easy task, might I add), I came across this simple banana bread recipe that meets both requirements on the Book of Yum blog (if using egg substitute). I like this recipe because it doesn't require ten different flours and xanthan gum like most g/f recipes. I can say it was a success and I'm now enjoying a most piece of banana bread, my first in a long time. YUM is right.

For this recipe, I made my own rice flour by washing, drying and grinding basmati rice in my coffee grinder. I will say that although it feels smooth to the touch, it tastes a little gritty when used in baking. I may soon break down and buy either a grain mill or actual rice flour, but for now it's so cheap and easy (with a little planning) to do make my own this way - especially when I've already purchased 1000 lbs of rice at my favorite wholesale warehouse! I'm just thrilled that I may not have to forgo all my favorite quick breads in my efforts to avoid wheat... Smile.

Mission Impossible Week Two: A Spending Freeze

2010-11-08T11:36:00.000-08:00

Week two is long over and once again, my budget was blown this week after my husband went to Costco. Without me. He took my short list and decide to add to it quite a bit. I can't say I blame him, though, for buying that box of sweet potatoes (although I already had ten of them sitting on the counter) or the five pound bag of frozen blueberries (despite the fact we had one-and-a-half bags in the freezer already). We do eat a lot of them. And he was easily seduced into grabbing the gourmet frozen meatballs after that little sample he and our son tried - although I already bought pounds of ground beef and ground turkey to make homemade meatballs... Whatever. If I did the math and had an accountant to amortize all of the food he bought, then we'd probably be a-o.k. budget wise.... so I'll try not to sweat it this month. (cringe)

One of the reasons he was so excited to "stock up" at Costco (a.k.a. Disney World for adult men) is because we recently purchased a chest freezer. In our previous house we had two refrigerators which was a Godsend. Now we have the world's smallest refrigerator. We debated on whether we should get another one or just a freezer and the freezer won out - mostly because of the cost. Chest freezers are much less expensive than refrigerators (we bought ours at Sears for $170) and with a little know-how, one can freeze a lot... and save a lot of money.

By my calculation, buying a freezer was the most economical decision. I figured it costs us $.46/day or $3.26/week in its first year - and by then it's more than earned it's keep. Buying wholesale chicken breasts alone saves us $3/pound! My other favorite meats to freeze are inexpensive stew meat and pork shoulder - both are great crock pot meats and can be used in stew, tacos, and bbq recipes, among others. Suffice it to say, after the last trip to Costco I will not be buying meat for months.

Meat is not the only thing the freezer is good at preserving. I freeze just about everything - here are a few items we freeze that save us a ton of money:

Cheese: split up a 5 lb bag of shredded mozzarella into ziplock bags (2 cups each) and you're set for many pizza nights to come! Once thawed, use quickly since the extra moisture can lead to quick mold growth.
Vegetables: Whenever I have extra onions and peppers that are getting old, I slice or dice them and freeze them flat on a cookie sheet. Once they are frozen, put into a ziplock bag and use when needed. They work well in cooking but are not so great fresh.
Mashed Potatoes, cooked rice: make extra and freeze in ziplock. Put in boiling water to thaw when ready to use. Saves lots of time!
Extra broth and soups
Any leftovers: I always freeze one or two servings of leftovers we really like in individual serving containers - that way I can pull them out quickly when I don't feel like cooking or my husband can take them for lunch.
Bread: make bread crumbs from the heels of a loaf of bread and freeze.

Here's a quick guide to freezing just about anything!

Food as medicine: going gluten-free

2010-11-05T15:48:00.000-07:00

I know it's trendy but I've done it: I've gone gluten-free. It's all the rage, believe it or not. A couple of months ago, when I was toying with the idea, and article in the Wall Street Journal talked about the gluten-free "diet" that many without celiac disease are going on to lose weight... and it's not effective.

But wheat and gluten sensitivity are real issues. According to WSJ, as many as twenty million Americans have a gluten sensitivity without having full-blown celiac disease. Symptoms often include depression, mental fogginess, and mood swings, to name a few. Those that know me may say that, at times, I might be sensitive to wheat, based on those symptoms alone. And they might be right... and I never knew it.

My journey to a wheat and gluten-free diet was driven less by my mood swings and mental fogginess and more by problematic skin that I've had since I was a kid. I can remember going to a dermatologist in fourth grade and on every birthday I thought, "This is going to be the year my skin clears up." So a few years ago I went to yet another dermatologist after years of having used every possible over-the-counter, prescription and cosmetic treatment out there. It didn't take long before the doctor diagnosed me with two problems: 1) I was a 20-something hormonal woman for which there was no hope and 2) I was sensitive to wheat. Well, number one was no big shock but I was a bit skeptical of number two... There was little formal testing except some sort of questionable "muscle response" test that involved me holding wheat in one hand while the doctor tested my muscle response on the other. And from that she determined a diagnosis.

I quickly asserted that 1) the doctor was a quack and 2) there was NO WAY I could give up wheat - what would happen to pizza night and pancake morning? Late night bowl of cereal? And let us not forget beer!

Wheat/gluten-free just wasn't gonna happen.

Fast forward to three years and one baby later: my skin was still not clear after becoming a thirty-something. So I did a little research. Much to my dismay I found claims that eliminating wheat can be effective treatment for skin problems. So I tried it... and I lasted a few days. But admittedly, it did seem to help a little. Grrr...

After a sun-and-alcohol soaked vacation in August, my skin was wrecked. Now, thirty years old, I was determined to find a cure. First stop: I made a commitment to going gluten-free. For real.

Not knowing if it is the wheat or gluten that affects me, I decided to eliminate sources of gluten and wheat - both of which are often used in processed foods as fillers and preservatives. I invested in pounds of quinoa and made sure I was stocked up on gluten-free oatmeal. I looked up recipes and swapped potatoes for bread. My expectations were low but I was hopeful... and miraculously, it worked!

My skin was noticeably clearer within a few days. I cheated the first weekend with "real" pizza, french toast casserole and soy sauce with my sushi, at which point my face was inflamed again, but went back to being "free" two days later. And you know what? After two weeks it's gotten a lot easier. Sure, I've had to be creative (and today I did eat the crust of my son's grilled cheese sandwich), but for the most part it's not so bad after all.

I'm still exploring foods that work for me and foods that don't - including if non-wheat sources of gluten (i.e. oats) have the same effect as wheat gluten. And the truth is that I'll probably have to cheat a little more this holiday season because I can't fathom going through it without pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie and gingerbread cookies - and, sorry folks, gluten-free flours just don't have the same quality and consistency. (Thank God this isn't life or death.)

In the meantime, I'll be sure to share with you my favorite wheat and/or gluten-free concoctions, starting with oatmeal squares (or 'momma's cereal bars' as they are known around here). These are great as a snack, or top them with sauteed apples and a little syrup for a hearty breakfast.

Baked Oatmeal Squares
(adapted from Virginia Bed and Breakfast Cookbook)

4 cups rolled oats (read the labels for gluten-free oats)
1/2 cup flour (I use oat flour that I make by grinding oatmeal in my coffee grinder until very fine)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup raisins
1/2 stick melted unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar or syrup (maple or brown rice pancake syrup)
1 egg
2 cups milk

Cinnamon and sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients and whisk to incorporate. Stir in melted butter and mix well. In a small bowl, beat eggs and milk; add to oats mixture and stir well. Pour mixture into a greased 8x11 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until set in center and edges are brown. Cut into 12 squares and serve warm. Freeze leftovers if desired.

Sweet Potato Lentil Stoup

2010-10-27T14:57:00.001-07:00

Borrowing a Rachel Ray term, this is more like a "stoup" (soup/stew). Soup is difficult for my two year old to eat and since this cooks up nice and thick, I like to serve it over rice. In our house it's called "orange rice" - and, for whatever reason, the kid loves it! So do the adults.

Sweet Potato Lentil Stoup

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter or olive oil

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped

3 large carrots, peeled and chopped

1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, pressed

3/4 cup red lentils or yellow split peas

1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon red curry paste or 1 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1 tablespoon tomato paste

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

plain yogurt for garnish

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Place the chopped sweet potatoes, carrots, apple, and onion in the pot. Sprinkle with salt and stir to cook the apples and vegetables until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook for a minute.

2. Stir the lentils, ginger, ground black pepper, salt, cumin, chili powder, tomato paste, curry paste, and vegetable broth into the pot with the apple and vegetable mixture. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the lentils and vegetables are soft, about 30 minutes (or longer if you are using split peas). Adjust seasoning as necessary.

3. Working in batches, pour the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full. Puree in batches until smooth and pour into a clean pot. Alternately, you can use a stick blender and puree the soup right in the cooking pot, or just leave as is.

4. Return the pureed soup to the cooking pot. Bring back to a simmer over medium-high heat, about 10 minutes. Add water as needed to thin the soup to your preferred consistency. Serve with yogurt for garnish.

*Note: if it gets thick and the lentils are still "al dente", add boiling water a half cup at a time and cook until tender. You may need to adjust the seasoning.

Meat and Vegetable Lasagna

2010-10-24T05:19:00.000-07:00

A few things about me and lasagna:

I like to hide vegetables. Take your pick, but I like to use mushrooms, eggplant and spinach in this dish.
I don't like to spend a lot of time and energy making lasagna, so I cheat with a pre-made, jarred spaghetti sauce. Don't be a hater.
I sometimes use a cup of cooked quinoa in place of the lasagna noodles as a gluten-free, super nutritious alternative. Very yummy.
I like to prepare two of these and freeze one for a night when I don't feel like cooking - it bakes twice as long when it's frozen but it's very budget-friendly
If you like your lasagna a bit saucier like my husband, try adding a can of tomato sauce and Italian seasoning to your meat sauce.

Meat and Vegetable Lasagna

1 lb ground beef or turkey
1 jar favorite spaghetti sauce
8 oz mushrooms, small diced
1 eggplant, peeled and diced
1 T olive oil
1 clove garlic, pressed
8 oz frozen spinach
2 cups ricotta
1/4 Parmesan cheese
1/2 t Italian seasoning
1 cup mozzarella
1 egg, lightly beaten
9 no-cook lasagna noodles

Grease a 9x13 inch casserole dish and preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine four cups of water, frozen spinach and pinch of salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for 4-6 minutes. Drain water.
While spinach is cooking, heat olive oil in a heavy dutch oven . Add mushrooms, eggplant and garlic - season with kosher salt and cook until soft, about 8-10 minutes. Add ground beef and cook until browned. Drain fat if necessary. Once beef is browned, add spaghetti sauce and heat through.
Combine cooked spinach, ricotta, Parmesan, Italian seasoning and egg in a bowl.
Spread about 1/4 of the meat sauce on the bottom of the pan. Layer 3 noodles on top. Layer with 1/3 cheese mixture, 1/3 meat sauce and 3 noodles and repeat, ending with sauce on top. Top with mozzarella and sprinkle with Parmesan, if desired.
Bake for 35-40 minutes.

Mission Impossible Week One: Recipes

2010-10-24T05:06:00.000-07:00

Week One is over but two of the recipes I made will be here forever:

Rich and hearty Beef Porter Stew, made with root vegetables, stew meat and Porter (or other dark beer) - great when paired with a spinach salad and toasty bread.
Not just meaty, it's veggie, too: Meat and Vegetable Lasagna is a well-rounded meal that the whole family will like. How can anything be bad when it's topped with cheese?

Mission Impossible Week One: Grocery Shopping on a Budget

2010-10-19T16:30:00.000-07:00

One week down in my mission to eat good food on a budget and I’m already discouraged. The grand total spent on groceries this week: $161.19. If I continue to spend this much I’ll be on track to spend $645 this month, well over my goal of $500/month.

Here’s my menu before going grocery shopping for the week:

Here’s my menu after:

So what changed? Well the week started with a quick trip out of town on Sunday so we had “catch as catch can”, or whatever we could scrounge up for dinner that night. I had planned to do my shopping for the week on Monday but my son got sick and threw up on me as we walked into the grocery store - we again searched the freezer for frozen food and ended up with mini taco appetizers from Trader Joe’s for dinner. So much for my grand plans to stick to a plan.

That evening I finally made it to the store and learned lesson #1: never go grocery shopping on Monday.

This is not a news flash for most people - I actually knew this already - but I became acutely aware of how important it is NOT to shop on Monday’s when several of the items I purchased went bad or had a sell-by date within a day or two of purchasing them (e.g. milk, turkey sausage, french bread, eggs) because nothing had been restocked after the weekend. Shelves were bare and produce was sad looking.

Despite the lack of food on the shelves, I was afforded some flexibility because of lesson #2: be flexible and think long-term.

Fortunately, I brought along the menus for the entire month so I was able to look ahead and do some shopping for next weeks menu items and change my plans. For instance, when I saw that chicken breasts were $5.29/lb at Giant, I decided not to have chicken this week, knowing that I can buy chicken for $2.99/lb at Costco. I decided to make an egg/cheese/sausage strata instead - although that plan was eventually thwarted by moldy bread and expiring sausage. Had I seen chicken breasts on sale, I may have stocked up for a future meal.

The real key to shopping on a budget is lesson #3: make a list, remember your list... and stick to it!

Another no-brainer but I’m notorious for making a list and leaving at home. And since becoming a mother I’ve found that more often than not I walk into a store and can’t remember why I’m there if I don’t have a list in front of me. It is so important when it comes to sticking to a budget. With that said, it’s important to stick to your list, unless you see some good deals (see lesson #2). In addition to planning menus for the month, I have planned grocery lists for each week, too, which I also bring along with me to the store. One more thing about making a list: be realistic. Like a dummy, I didn't anticipate spending $20 on beer this week - but still haven't been (and will probably never be) able to convince my husband to give that up for the sake of our budget!

Need a quick fix for that Halloween potluck? Try this Jack-o-lantern Veggie Pizza

2010-10-18T11:49:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend we had our first of a few Halloween parties to attend - a potluck at a local park. I wanted to steer clear of sweets since I figured there would be plenty of desserts there, but I also needed a dish that would "age well" sitting out on a picnic table without a chafing dish AND be kid-friendly. Oh, and I wanted it to be fun, in keeping with the Halloween theme.

After hours of scouring recipes for something other than "mummies"(a.k.a. pigs-in-a-blanket) or chicken fingers that look like human fingers, I decided to create my own. The cold vegetable pizza was one of my mom's go-to appetizer recipes that I remember her making. There aren't too many variations of this but in my jack-o-lantern version here, I decided to hide the broccoli in the cream cheese spread and limited the toppings to those that are orange. You could also add some food coloring or pureed carrots to the cheese spread to give it a deeper orange color. Have fun!

Halloween Vegetable Pizza Appetizer

2 cans crescent rolls

1 8 oz block cream cheese

1 packet ranch dressing mix

1 cup mayonnaise

1 broccoli crown

1 orange bell pepper

4 carrots

1 can chopped black olives

Arrange crescent rolls to cover round sheet pan in the shape of a pumpkin, including stem - trim edges as necessary. Bake according to package directions.

While the crescent crust is baking, finely chop pepper and carrots using food processor. Do this at the same time so pieces are uniform and well blended. Scrape vegetables into bowl. Fine chop broccoli in food processor. Reserve 1/4 cup of the broccoli - it will be used on the pumpkin stem. Add cream cheese, mayonnaise and dressing mix to food processor. Blend well.

Once crust is cool, spread cheese mixture on top. Spread reserved broccoli on stem and cover the rest of the crust with the pepper/carrot mix. Add black olives for eyes, nose and mouth of jack-o-lantern.

Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.

Food taxes take a bite out of family budgets

2010-10-15T12:37:00.001-07:00

Just as many families are struggling, many municipalities across the country are also facing economic uncertainty. To alleviate financial woes, many of these cities and states have already, or are considering, increased or exise food taxes disguised as "health initiatives" to reduce obesity. Most of these proposed taxes target sugar-sweetened beverages and "junk food." But while politicians argue that these taxes support efforts to promote healthier lifestyles by limiting unhealthy choices, the bottom line is that it's a government money grab – and they're stealing from the mouths of babes.

Currently 31 states exempt food for at-home consumption from the state sales tax, though many of those pay local food taxes instead. Eleven states tax groceries at a lower rate, and five tax at the full rate but offer rebates. Two states provide no off-set for food and tax at the full rate. According to the Center on Budget and Policy priorities,

For a family of four that spends the lowest amount considered necessary for a nutritious diet and lives in a typical state that taxes food, sales taxes on food cost some $350 a year. That amount is more than a week's income for a family at the poverty line.

That was in 1998. One can only imagine what food taxes cost families now that we've seen record taxes increases at every level. Additional taxes, like the soda tax, only serve to make already tight budgets even tighter.

One might argue that if the unhealthy foods are more expensive, people will buy less of them and more healthful foods. But the truth, according to a recent study, is that the cost of fruits and vegetables has increased by 200% since 1983, 3 times greater than the increase seen in sugars and sweets, and roughly 6 times the increase seen in carbonated beverages. Like it or not the reality is that if the cost of unhealthy foods goes up, people will just be spending more money buying less of any food – not ideal in these economic times.

Yes, sometimes I'm stunned and saddened when I see families at the grocery store with a cart full of "junk" food. There's nary a person out there who doesn't know that soda is full of sugar, that chips and Oreos are laden with fat, and that fruits and vegetables are good for you. So, I ask myself, why are they feeding themselves and their children junk and avoiding fruits and vegetables? And then I remember that those five seconds I spent looking at those people with that cart are just a snapshot of their lives –I have no idea what's going on at home or what food lands on the dinner table - and I'm in no position to judge.

The bottom line is that year after year, studies have shown that when it comes to what drives consumers to purchase certain foods, taste usually wins out (albeit just slightly) over price – and one could argue that chips are tastier and cheaper than spinach. But cost is still a huge factor. So why don't we cut the taxes and let people have more money to choose healthy foods?

Mission Impossible: Eating good food on a budget

2010-10-11T07:26:00.000-07:00

Is it me or does it seem like the cost of food has gone up - way up - lately? It seems that I'm getting fewer items with a higher price tag every time I walk into the supermarket. Granted, I've been making more frequent shopping trips and planning less than I used to, but I still can't fathom how two bags of groceries can cost $60.

Though I've looked at our food costs per month in the past, it's been a while. Like everyone else, I noticed money's been tighter these days though between the economy, a recent job change, and a move, I accepted it and moved on. But you can only ignore the facts so long - and the fact is our spending seems to have gotten out of control.

So I decided to look at our food purchases over the last 8 months. Fortunately, I purchase everything on my Costco American Express card* which a) results in a nice, fat cash rebate at the end of the year and b) automatically itemizes your spending into categories, like "groceries" and "restaurants" and puts into a nice graph and spreadsheet in their on-line account management site. (*Note: this is only smart if you pay your credit card off in full each month.) While the numbers aren't totally accurate - I had to add a percentage of "wholesale" purchases into my "groceries" amount since we buy a lot of bulk food at Costco - it gave me a rough idea of how much money we're spending per month and saved me a ton of time.

I was shocked when I realized that we have more than doubled our spending on food since spring to nearly $1000 per month for a family of three (one of whom eats more pretend food than real food). I am not proud of this number but I know I am not alone.

Amongst my friends, some report spending upwards of $1200/month on food on a family of 3 or 4! My budget-conscious friends have told me they are able to keep grocery bills to around $400/month, which is where we were just 8 months ago. So I set out to create a 4 week menu on a monthly budget of $500/month.

The challenge here is eating good, wholesome, nutritious food on a budget. In truth, I feel like I can keep this under $500/month but I don’t want to be so unrealistic that I fail miserably - and at this point any reduction in spending is good. I’ve allowed some room for increased food costs (both wheat and soy costs are expected to continue rising, among others) and I’m not prepared to compromise too much on quality. There are some more expensive items that just taste better and it’s important to me to provide a variety foods my family likes because, well, we live to eat.

So here’s the plan: each week I’ll post my menu, selected recipes, grocery receipts and notes on sticking to a budget. I’ll test the waters first and you can jump in when you’re ready!

Cooling off with mint iced tea

2010-06-16T11:34:00.000-07:00

It's been hot in Virginia already. And humid... so humid. But one thing I love about those hot days is the opportunity to drink something refreshing like mint iced tea. Mint aids in digestion and has anti-inflammatory properties - both mint and tea are packed with antioxidants. And, based on the fact that I have mint growing in a planter outside, it's easy to grow. (I have chosen peppermint but there are at least 16 varieties to choose from, including chocolate, lavender, apples and lime.)

Here's a run-down on making a simple mint syrup to complement your tea. You may also substitute basil for mint and iced tea or lemonade.

Mint Iced Tea

1 Handful of mint

1 cup sugar

Brewed iced tea (I use Tazo Black Iced Tea)

To make simple mint syrup, heat sugar and one cup of water on med-high heat until sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes, without stirring. Remove from heat and add mint. Let sit for 5 minutes and remove leaves.

Depending on your sweet tooth, add syrup to tea to taste. Syrup may be stored in the fridge for up to a couple of weeks. Enjoy served over lots of ice!

Things you should know before you get married, Part 2: How to make a molten cake

2010-06-07T05:38:00.001-07:00

When we were dating, my husband took me to Morton's for dessert and drinks after dinner one night. We sat in the bar and I ate my first ever chocolate (Godiva) molten cake. This experience was one of many that made me feel like I'd been living under a rock - where had this cake been all my life? Seriously, lava cake is the quintessential chocolate fix and can make any occasion special.

So after we were married I set out to make this cake for my hubby to celebrate the end of his first semester in law school. What surprised me is that it is SO EASY (shhh, don't tell the husband) and SO GOOD. Knowing how to make this cake is a must for anyone getting married because I'm convinced that it's molten-y goodness can melt any troubles away.

After trying a few different recipes, I've settled upon this one from Martha Stewart which makes 2 small ramekins of cake. Should you want more, you can easily double the recipe and you may keep the leftovers in the fridge for the next night. This batter can be made ahead. And if you don't have espresso powder or instant coffee on hand, you can use a dash of leftover coffee from the morning's pot.

Molten Mocha Cakes

Serves 2.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for ramekins
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for ramekins and serving
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken into pieces
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon espresso powder
Pinch salt
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter two 6-ounce ramekins, then dust with sugar. Place butter and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high in 20-second increments, stirring after each, until melted. Let cool slightly.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together egg, egg yolk, sugar, espresso powder, and salt. Add chocolate mixture; whisk to combine. Add flour, and whisk just until combined (do not overmix). Pour batter into prepared ramekins. (Recipe can be made ahead up to this point.)
Bake until a toothpick inserted 1/2 inch from edge of ramekins comes out clean, and a toothpick inserted in center comes out wet, 10 to 12 minutes (do not overbake). Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack. Run a knife around inside of ramekins to loosen. Invert cakes onto serving plates. Dust with sugar; serve immediately.

Things you should know before you get married, Part 1: How to correctly cut an onion

2010-04-28T09:51:00.001-07:00

My husband and I enjoy eating together. We enjoy the idea of cooking together but in actuality, doing so has proven to be a challenge... unless there is lots of wine involved (and then things get dangerous). There is such a thing of "too many cooks in the kitchen." As trite as it sounds, many of our disagreements in the kitchen prior to marriage stemmed from our two different methods of cutting an onion. I was afraid he was going to cut his fingers off and he was afraid of being wrong about something, so we argued. I finally decided that if we were going to start marriage off on the right foot then we needed to skip the pre-marital counseling and go right to Skill Development Boot Camp at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. My wedding gift to him was the skill of cutting an onion - not his way or my way, but the correct way. Romantic, eh?

Believe it or not, my husband was thrilled about our culinary vacation. We learned the basics through hands-on training in the kitchen and we learned from the best, while immersing ourselves in the frenetic excitement of cooking at the renowned CIA. He only managed to slice his finger open once during our two long days in the kitchen, and we still reminisce about the amazing food we made and ate while there.

Cutting an onion the correct way - and there is a correct way - is scary at first, I'm not going to lie, but practice makes perfect when it comes to knife skills. In the long run it's must faster and easier (and safer!) than other methods you may be using. This quick video does a better job than I can at walking you through the steps it takes to get that perfect mince, dice or chop. Once you've mastered the onion, you can move on shallots, garlic cloves, tomatoes, etc.

When life gives you milk, make yogurt

2010-04-26T13:39:00.000-07:00

Today marks my second attempt at making yogurt. Both times have resulted from having an abundance of whole milk because my son became ill and didn't drink it for two weeks. I can't stand to waste food. Sometimes, in these situations, I let it turn to buttermilk and make loads of pancakes or scones, but with all the fresh strawberries out there right now I couldn't pass up the opportunity to have fresh plain yogurt and strawberries drizzled with honey at a fraction of the cost.

The first time I used this recipe and made yogurt entirely in the crockpot and it wasn't really suitable for eating. Sure, it was great for using in recipes but it's thin, runny consistency and lack of "tanginess" wasn't all that appetizing. I think this was mostly due to not keeping the crockpot warm enough. This time around I was hoping for something closer to Fage Greek yogurt, or atleast Yoplait custard-style, so I tweaked the directions a little.

First, I pre-heated the crockpot while I combined a half gallon of milk and 2/3 cup of nonfat dry milk in a saucepan and heated until almost boiling, about 200 degrees.
Second, I turned off the crockpot and wrapped it in a fleece blanket while I let the milk mixture cool to 110 degrees. I then scooped out 1/2 cup of the milk mixture and added it to a 1/2 cup of Fage yogurt. After gently mixing, I added it back to the milk and transferred to the already warmed crock pot and rewrapped it in a blanket.
Finally, I waited. And waited.... and, well, I'm still waiting. Periodically I check the temp to make sure it is still around 110 degrees, but I am doing my best to leave the yogurt undisturbed so those little bacteria can multiply.

So I'll update you tomorrow with the results.

But in the meantime, I'm hopeful this turns out well because some one in the house has been sick every day for the last month - and yogurt is fantastic at supporting a healthy immune system. Unfortunately I can't afford to buy the yogurt I really like (Fage 0%) all the time, and now there are few other yogurts that will suffice. It's also a great source of protein and calcium, and easier on the stomach than milk. Even those who are lactose-intolerant can enjoy yogurt because the live culture actually aids in digesting lactose.

One sweet way to use plain yogurt is this quick and easy dessert that tastes like ice cream without the guilt if you use nonfat yogurt. This is a recipe I stole from the Sneaky Chef (yes, a cookbook for kids) and have subsequently used as a base to create my own flavors by adding frozen berries or other fruit, or flavors like espresso or Kahlua. But you can't go wrong with the following (IMHO)!

Choco-banana Frozen Yogurt

Stick a ripe banana in the freezer for 20-30 minutes.
In a blender or food processor, add banana, 1/2 t cocoa powder, 2-3 T yogurt and 1 T sugar.
Blend until smooth.
It will be soft - if you like your frozen yogurt a little firmer, put it in the freezer for 20 minutes.

***UPDATE***

This morning I awoke to a creamy yogurt that has just the right amount of tang! Good stuff. Now, my next step is getting it to the consistency of Greek yogurt by straining it through a dishtowel-lined strainer. You can use a coffee filter for this process however I don't have any so I improvised. Regardless, this is a yogurt I can eat as is without this step but, hey, why not experiment?

Our national security depends on school meals - say what?

2010-04-22T05:29:00.000-07:00

In my former life, B.C. (before children), I worked hard at "creating a healthy school environment". That was my job. I spent most of my time working with schools to improve school meals and incorporate more physical activity into the school day- a la Mrs. Obama's push with with her "Let's Move" campaign- with a mostly volunteer organization called Action for Healthy Kids. (I won't tell you about how much time I spent banging my head against the wall.) So I am not surprised when I see stories like "School Lunches are a Threat to National Security, Retired Officials Say " that focus national attention on the failings of school meals, as they seem to get the brunt of the blame when it comes to childhood overweight. According to this article, unhealthy school lunches are "leaving 27 percent of young adults 'too fat to fight'" and is jeopardizing military recruitment. The report, released by a non-profit group called Mission: Readiness, calls for more federal funding for school lunches in a time when funding for anything is clearly at a premium.

While I whole-heartedly support efforts to provide healthful school food and to get kids moving, I am skeptical when it comes to blaming the schools for our national security problems as they relate to obesity. Just as I believe teachers are not the reason that why we are apparently dumber than the rest of the world (a charge I've heard before), I think there is significant learning of behaviors that takes place in the home, outside the classroom or in cafeteria. The question is: when are we as Americans going to take responsibility for our children and stop blaming others?

In my visits to school cafeterias I often saw children with lunches packed at home that were nutritionally void. They often included fat-filled "Lunchables" and sugar-filled soft drinks. And for many of the students who had school-prepared meals, that lunch was unfortunately the main source of their nutrition for the day as it was likely their only meal of the day. Many of those students qualified for free or reduced-price meals. So for them, they were lucky to obtain 40% of their calories in a day from school food, as this article suggests. You see, there isn't a one-size-fits-all approach to feeding children, especially when it comes to school food. Some kids are underweight despite what they eat, and some overweight, too. We're all individuals with individual needs that are not going to be solely addressed through school lunch.

Maybe it's unrealistic to believe that in this day and age parents still have "role model" status for their kids. I still believe they do and that's why I try to teach my child "all things in moderation" and introduce new foods and activities even at this young age. Now that I have a child, I see what a challenge it can be to get children to eat those vegetables. And I see what a mimic my toddler is - he picks up on everything and imitates me constantly. In fact, I've learned more about my unflattering traits in watching him grow than I ever knew - apparently I roll my eyes and say "umm" a lot more often than I thought.

Let's face it: with school and work demands, traffic, technology and the general safety issues that face us now, we all move less and we eat more. What's more is that schools can't afford to provide that activities time for kids to exert those calories and I certainly don't see the kids in my neighborhood running around outside, playing like we did when I was young (probably because they're racing from one after-school activity to another). But the key to maintaining a healthy weight is "calories in= calories out".

I wish that we could address our nation's security through healthy school meals but I think it's going to take a much more concerted effort on the part of parents to make sure this country is safe. This is just one woman's opinion but I'd feel much safer if we worked to set positive examples for our kids at home instead of relying on schools that already have endless child-rearing duties to do it.

Recommended readings on this subject: Your Child's Weight: Helping Without Harming by Ellyn Satter

"It is a true saying that a man must eat a peck of salt with his friend before he knows him." Miguel de Cervantes, 'Don Quixote'

2010-04-20T16:11:00.000-07:00

Today, a red flag went up when I read this on the HHS web site: using $15M in stimulus funds "NYC will also work to set policies and create environments that reduce consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and overly salted foods". Additionally, the FDA is considering regulating the amount of salt that can be added to processed foods like canned foods, cereal, and cheese, as well as the amount used in restaurants. I'm a registered dietitian and health and nutrition is my passion - logically I would support this. "So," you ask, "why the red flag?"

Well I'm also a self-proclaimed "foodie." And I like salt. A lot. Don't get me wrong - I'm aware of what happens when you eat too much of it (e.g. high blood pressure combined with obesity may lead to heart attacks, strokes, etc.) and I'm actually very salt-sensitive (I still blame Panera's soup for my "water-weight" gain during pregnancy). But since discovering Kosher and sea salt I've become a better cook, not to mention the umami factor in soy sauce. Salt is a flavor enhancer; food with salt just tastes better.

So it rubs me the wrong way when someone who doesn't know me wants to decide how much salt I can consume. And who decides what is "overly salted"? I'm in great health; I work out, eat a variety of foods and actually have very low blood pressure. Shouldn't I be exempt from salt restrictions? Shouldn't I be able to make that decision for myself, knowing the state of my health? And even if I was in poor health but my dying wish was to eat salty french fries, shouldn't I have that right? I recall, while working in a nursing home as a dietetic intern, the bland, tasteless, low sodium food that was served to residents who had deteriorating health conditions. Food is a simple pleasure and these folks, when faced with death, couldn't even enjoy that - it was out of their control. The food was beyond uninspiring.

Admittedly, I don't eat a lot of processed foods and that is really where these policies will have an impact. I am not going to preach about the demerits of processed and fast foods - I think people should have access to whatever food is available. I think we are lucky to have foods of convenience and so many choices (with salt and without). My job, as an RD, is to provide science-based education about nutrition and let people make their own choices accordingly. Interestingly, there is some doubt that the science backs up such policies. Dr. Michael Alderman was quoted in a recent Heartwire article as having some doubts that limiting sodium intake is the magic fix to the high blood pressure issues facing the U.S.:

"My stance is based on what I see of the science of the issue," he told heartwire. He argues that although there is no doubt that reducing sodium intake reduces blood pressure, salt also has a myriad of other biological effects. The clinical-trial evidence that reducing salt actually affects hard outcomes such as heart attacks and strokes "is all over the place; the whole thing is kind of a mess," he says. "Advocates of salt reduction believe the only thing that matters is the BP effect, but skeptics like me say, 'Wow, that's a stretch.' "
He maintains that a US policy to slash sodium intake at the population level would be "an experiment" and that there is no way of knowing whether it would be beneficial or indeed harmful: "There are many very committed, well-meaning, and zealous partisans for people's health who say, 'Let's go ahead and try it, let's get everyone to lower their sodium intake. We can't be sure what's going to happen—we don't have any direct evidence—but we are so firmly convinced that the BP effect will rule all that we will go ahead and do this,' " he continues. "This strikes me as kind of rash and is based on a firm belief in something that hasn't been proven.
"In folks with a diet like that in the US, there are some studies that show an inverse association—less salt, more heart attacks—so the data are conflicting, and it's a problem," he states. He was involved in some of the analyses he refers to, however, and they have attracted some criticism with regard to methodology.

The article continues to say the Finland has reduced incidents of stroke and heart attack through policies limiting salt. And while I have no doubt that consuming less salt could be beneficial for many Americans, the looming question is: do we need someone else to make that decision for us? And, if a decrease in salt is mandated, what's next? Where do we draw the line?

"With all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt."
Moses, Leviticus

Cooking with Calphalon

2010-04-19T16:45:00.000-07:00

I was recently asked to review some Calphalon products - a 10" non-stick omelette pan and three knives (8" chef's, paring and a utility). Honestly, I'd never used Calphalon and have never been too picky about my cookware or tools: my favorite cooking vessel is my Lodge enamel cast-iron dutch oven (thank you, dear hubby, for that Mother's Day gift) and I love my Cuisinart santoku chef's knife (purchased at TJ Maxx). I like quality but I don't have a ton of money to spend. And, frankly, Calphalon cookware has always been out of my price range. But that's why I was sooo excited to try it (and keep it)!

Lemme tell ya, quality cookware does make a difference. I am convinced of this after using the Unison omelet pan. Its non-stickedness was phenomenal compared to my analon cookware. The omelet could literally slide right out of the pan and I used very minimal butter - just enough for flavor. And it's one pan I can just throw in the dishwasher and know that it will be okay - it says so on the package! So I did it. And it survived. It worked just as perfectly for my next omelet.

I like the knives, too. They came at the perfect time as I just downsized our knife supply and gave several away to Goodwill that we never use. These are sturdy and have a bit of heft. The 8" knife is actually a bit large for me to use for chopping onions, but it was an expert at cutting through the ham for Easter (below) and trimming the pork shoulder I made yesterday. Likewise, we like the fruit and veggie knives and have used them on everything! I know my santoku's are feeling a little left out... and maybe a little scared that they may be headed to Goodwill soon!

And while we're talking about knives, I want to share one of my other favorite kitchen tools: the Wusthof 2-Stage Pocket Knife Sharpener. At $6.99, it's the cheapest, fastest, easiest way to keep my knives sharp and ready to chop! Sharp knives make all the difference. If you invite me over and I use a dull knife, you can be guaranteed to have one of these arrive in the mail, courtesy of me and Amazon Prime (just ask several members of my family).

Where have I been?

2010-04-19T16:01:00.000-07:00

I was surprised to learn that a few people actually read my blog. And those few people are wondering where I've been. Mostly, I've been busy being a mom and wife... but I've also been spending my free time reading actual books instead of the internet (crazy, I know!) and being crafty with my sewing machine. Oh yeah, and one other thing I've been doing: packing up our house to move.

Moving is by no means fun but I anticipate that I will like our new place much more than our current SFH. So, I am excited. The ONE thing I will miss (other than the neighborhood) is my gas stove. (Do you know how difficult it is to find a gas stove in a townhouse? ) This is funny because the first week we moved in the pilot light went out on this old stove and we awoke one morning to dog vomit and gas fumes that had been leaking all night. Needless to say, as a highly emotional pregnant woman, I raised hell with our landlord and debated on re-packing our boxes and moving out because of this stove. In the end, the old gas stove has made many a wonderful meal.

Now that our move is right around the corner, we've taken on the task of eating everything in the house so that we don't have to move it 4 miles down the road. The premise sounds fun: don't go grocery shopping for weeks for anything but milk, fruit and vegetables, and use what's in the not one but two refrigerator/freezers and on the cupboard shelves. But what meals come of this method are interesting, to say the least. One of those meals actually turned out decent. I'm calling it "mock lasagna".

Mock Lasagna or Ravioli Casserole

(*Note, there are no measurements because I used whatever I had)

Frozen cheese/spinach ravioli (I used whatever was left in the bag of costco ravioli)

Provolone cheese slices

Fat-free sour cream

Shredded mozarella

Spaghetti sauce

meatballs

broccoli

Hubby bought a bag of chopped broccoli from Costco so I steamed several cups, chopped it up, and threw it back into the saucepan with the spaghetti sauce. Then I added some frozen meatballs (homemade from the Sneaky Chef cookbook-which means more broccoli and spinach-but Trader Joe's has great meatballs) and heated through until I could break up the meatballs to resemble ground beef.

I poured some sauce in the bottom of a 9X13 casserole dish and topped it with a single layer of ravioli. I then added a single layer of the provolone, spread on some sour cream and topped that with the broccoli/meat/spaghetti sauce mix. I only had enough ravioli to do one layer, but if you have more (or no-cook lasagna noodles) you can repeat. I topped it all off with mozzarella cheese and baked at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

The best part about this meal is that it took less than 20 minutes to throw together. I won't show you pictures because it's not real pretty, but it helped me clean out the fridge, tasted pretty good and was nutrient-packed - all in all, a success!

Apple Oatmeal Pancakes

2009-10-17T06:02:00.000-07:00

It's a cold, rainy October morning in Virginia - perfect for some apple pancakes, a cup of coffee and a newspaper.

These pancakes are delish and full of fiber, so they'll fill you up. I doubled them this morning so I can pop them in the toaster for breakfast during the week... give 'em a try if you have some time and apples!

Apple Oatmeal Pancakes

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup all purpose flour

2 t baking powder

1/4 t salt

1/2 cup oats

1 T brown sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 cup milk

1/2 cup grated apple

3 T melted butter

Stick butter to grease griddle

Whisk together the dry ingredients in one bowl. In another bowl, combine milk and butter well. Add eggs to liquid and whisk, then add apples and stir. Create a well in the dry ingredients and add liquid; stir until just combined. Let sit for 5-10 minutes. This time allows the oats to soften and for your batter to "grow" and become slightly bubbly.

While your batter is sitting, heat a griddle on the stove top on low heat. The griddle is hot enough when a splash of water sizzles. Just before pouring your batter on the griddle, quickly rub the end of a stick of butter on the griddle to grease. Using a one-quarter cup measuring cup, pour batter into small circles, about 4-5 in. diameter. Let the pancakes cook until bubbles have burst and flip. Re-grease in between batches of pancakes.

Top with spiced apples, applesauce and/or syrup.

Makes about 12 pancakes.

Making Do (or Cleaning Out the Fridge)

2009-10-15T16:18:00.001-07:00

Okay, so I haven't been to the grocery store this week. It's been on my list of "to-do's" but I haven't quite made it there yet. And tomorrow is Friday. As a consequence, I've challenged myself to one of my favorite games: to make do with what I have when it comes to dinner.

Admittedly, I tend to keep a stocked freezer (two, actually) and some staples in the pantry, so I usually have something to work with. And I like "cleaning up" and using what I have before I shove something else in the fridge (i.e. first in, first out). Although not going to the store means not having many fresh fruits or vegetables, sometimes you just gotta make do.

So what was on the menu this week? Mostly items that involve leftover toppings from Friday's pizza night...

MONDAY: Emeril's Braised Chicken Thighs and Mushrooms- which, by the way, is so good that it was the second time I made it (which is saying something for me) - over basmati rice, paired with steamed asparagus and a glass of vouvray.

TUESDAY: Ham, asparagus and mozzarella frittata with oven fries. Frittata's are my new favorite quick-and-easy go-to meal - similar to but easier than an omelet, nutritious and tasty, you can throw anything in a frittata and it's ready in 20 minutes. I like it with potatoes, cheese grits or just toast and some fruit.

WEDNESDAY: Two loaves of coconut banana bread (See When Life Gives You Bananas...). After I ate enough of that, I didn't need dinner.

THURSDAY: Egg (over easy) and white cheddar on toasted whole wheat and an apple.

Next on my list: still gotta do something with about 10 lbs of apples that are getting wrinkled in my fridge... any good ideas?

The Birthday Cake

2009-10-06T17:52:00.000-07:00

My son's first birthday presented me with an opportunity to tap into my creative side: I decided to make him a dog cake to coordinate with the dog-themed party. Surprisingly, I had a great time doing it and it was much less stressful than anticipated!

In short: I made a yellow butter cake and topped it with a homemade chocolate cream cheese/whipped cream frosting. I used a 14 in cake pan for the head, and a 9 in cake pan for the ears, which was cut like the ying yang symbol. I then used a cupcake for the muzzle - topped with a prune and black licorice for the nose - and a fruit leather for the tongue. The eyes were melting chocolates on top of white icing (leftover from the dog bone cookies I made), and the dog hair is toasted coconut and sifted cocoa powder. I also used some gel icing for the eyelashes and "freckles." What you can't see is a red licorice collar around his neck.

My son squealed with excitement when he saw it. I'm already thinking about next year's cake...

Fall Cooking: Beef Stew and Homemade Bread

2009-09-27T16:07:00.000-07:00

Feeling under the weather today, I was craving a heart-warming (and house-warming) meal of beef stew and fresh, crusty bread. It helped that for most of the day it was pouring rain so I didn't step foot outside - which is good since it's actually 70 degrees out and still a little to warm for stew... but in my stuffy, congested head, it was a perfect day for it.

Stew is great because it's easy to have all the ingredients at any time. I buy wholesale stew meat and freeze it one -to-two pound portions in plastic bags so I always have it on hand, like I do carrots, celery, onions and potatoes.

Tonight I made Beef Porter Stew - a recipe I saw on the Today Show last year - that is rich, hearty and delicious. As usual, I tweaked a couple of things.

First, I ignore the cooking times a little and let it cook until the beef is so tender it can be shredded using a spoon with minimal effort - stew should not be eaten with a fork and knife. Sometimes this requires adding a little extra liquid near the end so that it doesn't get too thick and stick to the bottom. My enamel cast-iron dutch over conducts heat well over an open flame and tonight it took just over 3 hours to cook. I also used sweet potatoes instead of parsnips because that's what I had on hand, but parsnips give a slightly bitter contrast to the saltier stew which is actually quite tasty.

As for my bread... well, I slept most of the day away and didn't really have time to put a lot of effort into making bread but I really wanted a hot, buttered piece of crusty bread. Enter: Multigrain English Muffin Bread. All I can say is YUM about this quick, no-need-for-kneading bread that has all the nooks and crannies that are perfect for melted butter. I will be making this in double batches from now on.

Pleased to enjoy!

Beef and Porter Stew

By Chef Michael Lomonaco, Porter House New York

Serves 6 to 8

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 1/2 pounds beef chuck stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 large onion, diced
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 bottles, 24 ounces, American Porter –rich dark ale, or any beer
2 cups low-sodium, beef broth
1/4 cup tomato paste
3 carrots, peeled and diced
3 parsnips, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, diced
3 large red bliss potatoes, washed and diced
Sea salt, freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Put the oil and butter in a large, heavy-bottomed pot and heat it over medium-high heat. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Add the beef to the pot in a single, not-too-tightly-packed layer and brown the beef well on all sides, approximately 8 minutes total. Transfer the beef to a plate and set aside. This may be done in batches to brown all the beef evenly.

2. Add the onion and butter to the casserole and cook until golden and caramelized, approximately 15 minutes. Sprinkle the onions with the flour and stir to combine well.

3. Return the beef to the casserole, add the porter ale, beef broth, tomato pasted diluted in 1 cup warm water, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer 1 1/4 hours.

4. Add the carrots, parsnips, celery and potatoes. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Return to a boil then simmer for 45 minutes before serving with toasted or grilled country bread.

Multigrain English Muffin Bread

Taste of Home Complete Guide to Baking

INGREDIENTS:

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

1 1/4 cups warm water (110 degrees to 115 degrees F)

1/3 cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup quick-cooking oats

1/3 cup wheat germ

1 tablespoon sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cornmeal

DIRECTIONS:

In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add whole whet flour, oats, wheat germ, sugar, salt and 1-1/4 cups of all-purpose flour; beat until smooth. Add enough remaining all-purpose flour to form a soft dough. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down (no not knead). Shape into a loaf. Coat a 9-in. x 5-in. x 3-in. loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and sprinkle with half of the cornmeal. Place loaf in pan; sprinkle with remaining cornmeal. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.

When life gives you bananas, make banana bread

2009-09-21T17:02:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure when my love affair with banana bread began but I do recall that when I was in high school, we had "cake day" once a week at which point one of us would bring in cake to eat at break. Eventually, cake evolved into banana bread and I spent many nights trying various banana bread recipes to share with my classmates until I found the recipe that produced a dense, moist, bananaful bread. Since then, I have found a couple of other favorites, including Low-fat Coconut Banana Bread with Lime Glaze which doesn't taste at all low fat.

But the old standby - tried and true, full of banana goodness - is a blueberry banana bread recipe I tweeked from the Southern Living's 1981 Annual Recipes cookbook. One change is that the original recipe calls for shortening but I've found only unsalted butter gives it the richness I like. While I do like some recipes that call for canola oil, it's true that butter makes everything better.

My husband has caught on that I "accidentally" buy too many bananas - more than we can eat before they begin to get soft and freckly. He, who will eat anything including brown bananas, now knows that those bananas are NOT to be eaten as they are, but to be preserved in bread (or frozen for bread to be made at a later date). I can't think of a more perfect way to eat bananas!

Blueberry Banana Bread

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 cups mashed bananas

1 cup flour

1/2 cup quick oats

1 t baking powder

1 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar together, beating well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add bananas and mix until smooth.

Combine the dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture, stirring until just moistened. Stir in blueberries.

Pour batter into a greased and floured 9x5x3-inch loafpan. Bake for 60-70 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool (if you can resist cutting into it immediately). Yield: 1 loaf

Food in America: The Reality

2009-09-17T04:49:00.000-07:00

A recent op-ed in the LA Times by Charlotte Allen brought to light the current challenges facing Americans when it comes to eating sustainable, organic foods in this country:

Just in time for the worst economic downturn since the Depression, here comes a new crop of social critics to inform us that we're actually spending too little for the food we eat, the clothes we wear, the furniture we sit on and the gasoline that runs our automobiles.
Never mind that U.S. job losses these days range from 200,000 to 500,000 a month, that foreclosures are up 32% over this time last year and that people are re-learning how to clip newspaper coupons so as to save at the supermarket. Dire economic circumstances don't seem to faze these spending enthusiasts, who scold us for shopping at supermarkets instead of at farmer's markets, where a loaf of "artisanal" (and also "sustainable") rye bread sells for $8, ice cream for $6 a cup and organic tomatoes go for $4 a pound.

As a dietitian, I appreciate this piece. I've encountered too many of these food critics, including a crop of dietitians, in the last several years who have a completely unrealistic perception of how the American people live. My beef with the push to eat foods with a marked-up price tag and the "organic" label is that often they are not truly organic. Like anything else, food processors and producers have seized the marketing opportunity to grab more sales... which is not a bad thing, as long as you know what's facing you at the supermarket.

Supermarkets aren't alone in this. I've been to my share of farmers markets that "import" their foods from wholesale warehouses like Costco and sell them at a premium as "local". Have you ever stopped to think about what can actually be grown in your neck of the "local" woods? Americans are easily taken advantage of because most of us have no idea what seasonal foods are or what different growing conditions are necessary. It's just impractical to think that you can get all your foods from within 100 miles of your house, especially living on the eastern seaboard like I do, or that all your food can be organic. This is not California.

In fact, last year when I purchased some "organic" New England" apples from Trader Joe's I found worms were still living in them. For some, that might be okay but I prefer to keep my protein separate from my fruit. Not to mention these foods often don't keep nearly as long - rotting food can be costly to families. I've come home with organic food that has gone bad 2 days from it's purchasing date, only to be thrown away along with my money. Visit any U.S. produce farm and you'll find that most "conventional" produce growers use very minimal pesticides (READ: pesticides = added cost to farmers) and instead opt for natural integrate pest management techniques whenever possible. The main difference is that these growers don't jump through the hoops and pay the added cost to become certified "organic" and pass that cost on to you.

As a new mom (and former food marketer), I see how especially susceptible moms are to the guilt that these "cheerleaders" impose. Unfortunately, you don't always get what you pay for. I often tell my friends to avoid falling into the trap of only eating "organic" and to shop smart. How do you shop for your family without feeling guilty if you don't spend $8 on a gallon of milk?

Read labels carefully - here are the USDA guidelines for what those labels really mean.
Do your homework - did you know that the hormones found in milk are naturally occurring? The same level of hormone can be found in conventional and organic milk, meaning there's no difference between the two but the price. Look for both sides of the story before you commit to one product.
Look for what's in season - in-season produce is going to be more affordable, going to taste better and will have likely traveled less than if it's not in season. While some are grown in the U.S., many exotic fruits like bananas (yes, the number one fruit in the U.S.), pineapples and mangoes likely come from another country.
Mix convenience with fresh - it's inevitable that we'll eat some processed foods no matter how hard we try not to out of sheer convenience. Canned and frozen fruits and veggies are often less expensive than fresh and keep for longer - and they have the same nutritional value as fresh. Keep them on hand when your favorite produce is out of season and feel good about the fact that your family is getting good nutrition! My favorite quick meal involves making a stir-fry of a micro-steamer bag of mixed veggies, rice, and frozen chicken - frozen meat is easier to slice then and can be thrown right into the wok with your favorite sauce. Toss the cooked veggies in at the end and serve with rice.
Plan ahead - If you're making your favorite meal, double the recipe and freeze the rest in single-serve containers. Homemade "processed" foods always win out in taste!

An apple a day... and you know the rest

2009-09-16T15:58:00.000-07:00

It's apple season - finally! August was a bit painful when it came to picking fruit - the seasonal summer fruits were waning and seemed better fit for baking than for eating fresh (not that I'm complaining about eating peach-blueberry crisp or strawberry bread). Or maybe I was just excited for the apples to hit supermarket shelves and that's why all the blueberries tasted sour. So now that they're here, I've begun hoarding... Two weeks ago I visited Stribling Orchard in Markham, VA and stocked up on MacIntosh, Granny Smith and Honeycrisp apples. Today I paid a visit to Hollabaugh Orchard in Biglerville, PA and acquired some more Honeycrisps, as well as a few Jonagolds and Galas. And I now over nearly 30 pounds of fresh picked apples in my refrigerator.

Apples are great because they keep so well in the 'fridge - after 40 days in the produce drawer, many apples will still taste fresh, as long as they haven't been stored next to onions which leave a lasting impression on any fruit. But if you think that you'll never make it through 30 pounds of apples in 40 days, they're also a very versatile fruit that can be used in main dishes just as easily as desserts.

So what am I going to do with 30 pounds of apples? Many will be eaten out of hand, especially the Honeycrisps, which are almost too delicious to use in any recipe - a cross between a Macoun and Honeygold, biting into one is like taking a sip of fresh apple cider. But the Macs made a delicious crisp (that was not watery, thank you very much) and the Granny's were perfect in Sunday's apple-oatmeal pancakes. Tomorrow I think I'll try apple-bacon popovers for breakfast and chicken apple curry for dinner.

Now accepting must-have apple recipes - send them my way if you got 'em!

Sweet Potato Pancakes

2009-09-15T18:04:00.001-07:00

I am a big fan of breakfast. BIG. Every weekend I make pancakes. And while blueberry are the time-tested favorite around here, I am always up for trying something new. For me, making pancakes is an art, and one of the few I've perfected. In fact, I could probably devote an entire blog to my adventures with pancakes but I'll file that thought away for a rainy day. In the meantime, I'll tell you about this week's latest pancake creation that came about, once again, as a result of my son's affinity for bread and vegetables in masquerade.

Case Study #2 (see Sweet Potato Salad for #1): my son is still refusing sweet potatoes (as well as several other vegetables) as of late. This week I opened up a can of Glory's Sweet Potato casserole as a last ditch for vegetables on a there's-a-tired-boy-and-not-enough-time-to-cook evening. I've never had sweet potato casserole from a can but when I bought it months ago, I thought it might be a nice alternative to baby food. He tried it, I tried it, and quite honestly, I couldn't blame him for not wanting to eat it: overly sweet, weird aftertaste, it just didn't hold a candle to fresh sweet potatoes or a homemade casserole. After all, it was in a can.

But I hate waste so I saved it, determined to do something with it. I contemplated a sweet potato quick bread and muffins, but both required more effort and more fat than I wasn't interested in at the time. And so the next day, at 2 p.m., I made a batch of sweet potato and raisin pancakes, still thinking it would be a great way to sneak those fruits and veggies into my son. Moreover, what's great about these pancakes is that they are made with whole-grains, are low in fat, and are an easy make-ahead meal - I freeze them so they can be popped in the toaster for a quick breakfast or anytime snack.

Sweet Potato and Raisin Pancakes

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup wheat flour

1 T sugar (*omit if your sweet potatoes contain sugar)

2 t baking powder

1/2 t cinnamon

1 cup low fat milk

2 T melted butter

1 egg beaten

1 cup canned or mashed sweet potatoes

1/4 raisins

DIRECTIONS:

Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl. In another bowl (or large glass measuring cup) combine wet ingredients. Words of wisdom: be careful not to add the egg to hot, melted butter or you'll have scrambled eggs. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until just moist. Do not over mix. Let batter sit for 5-10 minutes.

Lightly coat your griddle with cooking spray or butter. To give your 'cakes that buttery taste without all the butter, quickly rub the griddle with the end of a stick of butter just before pouring batter. Pour batter on and cook until bubbles begin to burst. Flip the cakes and cook until golden. Top your pancakes with yogurt and/or syrup for a delicious wake up call. You will have approximately 12, light and fluffy pancakes in no time flat.

My Little Moka Pot

2009-09-11T05:36:00.001-07:00

The latest in my favorite kitchen tools: the Bialetti Moka Pot. After my formerly awesome Cuisinart coffee pot began taking 4+ hours to make a pot of coffee, I decided to invest in this $20 stovetop coffee maker that is wildly popular in Europe and elsewhere. Filled with espresso, it makes 10 oz and is the perfect pot for my weekday morning cup of joe. And since treating myself to a "fru fru" coffee drink at Starbucks is a) cost-prohibitive now that I'm no longer employed and b) more effort than it's worth with a toddler, I splurged on the Bialette Cappuccino and Latte set - complete with a milk frother - and a 3-pack of vanilla Torani Syrup on Amazon. While it's not considered to be a true espresso maker, every morning is a treat with a vanilla latte better than anything I can get at Starbucks (and I used to work there).

While I love, love, love this little pot that's perfect for my little kitchen, the one thing I'm still searching for is the perfect espresso bean. I'm trying to avoid the temptation to buy Illy coffee because I fear it will be an expensive habit to break. So I have tried Lavazza Espresso and Trader Joe's Espresso - both okay but not the best I can do, I'm sure. Tomorrow I'll be opening a pack of Lavazza's Crema e Aroma espresso beans (another deal on Amazon)... I almost can't wait to wake up in the morning, just to see if my wish for the perfect bean has been answered. To be continued...

Sweet Potato Salad

2009-09-04T06:44:00.000-07:00

I never thought it could happen to me: my almost-one-year old son is a picky eater. The weird thing is as picky as he is, he is also quite the gourmand. He's not into baby food or "plain" food - he doesn't and never has eaten what he's "supposed" to eat. Take, for instance, that in his short little life he's begged for jambalaya, gobbled up veggie frittata, and loves nearly all mexican food. But if I put peaches (from my defunct peach cobbler) or (heaven forbid) carrots in front of him they're immediately thrown on the floor after one bite (which is also spit out). We grew out of pureed foods in one week and went right to quesadillas when he was only six months old. So in order to get this guy to eat healthy, if at all, I need to make those veggies flavorful and preferably, hidden.

Case Study 1: after he refused oven roasted sweet potato fries (um, YUM), I decided to try creating a sweet potato salad with those fries. I searched for a recipe on-line but didn't have all the ingredients to make any that I found so... I improvised. I roasted a red pepper on an open flame, finely minced some shallots, and whipped up a tangy mustard dressing to bring it all together, served room temp and topped with fresh parsley and parmesan. And surprise, it was a hit with both my boys.

Sweet Potato Salad

INGREDIENTS:

3 peeled, chopped sweet potatoes

1 red bell pepper

1 T minced shallot

2 T champagne vinegar (or any other vinegar, but this is a lighter, sweeter vinegar)

1 T grainy or Dijon mustard

2 T good quality extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

Parmesan or Romano cheese

Fresh Parsley

(*note, all measurements are approximates as I didn't use any measuring utensils - season to taste!)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat over to 425 degrees or start the grill. Toss sweet potatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper - layer on a baking sheet for roasting or, alternatively, lay directly on grill. Roast until tender, about 25 minutes. While potatoes are cooking, place red pepper over an open flame - either on the grill or stove top - and roast until skin is blackened, turning frequently. Once pepper is sufficiently roasted, place in bowl and immediately cover with plastic wrap. Let sit for 10-15 minutes - this will steam the pepper, making it easier to peel off the skin - and gently peel. Once peeled, deseed the pepper and chop. Add to medium sized bowl, along with potatoes. Whisk together shallot, vinegar, and mustard - slowly add olive oil while briskly whisking to create an emulsion. Add salt and pepper to taste. Gently toss dressing with potatoes and peppers. Top with shredded Parmesan and chopped parsley. If you can hold off, let it sit at room temperature for while so the flavors can meld. But if you can't resist and must eat it immediately then... Enjoy!

The Perfect Bridal Shower Cupcake

2009-09-03T05:20:00.000-07:00

Recently I hosted a bridal shower for a dear friend of mine. I wanted the shower to be similar to afternoon tea, complete with dainty finger foods and champagne (note: no one drank the tea). I'm not normally a huge fan of cake but based on the ghastly reaction I received from my Maid of Honor when she asked what kind of cake I wanted at my own shower and I responded with "fruit tart," I wanted to be sure we had a cake in some form. Apparently this is appropriate "shower etiquette." So I set out to find The Perfect Bridal Shower Cupcake. And I think I found it... but not on the first try.

About the time I began planning the event (for a bride who is an event planner, no less) my mother gave me a cupcake cookbook with pictures to die for. After salivating over each page, I decided on the most girly and yet indulgent looking cupcake: the Frou Frou cupcake. The surprise is that it doesn't have chocolate - I dare say a staple among the female species and sure-fire winner- but instead is a delicate raspberry-coconut cake covered in coconut cream cheese frosting and topped with toasted coconut and raspberries.

Thankfully I planned to make the cakes ahead of time, "just in case," and freeze them unfrosted if they turned out well. I'm not sure if it was the suffocating heat and humidity that day or a mistake along the way, but the cakes didn't rise at all and looked and tasted more like a dense fruit cobbler. The husband found them to be buttery-rich and very tasty, but they weren't exactly what I was going for. So I headed back to the store for more ingredients and "just in case," I picked up a couple boxes of Trader Joe's Vanilla Cake mix with madagascar bourbon vanilla flavor.

Running short on time and energy with my almost-one year old in tow, I decided to cheat n use the cake mix, and adding raspberries and coconut to the batter. OH MY GAWD. Perfectly light and fluffy cakes, and the bourbon vanilla bean was a fantastic flavor addition and one I'm not sure if I could recreate on my own without some pricey ingredients. And then there was frosting. When I do eat cake I generally avoid the frosting but this homemade cake paint was To. Die. For. All together the constructed cupcake was a hit and friends are still talking about it... but shhh... they don't know it came from a mix!

So I'm including the original recipe from Cupcakes by Pamela Clark. Perhaps you'll have better luck with Frou Frou than I did, but if not, there's always T.J.'s cake mix!

Frou Frou Cupcakes

• 1 stick butter softened

• 1 cup sugar

• 3 eggs

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/4 cup Self-rising Flour

• 1/2 cup shredded coconut

• 1/3 cup sour cream

• 5 oz frozen raspberries

Cream cheese frosting

• 5 T butter softened

• 12 oz cream cheese softened

• 2 tsp coconut extract

• 3 cups powdered sugar

• Decorations

• 1 cup flaked coconut, toasted

• 15 fresh raspberries halved

1. Preheat oven to moderate 350 degrees. Line 6 hole texas or 12 hole standard muffin pan with paper cups.

2. Beat butter, sugar and eggs in small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy.

3. Stir in sifted flour, coconut, cream and frozen raspberries. Divide mixture among cases, smooth surface.

4. Bake large cakes about 30 minutes, small cakes about 20 minutes. Turn cakes onto wire rack to cool.

5. Make cream cheese frosting.

6. Remove paper from cake, spread cake sides with frosting

7. Roll sides in coconut and then spread frosting on top surface and top with raspberries.

Cream cheese frosting:

Beat buttter, cream cheese and essence in small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in sifted icing sugar.

Fruit Crisp: Lost Cause or Ripe for Perfection?

2009-09-03T04:56:00.000-07:00

Last night I attempted to make a fresh fruit crisp with peaches and blueberries. Most crisp recipes are generally the same - they involve brown sugar, cinnamon, butter, oats and a little lemon juice - and this was no exception. Because it's summer and I don't want to heat up my whole house, I baked in my little toaster over at 450 until the top was brown and the peaches were soft. Thinking I'd finally made a good crisp, I dug in... only to find a half inch of liquid at the bottom of my dish. Absolute disappointment.

This is not the first time this has happened, and I know I'm not the only one it's happened to but... WHY?? I've set out to find the answer, preferably before I go apple picking this weekend an have a bounty of apples to make crisps. Is this a lost cause - should I switch to a more involved cobbler - or is the art of making a crisp ripe for perfection?

All suggestions on the matter are welcome... So far I have had two suggested possibilities: one being not enough butter, the other being a need for cornstarch. Thoughts?

Link to Serious Eats post

Cooking with Mayo

2009-07-27T06:14:00.000-07:00

Yes, I tried something new last night on a whim: I used mayonnaise like I've never used it before. It was late and after a day of yard work, my husband and I were hungry - and I hadn't even thought about what to fix for dinner. Looking in the fridge, I discovered I had a drawer full of veggies but no protein to speak of... what to do, what to do? Determined to use only what I had available to me, I threw some frozen cheese tortellini (easy protein and starch in one) in a pot of boiling water and started chopping asparagus and yellow squash. But how would I tie these things together with no sauce to speak of? With mayo? Yes, with mayo!

In my experience, mayonnaise is only used in cold summer salads, sandwiches, and maybe to coat some chicken before dredging it in something. However recently my husband and I tried a Food and Wine Magazine recipe for smoky glazed asparagus - asparagus, in a mayonnaise-based marinade, grilled to perfection. The marinade consisted of mayo, smoked paprika, lemon juice, olive oil, cumin, garlic and some kosher salt and I had just enough leftover to taunt me. After some contemplation and another look through the fridge for something (anything) else I could use, I grabbed the marinade and a lemon from the veggie drawer and decided to go for it. After all, I figured, the mayo is just an emulsified form of most ingredients I would use in a saute - oil, vinegar, seasoning, egg...? Okay, maybe not but it's worth a shot.

The marinade itself was a little thick so I added the juice of one lemon and whisked it together, which gave it a zesty, smoky flavor that was great on a hot day like yesterday. After sauteing the vegetables in a little olive oil, I added the pasta to the skillet to brown it a little before adding my sauce. Once browned, I incorporated the sauce and cooked it down for a couple of minutes before tossing it with some fresh Parmesan. A quick taste told me this was something different but good. But the real verdict wouldn't come in until my skeptical (but hungry) husband tried my experiment.

We paired the pasta with a Pirovano pinot grigio and dug in. The smoky lemon flavor complemented the cheesy richness of the tortellini, and the sauce itself coated the tender vegetables with flavor. The tanginess of the mayonnaise and added lemon made it a true summer meal. The official verdict: a tasty dinner that left us wanting more! Next time, I won't be so hard on the mayo and maybe, just maybe, I'll use it in something other than tuna salad.

What are you craving?

2008-07-30T14:16:00.000-07:00

When I saw this post on Slashfood, I couldn't wait to post about it on Live to Eat. While I'm a big fan of Allrecipes.com because of the ability to search for recipes by multiple ingredients, Cookthink offers a whole new spin on the recipe search. The new "what are you craving?" tool allows you to search not just by what ingredients you want to use, but also according to what you're craving based on the ingredient, dish, cuisine and mood - could it be any more prefect for a pregnant woman?

I thought I'd give this a test drive since I've been thinking about how to prepare that whole fryer I have thawing for dinner tonight. I did a quick search for a chicken dish prepared on the grill that's "mind-boggling." So what did Cookthink have in mind? Well there were a lot of results to choose from but some of my delicious options included:

Yogurt-Mint Chicken
Spicy Grilled Whole Chicken
Red Curry Chicken Breasts
Roast Chicken with Sweet Plum Sauce

My only disappointment is that not all of my results were for "grilled" chicken (though I'm sure all of the recipes meet the "mind-boggling" requisite). Some were sauteed, while others were pan-seared, etc. But all in all, the recipes look delicious and have me craving some juicy chicken - this might just be my new favorite kitchen tool!

A Weekend in the Virginia Countryside

2008-07-21T10:16:00.000-07:00

My husband and I recently spent a weekend in the Shenandoah Valley, just an hour away from our home in Vienna. It was a perfect weekend getaway - the weather was amazing and it was a short drive that resulted in a beautiful change of scenery and some time to relax. The easy drive was especially nice given the price of gas these days and it enabled us to spend a little more on the food!

Along the way, we stopped for lunch in Leesburg. We decided to try The Lightfoot Restaurant and were pleasantly surprised to find that they not only have beautiful indoor dining

but also a quiet patio for outdoor dining. With the nice weather, we opted to sit outside, despite the awesome interior. Many items seemed to have a subtle Asian influence but for the most part the menu offered traditional American-style dishes. Everything on it looked exciting and as it turns out, the food was delicious.

We started with fried green tomatoes topped with jalapeño cheddar cheese, sautéed shrimp and a Szechwan chili cream. Following the appetizers, I had the Chinatown Salad- loaded with fresh veggies, chicken and crispy Chinese noodles, it was the perfect summertime lunch. My husband indulged a little more (I'll admit, I was a bit jealous) and had the BLT&C sandwich - smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato and provolone cheese. So simple yet I couldn't have made it better in my own kitchen. Other entrees that were hard to resist include a Chesapeake crab and ham Reuben sandwich, a meatloaf sandwich with red Thai curry mayo and crisp onions, and a grilled cheese of the day. I'm looking forward to my next stop in Leesburg!

After another pit stop (this time at the Tastee Freeze in Berryville), we checked in at the french country inn, Villa la Campagnette, in White Post, VA before heading off to its sister (and original) inn, L'Auberge Provencale, for dinner. A visit to the inn and restaurant has often been compared to a visit to Provence in France. I haven't been to Provence but I already like White Post, VA better because I don't have to actually travel to France to enjoy the beauty - what could be better than that?

In addition to the amazing view of the Shenandoah Valley, L'Auberge is also a four-diamond award-winning restaurant (note: jackets are required for men... something unbeknownst to us until we got there). Not only is much of the food locally grown in Virginia, but many of the herbs and vegetables on one's plate can actually be found growing less than 20 yards from the inn. Talk about fresh. The dinner was a prix fixe meal and though pricey, we did not leave unsatisfied. The food was perfect and was truly a special treat that will from henceforth be reserved only for very special occasions (read: we can't afford to go more than once every five years).

The most pleasant surprise of the weekend, however, was the breakfast we awoke to at the Villa. After our decadent meal the night before, I wasn't sure I could actually fit more food into my stomach but alas, I managed. Also prepared at the L'Auberge restaurant, we were served this elegant meal poolside amidst beautiful gardens. The meal included quail sausage, an "eggroll" omelet with fresh vegetables inside, tender potatoes, cafe aulait, fresh squeezed orange juice and a variety of breads with the best raspberry jam I've ever had. (Seriously, I could have eaten this jam right out of the jar - I suspect it was also a local product.) We left the inn at noon and didn't eat again until the evening.

All in all, we had a wonderful stay in the Shenandoah Valley despite the fact that I couldn't drink copious amounts of Virginia (or French) wine while sitting on the front porch of L'Auberge or near the pool at the Villa. I certainly won't forget the food and from now on, I will be driving less so I can save my pennies for another visit to the countryside!

Making Bread...

2008-06-20T06:15:00.000-07:00

Has never been so entertaining! Check out this posting on the Accidental Hedonist... I think it's an excellent tutorial on making bread from scratch.

Pleased to enjoy!

Wacky About Watermelon

2008-06-19T12:22:00.001-07:00

Maybe it's the hormones or maybe it's the 100 degree weather we've been having, but I've been wacky about watermelon lately. Although I do hate cutting the fruit, it's been well worth the effort - I've been blessed with one juicy and sweet melon after another.

However, last weekend house guests brought over a not-so-sweet melon that left me wondering what to do with the 5 pounds of pink flesh that weren't so enticing to eat. After a little experimentation, I found that watermelonade is the perfect use for that under-ripe watermelon.

The basic recipe for making this refreshing concoction:

In a blender, puree 4 cups of cut melon with the juice from 2 juicy lemons and a spoonful of sugar. Add more sugar to taste (depending on just how under-ripe your melon is) and blend. Pour through a sieve to separate the pulp and seeds and serve over ice. YUM!

According to the Farmer's Almanac, there are a few ways to tell if a watermelon is ripe:

1. Thump it. If the watermelon sounds hollow, it's ripe. This is difficult for less-gifted ears.
2. Look at the color on the top. The watermelon is ripe when there is little contrast between the stripes.
3. Look at the color on the bottom. A green watermelon will have a white bottom; a ripe melon will have a cream- or yellow-colored bottom.

Apparently I'm not the only watermelon fanatic out there - check these sites for more watermelonriffic recipes and information:

Watermelon Raspberry Lemonade
Agua Fresca
Grilled Watermelon
Other Watermelon Wonders

I've Been Vegasized

2008-05-08T07:25:00.000-07:00

Make that "Vegas-sized." Yes, I just got back from a 3 day trip to Vegas for work and am at least 3 pounds heavier than I was when I left. Granted, I am pregnant but even for a pregnant woman that's a bit much! But things are bigger and better in Vegas... so why shouldn't I join in on the fun?

I have to admit that when I first heard I had to go to L.V. during my 5th month of pregnancy I was not especially looking forward to it. Also known as "Sin City," I would certainly not be partaking in all that the oasis in the desert had to offer... But then I remembered that Vegas has changed quite a bit in the 15 years since I visited. Luxury hotels and fine dining dominate the scene now - you'd be hard pressed to find a steak and lobster dinner for $8.99 like the one I remember having on my first visit. Nearly every restaurant features one of the world's top chefs. With a little planning, Las Vegas has the potential to be an epicureans dream.

With that in mind, I set off to plan my culinary tour of the city. First, I booked my stay at THEhotel at Mandalay Bay and scheduled an early flight so that I would have time to dip my toes in one of America's best pools before having to work. THEhotel has plush accomodations, with very dark and contemporary decor - it was often hard to tell if the lights were on but perfect if you're planning to have a hangover the whole time you're in Vegas. And so after checking in and doing a quick change into my bathing suit, my culinary adventure began with Thai spring rolls by the pool that satisfied my hunger after waiting at the airport cab stand for 2 hours. Maybe it was the cross-country flight and the long wait for a cab, but those were the best spring rolls I'd ever eaten.

Two of my favorite hot spots during my visit:

Bouchon - I'm usually very skeptical of french food (I often think it's overrated) but this is a Thomas Keller restaurant and arguably one of the best eats in the country. I expected it to be very stuffy but the atmosphere very lively. My table of four and I shared the pate de champagne and rillettes aux deux saumons (fresh smoked salmon on toast points). Though not generally a pate lover, I had to make a conscious effort to share this with my colleagues and restrain my hand from stealing the whole plate. The salmon was also delicious with a smoky but clean finish. For dinner I selected the Boudin Blanc - a white sausage with potato puree and prunes - knowing that I would never make fresh sausage myself and if I did, it probably wouldn't be this good. I was correct. The rest of my table ordered the Truite aux Amandes (pan-roasted trout) and all of them raved. Though I was completely sated from my meal, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to share dessert - profiteroles, or puff pastries filled with vanilla bean ice cream and covered with chocolate, and a selection of sorbets. Overall, Bouchon lived up to its reputation and left me with fond memories.
Zefferino - It seems unthinkable to me not to eat Italian while in Las Vegas, so that's what I did. Every hotel had at least one restaurant to choose from, but after reading reviews I settled on Zefferino's in the Venetian Hotel. I immediately took to the history of the place really enjoyed it's authenticity - I'm convinced that there were actual Italians working there in all capacities, which is unusual for any Italian eatery in DC. The service was excellent and the food was wonderful, too. My seafood pasta offered rich scallops and shrimp that were cooked perfectly (much appreciated after one too many meals with tough, fishy-tasting seafood).

Although it will be a while, I'm already excited about my next trip to Vegas and where I will eat - any recommendations?

Eating for Two: My Love-Hate Relationship with Food

2008-03-16T14:48:00.000-07:00

Pregnancy has certainly changed this Foodie. For the last 9 weeks I've been unable to eat much food, let alone write about it in this blog. But as I transition into the second trimester - a milestone at which point I'm told all-day "morning sickness" miraculously ends - I'm hopeful I can rebuild my relationship with food. However, I fear it will take some time... because food and I have definitely been on the outs these days. Food aversions, nausea and indigestion have made foes out of many old food friends, and I dare say I haven't eaten the most well-balanced and nutritious diet in the last 3 months.

So here are my top 7 pregnancy foods in the first trimester:
(*Note: nutrition and recommended pregnancy "super foods" were not considered in the creation this list. These are merely the foods that I could actually stand to eat.)

Velveeta. Never having purchased this divine processed food product pre-pregnancy, I found that for several weeks it made everything taste better - I used it melted as a dip for my saltines, as a topping for the one serving of vegetables I ate in February, and in tasty grilled cheese sandwiches.
Port Salut cheese. Yum. Paired with wheat thins, it's mild flavor, soft and creamy consistency kept me coming back for more. Unfortunately, this is one of the more sophisticated foods I've eaten in the last 3 months.
Cheezits. These sustained me when saltines got boring, which happened pretty quickly.
Annie's White Cheddar and Macaroni. (Are you noticing a trend here??? There's no shortage of cheese-products in my diet...) Instant and easy, this was a saving grace at times of insatiable hunger (and nausea).
Apples. I manage to eat one of these every day. Cripps Pink, Gala and Braeburn are the varieties of choice. One of 2 super foods to actually make this list!
Milk. Thank goodness it is so nutritious.
Cereal. Just about any kind will do at breakfast, lunch and dinner!

I know I'm not alone in this... what got you or your spouse through the first trimester? Share your story with us!

Salads are Boring

2008-01-24T06:24:00.000-08:00

Over the years I’ve shared meals with a host of people that I don’t know well and for whatever reason, they don’t know me too well, either. Inevitably, I’m asked what I do for a living to which I respond, “I’m a dietitian.” And each time I get the same reaction:

The person stiffens up and says something to the effect of, “Oh, well then I don’t want you to see what I’m eating... you’ll probably think it’s terrible.”

Then the dreaded, “So what do you think about the (you fill in the blank) diet?”

And so the conversation goes...

First, let me say that I could care less about what other people are eating – it’s not my job to judge. Those same people that are concerned about my impression of their eating habits are the first to make a comment when I don’t order a salad – “what, no salad for the dietitian??” Let me just be honest and say that I think salads are, for the most part, boring (unless loaded with creamy dressing, meat and cheese) and it’s rare that I order a salad as a meal.

Second, I’m tired of fad diets. My motto is: everything fits in moderation. Suffice it to say, I do eat a little of everything in moderation. And I love food.

To a dietitian, there are two kinds of people in this world: those who eat to live and those who live to eat. I respect those who eat to live and often forget to eat or choose to do other things with their time for various reasons... I, on the other hand, wake up in the morning thinking about what I’m going to have for dinner. Each unto his own...

Willpower

2008-01-22T09:29:00.000-08:00

I've just spent the last few days with a friend who only eats a few bites... nothing more, nothing less, no matter how irresistible the food is.

I've heard of people doing this "willpower" thing- a practice in which a person can have a plate in front of them, teeming with delicious food, and not take more than a few tasting bites before putting the fork down for the duration. Quite frankly, I'm appalled by this kind of behavior.

Yes, you guessed it: I grew up in a "clean your plate club" kind of family. We didn't necessarily overeat but we ate all that was put before us or we felt guilty about it. I didn't know any different until I began studying nutrition in college and became much more aware of what it means to actually over eat. It was at that point that I started using smaller plates, which made for smaller portions, so I could still be an official member of the "club."

Going to restaurants, however, presents a challenge when faced with maintaining my membership status. Portions are generally huge - though I've found that price and portion size are inversely related - and it's more difficult to maintain self-control if the food is especially good (as the chicken curry at a local Indian restaurant was on Saturday night). As a foodie, I live to eat... but as a nutrition professional, I'm also conscious of not eating too much.

So I'm posing this question to the other health-conscious foodies out there: how do you manage not to overeat?

Apple Magic

2008-01-09T07:18:00.000-08:00

I’ve been eating a lot of oatmeal this winter, thanks to a Costco run last summer – I now have more quick-cooking oats than I know what to do with. To keep things interesting I’ve made Swiss oatmeal (a la The Corner Bakery), oatmeal pancakes, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and various quick breads that use oatmeal. However, I’ve found that there’s nothing better than a bowl of hot oatmeal on a winter morning, topped with crisp apples sautéed in a little butter and brown sugar... yum.

Unfortunately in making this hearty breakfast earlier this winter I found my Costco-sized bag of brown sugar to be hard as a rock. Faced with this dilemma time and time again, I’ve tried different methods of keeping brown sugar soft. Plastic bags, canisters and terracotta discs that claim to keep it fresh - none of which actually did a whole lot. And then I discovered the apple.

I placed an apple in the brown sugar bag, sealed it shut and let it work its magic. In less than a day, the three pounds of brown sugar were no longer hard as a rock. I switch out the apple every 2-3 weeks and replace it with a new one. Hallelujah!

Note, in the interest of full disclosure, I work for the apple industry which means that I eat a lot of apples and I frequently experiment with them in cooking. Consequently, I may talk about them periodically on Live to Eat. But this blog is not about apples – although I am continually amazed at the fruit’s versatility and ability to protect and heal the body – it is about food.

Check out this excellent recipe for Apple Harvest Oatmeal.

3 Reasons for Making Pizza at Home

2008-01-05T14:38:00.000-08:00

Friday night is pizza night in our house. Homemade pizza. Yes, we make pizza together and then settle in for a movie on the couch. It's a tradition that started with my husband's family, and he's been doing it for more than 30 years - not a bad tradition to marry into since I've always been a fan of pizza.

But the idea of making pizza is slightly intimidating for those of us who are used to pizza arriving in 20 minutes or less, usually on a night when there aren't 3 hours available to prepare a meal (yes, that's how long it takes from start to finish). You may be asking why anyone would venture to make pizza when it's so easy and convenient to have someone else do all the work... well I have my reasons why, as it turns out, pizza night is worth the time and effort.

Stress reduction - after a long week of work, it's great to take out your agressions on a ball of dough. Sometimes we cheat with a pre-baked crust like Boboli, but the best pizza dough is made by our Breadman Pro bread maker (which is sorta cheating, too, but...). It's very forgiving when you take a rolling pin to it, punch it and pound on it until it's flat. Drinking a glass of Malbec while doing so also helps to reduce stress.

No need to compromise - ordering pizza should be easier but there's always discussion about what to get ("no anchovies, please...," thick or thin, meat lovers, cheese lovers or veggie lovers?) and compromising can be a challenge. In making homemade pizza, anything goes. Everyone has equal opportunity to "decorate" their own (or half of their own) pizza with whatever they so choose. Last night, in fact, I topped my thin-crust pizza with handfuls of cheese, leftover ham, fresh pineapple and sliced red pepper, cooked until golden brown, while my husband opted for olives, mushrooms, peppers and ham. YUM!

It's just more fun - we actually have fun making pizza. It's fairly low stress which means you can't screw it up, even if you're not much of a cook. This is also nice because I've often left out key ingredients (e.g. baking powder when baking cakes) or added the wrong ingredient (e.g. salt when it calls for sugar) because I was busy talking to guests or family while cooking. Pizza night is a good opportunity for families and friends to hang out together, get creative in the kitchen, drink a glass of wine and enjoy the delicious fruits of their labor.

Buon Appetito!

Behold, My New Favorite Kitchen Tool

2008-01-03T10:45:00.000-08:00

Where has this been all my life?? The Williams-Sonoma 11-Ball Tip Whisk is officially my new favorite tool in the kitchen, thanks to my mom who also had the same revelation and gave me one for Christmas. I love this whisk.

I've used this to make a thick roux, pancake batter, omelets... it's perfect because unlike other whisks, food doesn't get stuck between the wires. At $24, it's bit on the pricey side but completely worth it. The only drawback is that it doesn't come in a variety of sizes.

I have a small kitchen so I don't want a lot of clutter, but I'm always looking for those multi-purpose, time-saving devices that make cooking more enjoyable...

UPDATE: The Luckiest Meal Ever

2008-01-01T16:36:00.000-08:00

Based on the meal I just ate, 2008 promises to be the luckiest year ever... no, it's not because the traditional New Year's Day lucky meal was so delicious. In fact, it was quite the opposite - this was the most disappointing meal I've made in a very long time, one in which everything burned. But we ate it anyway, all in the name of good luck. And on the bright side, there's nothing like a terrible meal to make you appreciate good food.

I'm not really sure how it happened but it might have something to do with the 40 year old crock pot I used to cook the hoppin' john. As for the kale... well, I have no idea how I managed to burn it. But one thing is for sure: after eating charred kale that smelled of old cigars, hoppin' john with burnt ham and peas, and dry, lackluster cornbread, I think my husband and I deserve a little extra luck this year.

Lucky New Year’s Meal

2008-01-01T10:37:00.000-08:00

Today I’m busy preparing the traditional New Year’s Day lucky meal of black-eyed peas, cooked greens and pork. Now I have no idea if this meal really brings me luck but I’m afraid to find out what happens when I don’t eat it. My mother, a native Virginian, has made the traditional Southern version of this meal for as long as I can remember -even if I had force a few bites of collard greens and hoppin’ john down as a kid in order to reap the benefits, I did so. And, all in all, I’ve been a pretty lucky person.

So this year I’m trying a couple of new recipes in hopes that this meal is as tasty as it is lucky, which is a challenge when you’re working with bland black-eyed peas. They are, of course, an important part of this meal because they symbolize wealth, but I’ve decided that they are among my least favorite legumes so it’s fitting I only eat them one time a year. To give them some flavor I’m spicing my hoppin’ john up with the addition of some Cajun seasoning and ham because pork represents prosperity. It’s my own variation of a Cooking Light recipe that is delicious on its own (see below).

Maybe it’s because the cooked greens also symbolize wealth, or “greenbacks,” that I’ve come to like them much more as an adult than I did as a kid. I’ve also discovered that greens are an excellent vehicle for bacon (which, by the way, makes everything delicious) and are much more enjoyable when loaded with salt and fat. Though my mom never made them this way, true Southern greens are slow cooked with fatback, ham hocks and/or bacon. Being fairly health-conscious (as a dietitian and all) I’ve decided to sauté kale with onions, salt and pepper and top it off with cooked, crumbled bacon. Real bacon, since (thankfully) I’ve finally realized that turkey bacon just doesn’t cut it.

One of my favorite blogs, DC Foodies, has a good synopsis of the lucky meal traditions.

Hoppin’ John
2 16 oz packages frozen black-eyed peas
2 cups hot water
¾ cup sliced green onions
¾ cup chopped red bell pepper
2 t hot sauce
1 T Cajun seasoning
Generous pinch of salt and pepper
1 vegetable-flavored bouillon cube
1 cup cubed ham
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with onion, undrained
2/3 cup uncooked converted rice
½ c slice green onions

Combine first 9 ingredients in crock pot and stir well. Cover and cook on high 4 hours. Stir in tomatoes and rice, cover and cook 1 hour or until peas and rice are tender and liquid is absorbed. Stir in green onions.

Yield: 6 servings

Best of luck in the new year!

Beans and Rice

2007-12-29T17:34:00.000-08:00

While some may eat to live, I live to eat.

I realize, of course, that not everyone is fortunate enough to have that luxury. Sure, I ate my share of beans and rice, p.b. & j, and boxes of mac and cheese as a poor twenty-something, working as a barista, trying to pay rent in D.C. But I am grateful that I have always been blessed with at least that much.

In fact, I still love beans and rice. I find great comfort in piling my beans and rice high with salsa, white cheddar cheese and some fat-free sour cream - no, it's not gourmet fare, but this is a meal that's hearty and healthy, not to mention cheap and easy. My carnivorous husband has learned to adjust, when at least one night a week I forego the meat and opt for this, the meal that reminds me of the good ol' days.

Many people ask me how and I why I’ve built my career around food. The answer is that I simply love food and I love to eat. When I chose my major, “Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise” as an undergrad at Virginia Tech, I couldn't imagine a more interesting (and indulgent) subject to spend four years focused on – I literally ate my way to graduation. My favorite class was one in which we made 5 different versions of chocolate cake and had to taste each one (I should add my least favorite classes involved organic chemistry, biochemistry and physiology) –I think I got an A+ in that one.

So as I embark on my maiden voyage as a "blogger," I join thousands, if not millions, of others in this blogosphere that are just as enamored with food as I am. I cannot claim to be an expert in anything, really, but I love food and am pretty passionate about it. Moreover, I am intrigued by how our relationship with food is changing and growing interest in our food supply. But I write this mostly because I live to eat.

Welcome to the Live to Eat Blog.