Italians are Nuts!

noci-parAnd no, I am not referring to the latest elections which will return my country to political turmoil once again but to the recent news on how a Mediterranean diet is what is best to prevent heart attacks and strokes from cardiovascular disease in people who are at high risk. But what exactly does it mean to eat that way? And is this diet only good for those people who are already at risk or also for the wider population. Our main take-away is that we’ll add more nuts to our diet. Come and cook with us! Continue reading “Italians are Nuts!”

Move over Wheat, Here comes the Millet!

IMG_4992After the holidays and a few intense weeks volunteering at my children’s school, my calendar finally opened-up, and I turned to my big stack of recipes that are waiting to be tested realizing that I had cooked on auto-pilot for the last few weeks. That’s not good for a food blogger ;-). To soothe my soul and to make things more interesting again for everybody, I ventured into a few unknown areas and, of the many new dishes I tried, I wanted to share my favorite with you this week. Once again, it is the result of my attempt to move away from the go-to-dishes such as pasta and rice. This recipe uses whole millet, which is savory in flavor, easy to cook and versatile in its many uses. The recipe as a whole is very versatile so you too can get inspired by what is in your CSA produce box, fridge or pantry.  Come and cook with us! Continue reading “Move over Wheat, Here comes the Millet!”

Fat Chance!

images-1What better day to write about sugar addiction, than Valentine’s. After hearing Dr. Robert Lustig on NPR’s Science Friday, I had the opportunity to see him speak live at a Community Education event at my children’s school last week. Oh boy, he is an angry man and for all the right reasons. And with his new book “Fat Chance: Beating the Odds Against Sugar, Processed Food, Obesity, and Disease”, he is sharing his knowledge with the wider population as he wants us to be angry, too. Angry at what the big food companies, the FDA, the Surgeon General, the Department of Health and Human Services and the National Institute of Health have done, or not done, as the case may be, to protect consumers from (unintentionally) destroying their health. The evening was packed with scientific data, enough to show us that his theory is scientifically founded. After all, he is Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology at UCSF and Director of the Weight Assessment for Teen and Child Health (WATCH) Program, so he is qualified to understand and interpret the data. Here are my take-aways from the evening. Come and cook with us! Continue reading “Fat Chance!”

A Bowl of Soup for You?

IMG_5008What dish can be prepared in one pot, be cooked quickly and offers pretty much any variety you like? Anyone? Yes, it’s a pot of soup and I’d like to share my favorite soup recipes this week. And unless you live in the Southern Hemisphere – which I know some of you are 🙂 – there are few dishes that warm your heart, soul and stomach more during these colder winter months than a delicious bowl of soup. Come and cook with us! Continue reading “A Bowl of Soup for You?”