My 5 Favorite Cookbooks of 2009

Posted on December 7, 2009

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My 5 Favorite Cookbooks of 2009

Like most professional cooks, I have hundreds of cookbooks that I’ve amassed over the decades. But unlike most professional cooks, my home changes every three to four years. You see, my beloved husband is a Foreign Service Officer, so whenever he gets a new assignment, I pack up the family and we head overseas for an exciting new adventure. Honestly, I love exploring unfamiliar foods and cultures (which makes all of this moving insanity worthwhile), but inevitably, on moving day, our shipment is grossly overweight, and it’s my cookbooks that are first to go. Leaving Manila in the summer of 2008, I donated more than 200 cookbooks and hundreds of back issues of food magazines to a local cooking school. They were thrilled, and I avoided paying thousands of dollars on overweight shipping costs. You’d think I’d learn to cut back on cookbooks, but no…new ones appear on my wish list every year.

This year was a good one for cookbooks, including my own completely revised second edition of Eating for Pregnancy: The Essential Nutrition Guide and Cookbook for Today’s Mothers-to-Be released in June 2009. I cook from this book ALL the time…this past week I made the hummus, chicken curry, black bean soup, chicken salad, and fruit-filled granola. I was, in fact, doing double duty: cooking for a friend, who is on a low-iodine diet for her upcoming thyroid cancer radiation treatment, and cooking for my father, who is on a low-sodium diet. My family reaped the delicious benefits (even in their lunch boxes). Bottom line: you don’t have to be pregnant to cook from this book….and, you can modify the 150 recipes (including lots of new Asian-inspired vegetarian and vegan recipes) to suit your family’s needs and taste buds.

So, what do I recommend for the cook in your life this holiday season? Here are five of my favorite cookbooks from 2009. Happy Holidays from my kitchen to yours!

Gourmet Today: More than 1,000 All-New Recipes for the Contemporary Kitchen by Ruth Reichl (Editor) Retail: $40.00 ($23.40 amazon price) This cookbook delivers on all of its promises, producing flavorful dishes for every occasion, from family meals to formal dinners. Reichl’s charmingly honest voice (which shines through in her poignant memoirs), and a collection of 1,000 plus professionally tested recipes from the Gourmet test Kitchen, makes this the PERFECT addition to anyone’s cookbook collection. It’s especially timely as November sadly saw the last issue of Gourmet Magazine, a publication I’ve subscribed to for decades.

Asian Dumplings: Mastering Gyoza, Spring Rolls, Samosas and More by Andrea Nguyen Retail: $30.00 ($19.80 amazon price) Who doesn’t LOVE a delicious dumpling? A Taiwanese friend of mine living in the Philippines, Tina Wong, taught me how to make authentic pork-and-cabbage Chinese New Year’s dumplings. We would make batches of them (literally hundreds) for our families, and then sit down and stuff ourselves silly for lunch. Nguyen’s illustrated step-by-step technique makes dumplings and other wrapped delights attainable for the home cook. I have this lovely book…and can’t wait to cook from it during the holidays. I can already hear the oohs and aaahs.

Weber’s Way to Grill: The Step-by-Step Guide to Expert Grilling by Jamie Purviance Retail: 24.95 ($16.47 amazon price) The perfect gift for the grill-hunk/babe in your life. Comes complete with techniques, tips, recipes, and tons of other info to make grilling fun, tasty, and easy…everything it should be. My grill-hunk-husband will be thrilled to find this tome under the tree.

Bite-Size Desserts: Creating Mini Sweet Treats from Cupcakes and Cobbles to Custards and Cookies by Carole Bloom, CCP Retail: $24.95 ($16.47 amazon price) When all you want is a sweet bite to end the perfect meal…make one of Bloom’s delectable confections. Her Double Lemon Meringue Tartlets and Chocolate Espresso Pots de Crème will leave everyone’s taste buds swooning. For me, this book will be an indispensable tool for all of the coffees, teas, cocktails, and formal dinners I will host when I’m entertaining overseas. Thanks Carole!

Cooking Light: The Essential Dinner Tonight Cookbook: Over 350 Delicious, Easy, and Healthy Meals by the Editors of Cooking Light Magazine Retail: $29.95 ($19.77 amazon price) A go-to book for everyday cooking. The Cooking Light test kitchen is a trusted source for healthy, tasty recipes, and most of them are quick and easy. The Chicken Enchiladas with Salsa Verde were a hit with my family, and they also loved the Corn Chowder (I substituted bacon for the hot-smoked salmon). A great book for all busy cooks.

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3 Great American Reds Under $14

Posted on November 20, 2009

red-wineWe’re advised by health experts to choose red wine for its potential cardioprotective benefits provided by the antioxidant resveratrol. With the holidays fast approaching, here are my suggestions for three delicious California reds for under $14 (you’ll get an even better deal if you can find them on sale).

Dancing Bull Merlot 2006: Flavors of dark cherry, plum, blackberry, with hits of vanilla. The label describes it as: “The perfect paring for pizza.” So, I followed their advice. It worked with pizza (we ordered a vegetarian pizza from our local pizza place, Vace). I would also suggest serving it with your turkey for Thanksgiving.

Beringer Founder’s Estate B Pinot Noir 2007: Black cherry, plum, and hints of toasted oak and spice. “Delicious with wild salmon and creamy risotto.” I paired it with grilled wild salmon, spinach-basil linguini, and baby romaine lettuce with feta cheese and roasted walnuts. Yes…it was indeed a lovely match!

Fetzer Vineyards Shiraz 2005: Described as “deep purple color with aromas of white pepper, plum, blackberry and licorice…It’s a wine well worth exploring.” I paired it with marinated grilled buffalo flank steak from Whole Foods (less cholesterol and fat than beef and tons of flavor), salsa verde, baked potatoes, asparagus, and a peach-blueberry cobbler with vanilla ice cream for dessert. Yum! (Note: I used the steak marinade, salsa verde, and cobbler recipes from my book, Eating for Pregnancy: The Essential Nutrition Guide and Cookbook for Today’s Mothers-to-Be.)

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10 Foods for a Healthier You!

Posted on November 19, 2009

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10 Foods for a Healthier You!

  1. Whole grains. Whole wheat bread and pasta, brown rice, barley, and oats. Whole grains are a great source of vitamins and fiber. Rule of thumb: Brown is best. Avoid refined white foods stripped of their nutrients.
  2. Fruits and vegetables high in antioxidants. Prunes, blueberries, blackberries, mangosteen, kiwi, grapes, broccoli, red pepper, beets, spinach, and artichokes. Antioxidants promote cell regeneration and basic metabolic functions. Dark chocolate and tea also contain antioxidants.
  3. Fish high in DHA omega-3 fatty acids. Salmon, sardines, tuna, halibut, and anchovies. Omega-3s fatty acids are essential to good heart health, fetal brain development, and they can help reduce depression. Ask your doctor about supplements, particularly if you are at risk for heart disease, or if you are pregnant.
  4. Low-fat dairy products.  Milk, yogurt, and cheeses. Calcium is the key to strong bones and preventing osteoporosis. If you are lactose intolerant, try calcium-fortified foods, such as orange juice and soy milk, or supplements. The average Daily Intake of calcium for people between the ages of 31 and 50 years, is about 1,000 milligrams.
  5. Mono and polyunsaturated oils. Olive, canola, peanut, corn, safflower, sunflower, sesame, and flaxseed oils. Use these cholesterol-busting oils in salad dressings, cooking, and baking. Minimize saturated fats, such as butter, lard, and the white fat on meats. Avoid all trans fats, including stick margarine.
  6. Soluble fiber. Oatmeal, barley, and brown rice. There are two types of fiber: soluble (from whole grains) and insoluble (from fruits and vegetables). Soluble fiber helps reduce cholesterol. Insoluble fiber is excellent for digestion, but it does not affect cholesterol levels.
  7. Nuts and seeds. All kinds. Filled with vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats, nuts and seeds are the perfect snack, salad topping, or baking boost.
  8. Vegetable proteins. Tofu, beans, nuts, and seeds. These fat-free sources are excellent alternatives to meat and poultry.
  9. Folic acid. Lentils, fortified breakfast cereals, asparagus, spinach, and orange juice. Folic acid is critical in preventing neural tube birth defects and cleft palate, and it has the cardiac benefit of lowering homocysteine levels, a by-product of protein metabolism in your blood. Most people need about 400 micrograms of folic acid per day.
  10. Resveratrol. Red wine, raspberries, peanuts and mulberries. The antioxidant resveratrol may have some cardioprotective benefits.

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The Art of Eating Artichokes

Posted on November 19, 2009

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My favorite way to serve large globe artichokes is steamed or boiled, cooled to room temperature, gently pried open to look like a blooming lotus flower, then drizzled with homemade vinaigrette that reaches right down to the heart. Or, I sometimes put the vinaigrette in a tiny dish and I dip the wider base of the leaves, one by one, into the sauce before scraping the nub of pulp with my teeth.

Watching others eat artichokes is almost as fun as eating them myself. I can tell the control freaks by how they neurotically stack their leaves in neat piles, all the same height, concentrically around the edges of their plate (I’m guilty, I admit). And then there are the slobs, whose leaves get scattered about like debris after a storm.

I always remind my children that reaching the inner sanctum of the artichoke is the fun part. We take time to marvel over nature’s amazing security system: endless overlapping layers of needle-tipped leaves protecting a soft, delicate heart. As one of my children aptly noted, “No animal could ever reach this part.” I walk them through the gentle process of pulling off the tender, light green, smaller leaves concealing the spiky choke. We cut the cone-shaped heart in half, then using our fingers, carefully pull off the hairs to expose the “bumpy part” of the heart, as they call it. We slice this, and dip it in the vinaigrette too.

Apart from being loads of fun to eat, artichokes are a powerhouse of antioxidants, vitamin C, magnesium, potassium and fiber. For more information visit http://www.oceanmist.com/health/vitamin.aspx

Vinaigrette for Artichokes
Makes about ½ cup (enough for 4 artichokes)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar (or your favorite)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Tiny pinch of sugar
1 tablespoon full-bodied olive oil
5 tablespoons canola oil

Mix the mustard, vinegar, salt, pepper, and sugar in a small bowl, then whisk in the olive oil and canola oil. Adjust the seasoning. Whisk again before serving.

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The Skinny on Salt

Posted on September 27, 2009

saltWith so many fancy and pricey salts on the market, the question arises: What’s the difference between boutique salts and good ‘ol Morton iodized salt? Here’s the skinny. The two main sources for salt are: 1) rock salt mined from mineral deposits and 2) sea salt from evaporated ocean water. Iodized salt has been fortified with iodine, a practice that began in 1922 to combat goiter and boost brain development. It is advisable to consume iodized salt as part of your regular diet; however you can also get iodine from seafood, dairy products, and multi-vitamin/mineral supplements. Needless to say, consume salt and all products containing sodium in moderation. Healthy individuals should not exceed 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day.

Table Salt is usually from rock salt that has been finely ground and refined. In some cases anti-caking agents have been added. It can be iodized or non-iodized.

Sea Salt is seldom iodized. Salt beds exist around the globe, and depending on its origin, sea salt can range in color from pink to black, and in price from cheap to super expensive.

Kosher Salt is a large-grained salt that comes from either salt beds or salt mines. It is commonly used in koshering and curing meats and other food preparations, such as canning. It usually has no additives. Read more www.amheart.org.

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Safe Plastic Conundrum

Posted on September 19, 2009

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It’s hard to imagine our world without plastic. It seems as if everything, from baby bottles to clothing, contains some form of plastic. And, it’s important to know that some plastics are safer than others. BPA (bisphenol-A), a chemical used in certain plastics, has been associated with disrupting the estrogen hormone. In 2006, Europe banned all products with BPA made for children under the age of three, including bottles and sippy cups. Here are some tips for buying safe plastic. Read more www.ewg.org,http://trusted.md/blog/vreni_gurd/2007/03/29/plastic_water_bottles, http:/news.aol.com

Choose Plastics Marked with These Numbers

#1 PET or PETE (polyethylene)

#2 HDPE (high-density polyethylene)

#4 (LDPE (low-density polyethylene)

#5 PP (polypropylene)

Avoid Plastics Marked with These Numbers

#3 PVC (polyvinyl chloride or vinyl)

#6 PS (polystyrene, or Styrofoam)

#7 polycarbonate or Lexan, found in most hard-plastic, colored water bottles

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Got Fresh Garlic?

Posted on September 15, 2009

To reap the most cardioprotective benefits, eat crushed fresh garlic. Here’s a link to a New York Times article by Henry Fountain (published August 3, 2009) about a University of Connecticut School of Medicine study comparing the cardiac benefits of two garlic flurries served to rats: one made from fresh-crushed garlic and the other from garlic that had been crushed and left to dry for two days. “The researchers found that while both slurries provided some cardioprotective benefits, the hearts of the rats that had eaten the fresh-crushed garlic had less damage and better recovery after blood flow was restricted for 30 minutes. Among other things, the fresh-crushed garlic was better at suppressing chemicals that act as a ‘death signal’ for heart muscle cells.” Read more at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/04/science/04obgarlic.html?_r=2&ref=nutrition

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Vitamin D Deficiency

Posted on August 21, 2009

Vitamin D is on everyone’s lips these days. The big question is, do we get enough? The short answer is, most of us do from sunshine, fortified milk, certain fish (salmon, mackerel, tuna, sardines), and some dairy products. But if you do not drink vitamin-D-fortified milk, are home-bound, over fifty, use sun-block excessively, are dark skinned, obese, or suffer from malabsorption, you may not be getting enough.

Vitamin D is critical for calcium absorption, bone development, and preventing osteoporosis. The older you are, the more you need. An Adequate Intake (AI) of 200 IU (5 mcg) is needed from birth to 50 years old; from 50 to 70 years the requirement is 400 IU (10 mcg), and 71 and older is 600 IU (15 mcg). If you feel you may need a supplement, talk to your doctor. Read more http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind.asp

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Spice Up Your Nuts!

Posted on July 30, 2009

Many studies from around the world have shown that people who eat nuts regularly cut their risk of heart disease by as much as half compared to those who rarely or never eat nuts. Recently, several studies have found that 1 to 3 ounces (2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup) a day of walnuts or almonds, in particular, can lower blood cholesterol, as well as levels of other substances in the blood (including apoliprotein) that have been linked to heart disease. Toss nuts in salads, add them to grains, or sprinkle them on a bowl of soup. Read more about nuts in Eating for Lower Cholesterol: A Balanced Approach to Heart Health with Recipes Everyone Will Love. Here’s a recipe to spice up your nuts!

Spicy Cashews
2 tablespoons canola oil
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
Dash of ground cinnamon
Pinch of sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime (optional)
2 cups (about ½ pound) cups unsalted, cashews

1. Preheat oven to 300º F.
2. In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients except the nuts and mix. Add the nuts and mix until they are well coated.
3. Line a baking sheet with foil. Evenly spread out the nuts and bake for 25 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so.
4. Remove the nuts from the oven, cool completely, and store in an air-tight container at room temperature.

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Calcium-and-Protein Powered Smoothies

Posted on June 8, 2009

smoothiesIt’s all about smoothies these days…and the choices are endless. I mean, just look in the grocery store and you’ll find shelves of smoothies that deliver extra protein, vitamins, antioxidants, calcium, and so on. Wish they’d invent one to get rid of wrinkles! You can give your own smoothies, either homemade or store-bought, a boost of calcium by whisking 1/3 cup pasteurized instant nonfat dry milk into 1-1/2 to 2-cups of liquid. This will add about 14 grams of protein and 500 milligrams of calcium (1/2 the recommended daily intake!) to your power drink. Moms with kids who need more calcium, take note.

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