Meal

July 5, 2011

Magic Mini Cornbread Madeleines

Rule number one: you eat with your eyes. In a sensory-overload kind of way. Not in actual chewing and digesting. Which brings us to rule number two: do not try to stick a forkful of food near those pretty little lids of yours. It will only lead to disaster. But back to the first lesson…presentation is perhaps one of the most important tools for a low-sodium cook, other than an immersion blender. It can be just as flavor-enhancing as a good shake of cayenne and salt. And if you play around with the look, feel, or structure of a traditional recipe, the […]

June 20, 2011

Salt and Stove-Free Pasta

Hi! What did you do this weekend? I set my oven on fire. Yeah. I really did. I meant to make chips. I made a huge mess instead. And I’m pretty sure I’m inhaling tons of chemicals as I’m writing this. If anyone has advice on cleaning this thing out, please let me know. But let’s talk about something with less charcoal flavor and more taste. While my range is taking a brief vacation, I started to think about no-cook meals. Ways that I could eat food full of vitamins and flavor without using any kind of flame. And that’s […]

June 15, 2011

Pasta Pretzel Bites

Um…wait…what? Pasta pretzel bites! I made pasta pretzel bites. I’m still not sure what you’re talking about. I’ve never heard of those before? I know, neither had I. Until I made them 15 minutes ago. Still lost. Basically, let’s say that you have a serving of leftover pasta. Like two day old noodles that are facing the grim reality that, most likely, they’ll have to be tossed away. It gives a low-sodium green god or goddess like yourself a bit of a heart attack. But what can you do? First, turn on your oven to 400 dg F. Then, pour […]

June 13, 2011

Monday Morning Sandwich Cake

For a long time, I resisted using Twitter, Facebook, or FourSquare. Not because I was against the free sharing of private information. But because I thought it was really weird that people felt the need to constantly tell me (and the entire world) what they were eating. Thanks to these public broadcasting systems, it’s 11 am and I already know that Katie is enjoying a frozen yogurt with berries. And that Tom and six other friends are meeting at the local pub later to watch the game and eat some hot pepper pizza. And that Michelle has already had her […]

June 8, 2011

Root to Tip: Radish Greens Salad

Radishes are bonkers. When they are raw, they are crunchy and peppery. When they are roasted or cooked in a frying pan, they turn juicy and sweet. And I love using them in place of potatoes for hashes, salads, or a quick snack. But I recently realized that I’ve been quite rude with my radishes, always paying attention to what’s below instead of looking above their shoulders. I mean, if some guy treated me that way, you’d better believe they’d get a reminder that there’s more to this package then some sturdy roots. So yesterday, with two bushels of radishes […]

May 11, 2011

I’m Sorry Risotto

I didn’t have time today to go to the flower store. I didn’t want to bake you cookies or a cake, because we all know my track record when it comes to baking. And a simple note just didn’t seem like it would cut it. So to make up for the absent post on Monday, I made you this. Fava bean risotto made with fava bean stock. If you haven’t met a fava bean before, hold on to your hat. They look like a much larger, thicker, softer (faster, stronger) english pea pod; they happen to be in season; and […]

April 22, 2011

Pomegranate Molasses Granola Bars, Sort Of

I’ve always been pretty good at making up my own rules. When my grandparents babysat me, I convinced them that we always ate cookies before dinner. It helped prep the stomach for the nutrients to come. When it rained, I never wore shoes. What’s the point? My feet were going to get wet anyways. And in college, I pretty much majored in the art of rule making. They called it Creative Writing. From early on, I gave myself license to do what I wanted. Which, turns out, is a very important life skill. Because the truth is, most of the time, things […]

April 18, 2011

Passover Pie

Apologies for the whisper. I’ve lost my voice to a nasty head and chest cold. I’ll do my very best to annunciate and hopefully you can still hear me. But definitely do not worry about me, because I’m going to be fine in no time. Because tonight is Passover dinner with the family. And Passover dinner means matzo ball soup. Which is Yiddish for magic whisper-voice potion. And here’s another wonderful thing about Passover – it is filled with a lot of flavorful and useful sodium-free ingredients. Like horesradish, parsley, and of course, matzo. For a few years now, I’ve […]

April 11, 2011

Fraiche Start

Today is a new week. My dishwasher cleaned all the dishes and I will put them away. I’m going to start wearing my retainers too, at least at night, which I bought over a year ago to straighten my teeth – yes, I’m 28 years old. And I will actually go to that dance class I always say I want to go to. Maybe I’ll even start taking yoga again. The list of things that might happen are endless. Because it is a brand new week. The slate has been wiped clean. Anything is possible. Like salt-free, cheese-less quiche. Fluffy quiche […]

April 6, 2011

Honey Baked "Ham" Chops

Here’s a quick reminder: No one is perfect. Not me, not Mr. Perfect, not even that good looking celebrity that has a dozen or so helpers to make him or her seem perfect. Although, I’d give them the prize for getting the closest. But it doesn’t hurt to try. Because in the effort to be flawless, you realize that your missteps are actually what make you amazing. (So there, porcelain-skinned celebrity). Take these honey baked “ham” chops, por ejemplo. Around Thanksgiving, a few of you sent me suggestions of traditional dishes that you wanted me to salt-free. Like Uncanny Pecanny […]

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