Archive for the ‘Product Reviews’ Category

• Summer grilled chicken salad with pecans and dried fruits: how to get a perfect portion size

  Wednesday, August 11th, 2010

  As a nutritionist, I dispense all kinds of words of wisdom. But one I belabor over and over again is the importance of portion control. If only we could eat small amount of food, we wouldn’t need to go into stringent dieting patterns that do much more harm than good. So why not let your [...]

• Kids’ cooking utensils: small utensils for little ones

  Friday, July 30th, 2010

  It seems these days we push our children into all sorts of things just as they emerge from the womb. Sure, it’s great to get your kid active and interested in the world around them early. But some of the pushing goes a bit far. Ever see those dreadful kids beauty contest reality shows? But [...]

• Sicilian pasta with smoked sardines: a canned sardine that’s close to fresh

  Wednesday, July 28th, 2010

  In 3 short weeks I head to my favorite spot in the world–the Mediterranean sea. Once landed, I always make a beeline to the closest outdoor taverna and order me up some fresh grilled sardines. I know a lot people won’t bother to order them let alone eat them as they take a little work [...]

• “Fried” apples with Yacon syrup: Yacon syrup, a new sweetener

  Monday, July 26th, 2010

  There is honey and maple syrup, and in recent years agave nectar has joined to form a trio of popular liquid sweeteners. Now along comes Yacon syrup. I know, WTH is Yacon syrup!? Yacon syrup is an extraction from the Yacon plant, botanically related to the sunflower family but tastes similar to jicama. The plant [...]

• How to open a bottle of champagne without putting your eye out

  Friday, July 23rd, 2010

  While it may provide a lot of laughs in a roomful of party goers, an exploding bottle of champagne really isn’t a pretty sight. Perhaps though you are like me–perfectly adept at opening a bottle of the bubbly, but sometimes my hand is just not in condition to do so. After many years of my [...]

• Tuscan bean, eggplant and tomato salad: No need to actually grill this eggplant

  Wednesday, July 21st, 2010

  Tis the grilling season. Give me any food and I’ll bet I could create a grilled masterpiece out of it. Seafood, done. Carrots, parsnips, tomatoes, no problem. Peaches, plums, pineapple, I’m there. Eggplant? Well, not so fast. As much as I enjoy the smoky taste of grilled eggplant, to tell the truth, I really dislike [...]

• Linguine with black olives, capers and walnuts: a drainer for tight spaces

  Monday, July 19th, 2010

  I’ve had many kitchens in my life. The cozy warm kitchen I grew up with, the mess of a dorm room kitchen  (if you could call it a kitchen) and my beautiful, sprawling, well designed kitchen of today. But the one I really have the most delicious memories of was my cramped, 2X4 kitchen in [...]

• Pot holders worth holding

  Friday, July 16th, 2010

  And you thought leather and suede were just for fancy jackets and shoes. Well, now courtesy of Cuvee Kitchen Apparel, apparently pot holders have gone chic! Leather has been used for centuries offering protection and maintaining flexibility with gripping power. So it makes perfect sense to craft a most needed kitchen item out of the [...]

• Bourbon peach and pork salad: Toigo orchards bourbon peaches are ready when you are!

  Wednesday, June 30th, 2010

  I’m lazy. A lazy cook that is. Not that I would ever succumb to using pre-chopped garlic or ginger: pre-packaged convenience foods have little place in my pantry. But I’m not a full out let’s make everything from scratch kind of gal. And as a culinary instructor, I give realistic ways to prepare food that [...]

• Ricotta salata salad with Grape Must: a “must” have product

  Monday, June 28th, 2010

  Think of the words you use most often to describe food: delicious, yummy, amazing, luscious, tasty. Bet the word “must” doesn’t make the list. Cooked grape must doesn’t sound like it should join the ranks of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, pesto and other pantry staples, but yes, you “must” have must (pun definitely intended).
  Cooked grape [...]