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December 23, 2010

Hot Holiday Tamales – Part Dos

Right in time for Christmas Eve (and in advance for New Year’s Day), here is the second part of the low sodium tamale making process – the corn husk wrapping. Get ready to rock and roll up these meaty poppers, and because you’re on the low sodium “good list,” I’ll throw in a few extra dips and sides to give your taste buds something to sing (on high) about. Happy holidays to you and yours, and remember, be merry, by thankful, and be full. Chow on. PINEAPPLE and CHILI SALSA Ingredients: 1 whole pineapple, cut into 1/4 inch cubes […]

December 17, 2010

Hot Holiday Tamales – Part Uno

As I cleaned out my camera this morning – apparently a year’s worth of food photos had eaten up all the space on my memory card, fancy that – I was transported to the Christmas tamale feast I shared with my family a year ago. Smells of roasted tomatoes and memories of creamy masa made my heart pump and my stomach grumble. Since I am not able to partake in the festivities this year, I thought it only appropriate to revisit this wonderful two-part adventure of corn husking and rolling. So please, feast with your eyes and if you are […]

December 14, 2010

Green Bundles of Joy

For those of you who have read this blog for a while, you know about my tumultuous relationship with bacon. I live for the stuff and as a child, weekends and Sunday mornings (before going to temple – isn’t that ironic) were synonymous with the smell of bacon. Even though I had to give the salty-stuff up, I still find myself craving the crisp bite and smoky flavors that define this breakfast treat and for the past few years, I have been determined to find a low sodium substitute. I even went so far as to try and cure it […]

August 23, 2010

You Say Potato, I Say Ricatto

This post begins with a lovely, late dinner at SF hot spot, Frances. Dim the lights, cue soft “yazz” music, and pour yourself a bottle of house wine. The densely packed, haute diner offers a slim menu of seasonal delights. And while impromptu creation of two sodium-free dishes blew me away – a refreshing consume of tuna, cucumbers, heirloom tomatoes, herbs, and jalapenos and a bowl of perfectly roasted eggplant, zucchini, shredded basil, and tomatoes – it was really my dining partner’s plate of fluffy dream clouds (i.e. ricotta gnocchi) that had me drooling. Since I try to avoid being the […]

April 23, 2010

It's a Cracker, Jack

I’ve always been quite jealous, when watching TV cooking shows, to see chefs quickly whip up crispy, parmesan wafers, that add an inexplicable flare and crunch to even the most boring dishes. Like a Caesar salad. All it takes is a grater, a block of parm, and a non-stick baking sheet. But due to parmesan’s high sodium content, to make and enjoy this treat also requires a body that is not salt sensitive. So parmesan wafers were out. But as usual, when I’m told no, I become even more obstinate and determined to find a solution. It just so happened […]

April 1, 2010

The Last (Moroccan) Meal

No April Fool’s Day joke here, my friends. This is truly the last of the recipes from the low sodium, highly organic, and super flavorful Moroccan feast. May I introduce to you the evening’s piece de resistance: vegetable couscous and lemon, chicken tagine. I have to admit that, for a while now, vegetable couscous has been a quick-fix favorite of mine. Couscous is very easy to cook and it is a wonderfully forgiving grain. You can mix whatever veggies you have in your fridge with a few spices and a cup of couscous, and you’ve got yourself something hearty and […]

March 23, 2010

Risotto Cakes

I am sucker for texture. As a low sodium cook, it is essential to trick the senses with an unusual spice or unexpected crisp. When someone is overcome by food that is exciting, they do not have the time to miss the salt. It’s like a magician distracting the audience from noticing the cards already tucked up his or her sleeve. When it comes to noodles and rice, I also love to have a bit of broiled crunch on the top. Whether it is mac and cheese or in this case, risotto, the oven-fried pieces make the traditional “mushiness” all […]

March 8, 2010

Puerto Rican Challenge

A cook club. It’s like a book club, but without all the reading and the guilt of only getting through the first 30 pages. Plus, your main focus is on eating and sharing in culinary delights. Now, that’s my kind of food for thought. Last week, I connected with fellow SF food blogger and adventure seeker, Anne Pao, for our first of many cook club gatherings. While she is not a “challenged” eater like myself – no dietary restrictions for this gal – she is always up for a dining adventure. Whether it is sucking crab meat directly from […]

February 22, 2010

Dough Re Mi

It may seem quite odd that I would begin this week with a post about something made of flour and water after openly admitting to my inability to bake, rattle, and roll. But I assure you, when it comes to a round ball of dough, I think have a bit more skill, or at least confidence. And in conquering this basic yeast bread, I was able to open the door to a sodium free version of something that I dearly missed: soft-baked pretzels. I am a city girl. I love the rush of busy streets and the buzz of passing […]

February 16, 2010

All Sunchoked Up

There are certain foods that are in your cooking comfort zone – tomatoes, potatoes, zucchini, even eggplant to a degree. Then there are others which you know taste good – they said so on Top Chef – but are so alien to you, that any time you see them in the grocery store, you hurry past and hope they didn’t see you coming. Sunchokes are one of those foods. I most commonly have heard of sunchokes as the base of a creamy, wintery soup for which people hmm and haw over its delicate taste. As a relative of the sunflower, […]

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