Cooking

December 15, 2009

The Wish List

It’s holiday time and it’s getting down to the wire for finishing your list and checking it twice. For those of you who are last minute shoppers, much like myself, I thought I would impart some gifting advice and help you navigate the world of food related presents that are easy on the wallet and require very little time to procure. Thoughtful and useful, these knick knacks and do dads are perfect for those seeking to become more comfortable in their kitchen and more adventurous in their cooking. And if none of these suggestions strike a chord with your inner […]

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December 9, 2009

'Tis the Season

If you don’t want to listen to me, listen to a guy who really knows his stuff. Last week I picked up Thomas Keller’s most recent cookbook, ad hoc at home, and a quick peek at the culinary god in person. Pretty legit. To prepare for my dinner guests this evening, I cracked open the book to find a simple yet inspired side dish recipe. What I found instead was an opening page of cooking advice that felt like a message from the salt free gods. In a section called, “Becoming a Better Cook,” Keller gives the following tip: Learn […]

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December 3, 2009

Stone Fruit Supper

I venture beyond the city for three main reasons: 1) to swim at the BAC, 2) to eat Shabu Shabu, and 3) to take cooking classes at Whole Foods in San Mateo. check out how good Becky looks behind that beautiful counter For those of you who are just venturing into no-sodium cooking, or let’s face it, cooking in general, these classes are a real deal and a steal. Most cooking classes in San Francisco are twice the price or higher. At $35 a pop, you end up: Eating a ton of fresh food. The classes are in the store, […]

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November 25, 2009

Get Stuffed

My tummy is rumbling in anticipation of my favorite day of the year…THANKSGIVING! And don’t be fooled, just because you are limiting your sodium intake this festive season, you do not have to miss out on any of the rich earthy flavors that make this holiday so memorable. I was reminded again last night, as I was cooking dinner for a group of 8 stranger – Moroccan stew, couscous, and a cauliflower salad with apple and fig chutney – that it is easy to build rich flavors without salt.  The limitation of your ingredients will force you to become a […]

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November 16, 2009

Battle Citrus, No Sodium

There is a lot coming up this week: home-made pickles, homemade cheese (hopefully), an appearance at 18 Reason’s “Jam It” event on Thursday, and a starters list on how to create your own scrumptious and salt free Thanksgiving meal. But while we wait for the pickles to pickle and for the cheese to curd and whey, I wanted to write a quick post about a groundbreaking event that occurred last March: Iron Chef Battle: Citrus, No Sodium The culinary smack down was the second in a series of two Iron Chef competitions, originally hosted by our good friends Kwame (who […]

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November 10, 2009

The Ultimate Kitchen Utensil

I mean this with all my heart when I say it. Everyone needs one. The glorious IMMERSION BLENDER (cue solo spotlight and angels singing) is the culinary gods’ gift to cooking. I mean, it is seriously the nicest thing those guys have done since inventing the spatula or maybe Mickey Mouse-shaped waffle irons. And I liken the creation of the immersion blender to the brilliance of Velcro shoes. They are both simple, time saving devices that also happen to look pretty awesome. Do you want one yet? Just wait. In 1950, a Swiss genius named Roger Perrinjaque invented the immersion […]

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November 3, 2009

Project Bacon – Update

Round one of Project Bacon is complete – but we are far from finished. Although the pork smelled like bacon and even looked like bacon, it did not cook up like bacon. I tried frying it, baking it, and frying and baking it – but to no avail. My hypothesis – my cut of pork was too fatty and there was not enough meat. In the weeks following, I compared my strips to those at Whole Foods and they look quite similar, but not as marbled. With test round 1 done, it’s on to round 2.  There is no giving […]

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February 27, 2009

Low-Sodium Bible

A wonderful man named Dick Logue started a Low Sodium Cooking website and community board dedicated to living on a low sodium diet. The recipes are a great place to start if you are just beginning to learn how to cook without salt and his newsletters always contain seasonal recipes. I definitely suggest trying the soy sauce and Teriyaki recipes – these can be used as bases for more complicated Asian dishes (like a thick plum sauce for pork lettuce cups…do I have you drooling yet?) and are also delicious on a freshly steamed bowl of rice. I believe the […]

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