Who remembers that jump rope ditty? "First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes momma with the baby carriage." So too goes the nutritional lexicon for plant-based foods, where first comes fruit, then come vegetables. But think, who ever talks about 'vegetables and fruits'? It's always 'fruits and vegetables', 'fruits and veggies'. But if we want to improve our health through our diets, vegetables must come first. So first off --

Drop dead gorgeousI'm dying to knowI nearly died of embarrassmentTo die forI'm dying to go on holiday, give up work, move house, get married, whatever.I don't think so.No one ever died because they were attractive.No one died because they didn't know the latest gossip.No one ever died of embarrassment.Did you die when you ate that creme brulee, chocolate cake or drank vintage champagne?.............and no one ever, ever died because they didn't go on holiday, continued to work, stayed in the same house, didn't get married, or whatever.People die from accidents, heart attacks, any number of diseases like liver disease or kidney disease. Some people die because they are born into poverty in a third world country and some people die in war. Then there are those who die from cancer.  read more »

Drop dead gorgeousI'm dying to knowI nearly died of embarrassmentTo die forI'm dying to go on holiday, give up work, move house, get married, whatever.I don't think so.No one ever died because they were attractive.No one died because they didn't know the latest gossip.No one ever died of embarrassment.Did you die when you ate that creme brulee, chocolate cake or drank vintage champagne?.............and no one ever, ever died because they didn't go on holiday, continued to work, stayed in the same house, didn't get married, or whatever.People die from accidents, heart attacks, any number of diseases like liver disease or kidney disease. Some people die because they are born into poverty in a third world country and some people die in war. Then there are those who die from cancer.  read more »

Eric Akis' Skillet Mac and Cheese (yes, I know, I used penne and I served it in ramekins; I am quirky like that). It is interesting how the world works sometimes. Just before our household grew from three to four , I was offered the opportunity to review not one, but two books on the subject of quick meals for busy cooks. Everyone seems to be talking about how hard it is to find the time to cook.  read more »

Tyler Wiard (pronounced wired, not weird), the executive chef of Elways Steakhouse in Denver, won this years Taste of Elegance for his cumin roasted pork loin and braised shoulder with green chile, posole cake, smooth avocado and red chile. Thats a very Coloradan dish, featuring the green and red chile of New Mexican cuisine, which we Coloradans have adopted. Its a tough event. Chefs compete regionally, and then the winners all meet for the nationals. This year 22 chefs were supposed to compete, but only 21 did as Patrick Ponsaty, the local winner from Bernardo in San Diego, had to back out suddenly.  read more »

 You were born with wings. Why prefer to crawl through life?”
- Rumi, 13th century Persian poet and theologian
New York City - There is a reason to crawl through life… appetizers. Appetizer Crawls. Winging our way from one restaurant to the next would be kind of cool if we had literal wings, I suppose, but then [...]

We ask many things of our food. We ask that our food is clearly identifiable (anything strange and murky immediately turns us off); we ask that our food is reasonably healthy--even if that means laying a redemptive tomato on a greasy, heart-crushing 5-pound burger. We ask that our food is prepared in a clean kitchen, we ask that our food is served hot, or at least reasonably warm. We ask that our food is tasty, that it is filling, that it has good value ($20 for two scallops does not a happy customer make). Mostly, we ask that our food fills that very primal need for gastronomical satisfaction. What we don't often ask is for our food to have a story. What did you have for lunch today? Where did you get it? Ok, you got it from the sandwich shop, or you made it yourself, but what went in it? And where did that come from? What's its story?  read more »

Marcella Hazan, who introduced an America familiar with red sauce joints to true Italian food, is a teacher and writer with whom every home cook should spend some time. She was born in Italy but immigrated to the United States as a bride. Though she had never cooked before, she had to learn to feed her husband (hey, it was the 1950s), and luckily for all of us it turned out that she was no slouch. She began teaching Italian cooking in New York City and eventually published several books of her beautifully simple, authentic recipes.  read more »

More yellow inspired food.....It is only 18 months since Susan in Florida, USA lost her Dad to cancer. She shares a supportive verse and her Mini Filo Cups with Lemon Cream, Ginger Spiced Creme Fraiche Whipped Cream and Fresh Berries at Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy.Tatiana in So Paulo, Brazil shares a lovely looking recipe for Yellow Penne With Tapenade at Mixirica.Jan in New Jersey at Food With A Pinch Of Love shared two recipes. Her first is a grated corn snack called Bhutte ka Kees and the second picture is her Poha using Tumeric.Essence of Andhra is the blog of Uma in California and she has made a breakfast dish of puffed rice called Upma.These fabulously bright Peanut Butter Chocoalte Chunk Cookies are an Ina Garten recipe made by Lori at Recipe Girl.  read more »

More yellow inspired food.....It is only 18 months since Susan in Florida, USA lost her Dad to cancer. She shares a supportive verse and her Mini Filo Cups with Lemon Cream, Ginger Spiced Creme Fraiche Whipped Cream and Fresh Berries at Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy.Tatiana in So Paulo, Brazil shares a lovely looking recipe for Yellow Penne With Tapenade at Mixirica.Jan in New Jersey at Food With A Pinch Of Love shared two recipes. Her first is a grated corn snack called Bhutte ka Kees and the second picture is her Poha using Tumeric.Essence of Andhra is the blog of Uma in California and she has made a breakfast dish of puffed rice called Upma.These fabulously bright Peanut Butter Chocoalte Chunk Cookies are an Ina Garten recipe made by Lori at Recipe Girl.  read more »