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March 18, 2013

Writing Through Illness

Flight. In a single moment, with a single jump, you suspend in the air. Putting life on pause for one, joyful, split second, only to moments later land safely back on your two feet, either lifting off again or climbing down to solid ground. But when something unexpected double-bounces you off life’s trampoline, suddenly, the suspension of reality feels less free and more threatening. The landing pad looks less even and more unsteady. The fall becomes fearful and threatening. And the next few moments, days, months, and years…uncertain. We’ve all had those moments — a shocking diagnosis, the discovery of […]

March 13, 2013

Salt-Free Smoked Sole

Usually, during Salt Awareness Week, I would warn you to stay clear of foods accompanied by words “brined,” “pickled,” “cured,” and “smoked.” But today, as a part of Salt Awareness Week (and Kidney Health Month), I’m changing the tune a bit. And I’m gonna tell you to get ready to prove that warning wrong. Because, with a little creativity, you can approximate foods that are usually brined, pickled, cured, and SMOKED all without salt or high-sodium ingredients. For a while now, people have been asking for a salt-free’d, low-sodium salmon spread and I too have been craving that luscious husky […]

February 8, 2013

Cookbook. Cookbook. Cookbook.

This is a wall. A wall of pictures. Beautiful pictures. Pictures taken by the amazing Matt Armendariz, styled by the amazing Adam Pearson. Pictures that, when taken off the wall, look this. photo by Matt Armendariz photo by Matt Armendariz Pictures that then got put into a book. A book with more pictures and words, and pictures with words on top. Words that tell stories. Words that tell you how to make salt-free bloody Marys. Words that tell you how to travel or eat well in dorm rooms or live low-sodium on-the-fly. Words that (hopefully) give you hope, and inspiration, and […]

September 20, 2012

Baby. Eggplant.

There are few things cuter than a baby eggplant. Except maybe puppies. And real babies, of course. Which is why I’m writing this post today. I’m having one. A baby. Not an eggplant. (And I think my heart just lept into my throat and my stomach as I wrote that sentence). You see, in some ways, I’ve been keeping this little miracle a secret. Not really on purpose. But because if you saw me on the street, you would have no way of knowing that I was having a baby (and again: not an eggplant). So let me explain… I won’t […]

August 22, 2012

Salt-Free Oyster Mushroom Calamari

No. There’s no greater word in the dictionary. See? I just used it twice. And before you can say no to that claim, let me explain. Remember when you were little and your parents told you, “no,” and then you answered, “why not?” to which they replied, yet again, “no” and then the “no” and “why not” rally began, finally ending with you tiring out your parents and eating that strawberry shortcake popsicle instead of a nap? Remember that? Well that was the beginning of falling in love with “no.” Because, you see, even from early on you understood that “no” […]

July 10, 2012

Parsnip Peel Fries

Someone once said that you find happiness in the most unexpected places. And I’m pretty sure that person was talking about parsnip peel fries. I know what you’re thinking and yes, I’m thinking it too: This. Is. Genius. It’s also crispy, scrumptious, and really, really healthy. Like broccoli caliber healthy. Or at least better than batter and fried onion rings healthy. Which means you can eat a whole bowl of parsnip fries and still have plenty of room for dessert. Not that this was ever up for discussion. They’re also a crave-worthy substitute for those who must nix the spuds because […]

June 22, 2012

Film Friday: Low-Sodium Pasta Breadsticks

I’ve been showing off a lot lately. Not my dance moves. Not my drawing skills (which are limited to stick figures). And definitely not anything to do with math or game theory or anything with numbers. Numbers scare me. So do ants, but that’s besides the point. Instead, I’ve been over-broadcasting my love for low-sodium pasta breadsticks. If you live in LA, Sacramento, Seattle, or Washington DC, you may have seen me on TV talking about these breadsticks. Eating these breadsticks. And gushing about these breadsticks. Seriously, they may be one of my most ingenious low-sodium inventions yet and one […]

June 6, 2012

Confessions & Cooking Classes

Confession: I polished off this carton of low-sodium mint chip ice cream the other night. Just me and my spoon. And those few cups of whipped coconut milk delight had no chance. Other confession: I don’t feel guilty about it one bit. First and foremost because no one should ever feel bad about cleaning out a tub of ice cream. It’s mandatory once in a while and for us low-sodium eaters, it’s actually a form of exercising our rights to salt-free, off-the-shelf snacks. And yes, I said “exercise” in the same paragraph as “eating a tub of ice cream” and I’m […]

May 31, 2012

Low-Sodium Lunch

Hi. Can we chat for a second? I want to talk about lunch. You know, that meal that happens in the middle of the day? In between breakfast, post-breakfast snack, pre-lunch snack and the post-lunch snack, pre-dinner snack, dinner, and dessert. Yes! That’s exactly the meal I’m talking about. Well it turns out that of all the daily eats, lunch seems to be the hardest one to come by on a low-sodium diet. Of course, if you’re eating at home, you can make anything you want — like a bowl of low-sodium chicken curry — to curb those afternoon hankerings. […]

May 1, 2012

Low-Sodium Commandments

This is no ordinary guacamole. I know it looks like it. Creamy. Green. Ready for a salt-free chip or a spoon. But no. This is no ordinary guac. It has toasted coriander seeds and some fresh cilantro. There’s even diced jalapenos, which got into my eye and yes, stung quite a bit. But none of these ingredients are ground shaking. The real star is in there, though. Hiding, smushed, camouflaged, and bursting with surprising low-sodium flavor. Can you see it? It’s right there, between the avocado and the green onion. It’s the oven roasted zucchini. I know, I broke every […]

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