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August 15, 2022
Today’s melons are way beyond your standard cantaloupes, honeydews and watermelons (though they are delicious this time of year). Exploring the produce section, I came across some newer variety melons I hadn’t seen before. Luckily, they were sampling. Here are some varieties that you might want to sample for yourself: Sugar Kiss– Round with netted skin and light salmon-colored flesh. The texture is soft, juicy and sweet like candy. Golden Kiss– This is a very flavorful Charentais variety. You can spot it by the netted skin and distinctive green ribs. The flesh is firm and a deep orange color with very […]
August 15, 2022
Wild boar has more flavor than tame pork. It has to be tenderized a bit, but that’s easily accomplished with an onion-juice marinade. You can use pork or beef medallions instead of boar and any type of cubed vegetables. BENEFITS: Wild boar (and therefore pork) has protein and lysine for building muscle, bone, and blood. It also contains phosphorus for nerve and muscle function and vitamin B12 for protecting nerves and brain cells. Yields: about 6 skewers Ingredients 1 lb. wild boar medallions or pork tenderloin 1/2 cup each cubed white onion, red bell pepper, and green bell pepper […]
August 15, 2022
As the summer heats up, I’m less inclined to cook hot meals. Plus, go to any supermarket and it’s clear that produce is in full bloom. Colorful fruits and vegetables inspire me to whip up delicious and healthful salads. When you go to Italy in the summer, you can’t believe how luscious the produce is. That’s because much of it is local or grown not far from where it’s consumed. Our own grocery stores are stocking much more local produce. Check out all the delicious produce at your nearby farmers market. A few weeks ago, I wrote about international dressings […]
August 15, 2022
Prunes and walnuts are both exceedingly high in antioxidant power. Both are listed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on the ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) scale with over 10,000 units. Eating a ¼-cup serving of prunes, or about four prunes, provide you with 12% of the daily value for fiber, 32% of the daily value for vitamin K and 9% of the daily value for potassium. A hundred grams of prunes (about ½ cup) provides at least 9% of your daily needs for the B vitamins, niacin, riboflavin and vitamin B-6. Walnuts have heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids and detoxifying […]
August 15, 2022
These colorful noodles, which are made with my Annatto Oil and Annatto Water, are as delicious as they are healthful. They can be served as a main course, appetizer, or side dish. I use cornstarch noodles, but you can use glass or rice noodles. You can substitute other varieties of mushroom, and almost any cabbage will work–Napa, savoy, bok choy, green, or even red. You can use store-bought vegetable broth instead of homemade. This is a gluten-free dish, so I use tamari sauce instead of soy sauce. Bragg Liquid Aminos provides even more flavor. BENEFITS: Annatto contains vitamin E for […]
August 15, 2022
No-cook summer recipes should be easy, quick, and healthy. Be ready to entertain any time with this simple crowd-pleasing hummus. Fresh herbs add depth to a classic chickpea blend bursting with flavor from rich tahini paste, fresh lemon juice and zest and savory garlic. Quick to make, you can whip this up in a matter of minutes with your food processor. Beans provide heart-healthy protein and detoxifying fiber which is good for gut health. Ingredients ¼ cup olive oil ¼ cup tahini paste ¼ cup lemon juice ½ tsp. fresh lemon zest 2 garlic cloves 1 ½ Tbs. fresh thyme, […]
August 15, 2022
When it comes to preparing food, I like to go all out. Cooking brings me such joy that I’m willing to go to any length to share the pleasures of the table with others. When the weather turned warm this year, I decided it was time to make ice cream. I have a small ice cream maker for home use, but I quickly realized it wouldn’t produce enough to feed all of my family and friends. So, I bought a professional ice cream machine. And then I bought a blast freezer to go with it, to freeze the ice cream so […]
August 14, 2022
For such a delicate-looking and innocuous herb, cilantro, which is the leaves of the coriander plant, is a little bit controversial. People seem to either love it or hate it. Cilantro looks like flat leaf parsley, but it has a tangy, almost citrusy flavor. Long used in Asian, Indian, Caribbean and Latin American cooking, cilantro gives a bright taste to salads, salsas, meat, chicken and fish. I think it’s the secret ingredient to summer dishes, though you can find it fresh in supermarkets all year round. Given the chance, even the most skeptical can acquire a taste for cilantro. But […]
July 30, 2022
Most of us enjoy sweet beverages during the warm days of summer—juices, iced tea, lemonade, and others. But there are times when drinks become even more refreshing if they offer a slightly savory element. Besides, juices and sweetened beverages have high amounts of sugar that can aggravate a propensity for diabetes and other health issues, including weight gain. Beverages that refresh with ingredients such as sparkling mineral water, herbs, florals and vegetables can be a welcome change. Non-alcoholic beer, for example, has a number of health benefits. Not only is it lower in calories than that alcoholic beer, but the […]