jessg23

July 6, 2009

Pea Soup

My mom, boy’s mom, and I decided to meet for lunch one beautifully sunny afternoon and I wanted to treat them both to something light, bright, and delicious. I was aiming to fix a meal that was quick to make, full of flavor, and of course, sodium-free. So, I settled on curried egg salad sandwiches and some cold pea soup – my cup of soup, of course, is the one topped with hot red chili flakes – it may have been chilled, but I am always hankering for some heat. The recipes are simple and the tastes are just complex […]

June 24, 2009

Fridge Frittata

First off – go see Food, Inc. I’ve read the books, I volunteer at the Ferry Building, I shop at Farmer’s Markets whenever I can. But this movie, even for the most food-enlightened, is a huge wake up call. We truly are what we eat and our food industry is the cornerstone of our community’s and our world’s health, social, and environmental issues. So I have to say, after I left the movie, I was glad to know that my fridge was full of locally produced, seasonal ingredients – all of which needed to be eaten right away if I […]

June 9, 2009

Beefcakes

Just a quick warning – the beginning of this story is sodium-heavy – but, I promise that the ending holds a savory surprise. For the Boy’s birthday, I decided to dive into a baking adventure and make MEAT CUPCAKES – inspired by my friend Gina’s meat cookies and Mei’s salmon cupcakes. So, at five a.m., I rolled out of bed to begin creating two delicious bite-sized tins of celebratory meat muffins: a bacon, beer, & chive cupcake with blue cheese “frosting” and a fig and prosciutto cupcake with goat cheese “frosting.” I did not intend on making these sodium-girl friendly, […]

May 5, 2009

Eastover

What do you get when you have one kidney-failing Jew, a group of semi non-practicing Christian friends, and a knack for combining two words into one? EASTOVER! Sodium-free style. I love nothing more than a good excuse to throw a food fest, so the culmination of these two fantastically treat-related holidays seemed like the perfect fit. Boy and I (with help from mom and dad – who are learning how to cook without salt!) whipped up a salt-free shmorg-borg of brunchy delights: Horoses and matzoh, deviled eggs, baba ganoush, two gorgeous fruit tarts care of Annie, slow-cooked scrambled eggs, macaroons, […]

April 20, 2009

Blog Love and Bready Goods

Before I launch into a much-belated and long-awaited blog post, I wanted to give a quick shout out to Marcia (sounds like “Garcia”) Gagliardi, San Francisco’s very own Tablehopper. This online maven and frisco foodie always has the skinny on the best bites and dining deals in town. Her e-column is a weekly crash course on the hottest restaurant news in our corner of the world and by regularly perusing her witty and informative musings, you will impress your friends and become the go-to for recommendations. Why the accoclades? Marcia is not only a great food reporter but an awesome […]

April 17, 2009

Contigo Mi Amigo

Contigo (“with you”) may be one of my favorite Spanish phrases, and after visiting its Noe Valley location, it may be one of my top San Francisco go-to’s as well. The official name, Conitgo Kitchen + Cava, sums up the whole experience of dining in this adorable, bright, and homey eatery. It may be a bit pricey, but its fresh ingredients and incredibly attentive and understanding staff makes this restaurant a must for people with dietary needs. Even though we intended to stop in for a glass of wine (and they have a gorgeous list of reds, whites, rose, and […]

April 7, 2009

Eating Out

Dining out is a majorly attractive activity for several reasons: it relieves you from cooking your own dinner (you do all the eating, they do all the cooking and cleaning), you experiment and experience new foods and new flavors (tuna heart? sure, why not), and generally, you get to enjoy the whole evening amongst friends. I am happy to say, that even with strict dietary needs, eating out is not out of the question. But it does require some pre-planning as well as willingness to be quite forward with your needs. There are some simple steps to take that will […]

April 4, 2009

San Fran Favorites

So this blog will be divided into three main sections that cover: finding salt-less goodies, making salt-less goodies, and eating at restaurants that provide salt-less goodies. Posts titled “Good Eats” will be reviews (raves mostly) of those dining establishments that have gone out of their way to produce safe and delicious, sodium-free meals for me. Much to my surprise, eating out has not been as much of a hassle/challenge as I had expected it to be. There are definitely some steps to take that make it much easier (see the next Tips & Tricks post) but I do want to […]

April 1, 2009

Paneer is Here

While at the amazing foodie wonderland that is the Berkeley Bowl (or the “Nerkeley Bowl” as some may call it) I discovered a new addition to my sodium-free arsenal: PANEER This delicious cheese is popular in South Asian and Persian cuisine – it is sturdy and can be grilled and fried and stays firm in a variety of delicious sauces. Although it is referred to sometimes as an “Indian cottage cheese,” I think it tastes is much more like mozzarella (and goes well with a spectrum of flavors from spicey curry to a traditional tomato sauce). It is completely vegetarian, […]

March 2, 2009

Design Your Diet

There are two things you need to best plan your new diet: inspiration and information. For me, inspiration came first – I dove into cooking meals from scratch (nothing canned or pre-packaged) and experimenting with spices, herbs, and different flavors in the kitchen. My first two cookbooks – and still my favorites for breads, sauces, and desserts – are The No-Salt Cookbook and The No-Salt Lowest-Sodium Cookbook. The recipes tend to be simple (great for the novice cooker) but the basics are the best place to start and will help you build more complex flavors or tackle more difficult food […]

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