Weekly Obsessions

March 21, 2014

Weekly Obsessions 3.21.14

Guys. I had thirty people over for dinner last night. Three. Zero. And guess what? I didn’t break a sweat, I didn’t stress out, I didn’t use salt. And everything went off without a hitch or a fire in the oven. Or a gigantic emergency order for pizza. What was the secret? Well here’s my philosophy when it comes to hosting big dinner parties, low-sodium style: one, keep it simple; two, keep it colorful; and three, keep the music on. Even when feeding a lot of people (THREE ZERO), I still like to think of it as if I’m just […]

March 14, 2014

Weekly Obsessions 3.14.2014

Are we finally transitioning from winter to spring? I think I actually got a little sun kissed yesterday. Nothing inappropriate, just a peck. Here in San Francisco I’m down to one light jacket versus a knit cap and multi-layers. And I’m craving things like fresh fish tacos and a glass of rose instead of hot rice porridge and a warm bath. And if it really is true that the frost is starting to melt away, then it also means we are moving from months of root vegetables into months of peas and sun chokes and Padrón peppers and then, at long […]

March 7, 2014

Strawberry Obsessions 3.7.14

This will not be shocking news to anyone who is a longtime reader, but I am pretty hopeless when it comes to baking. I mean, I get anxious just thinking about cupcakes. The words “baking powder” and “baking soda” make me dizzy. And my hands sweat at the notion of making something sweet for a loved one. Unless that something is a meatloaf muffin — yeah, that happened. But a three layered cake? You’ve got to be kidding me. The way I see it (slash, explain my lack of skills in this area) is that I am plain awful at baking […]

February 21, 2014

Weekly Obsessions 2.21.14

We talk a lot about our palates. But today, let’s talk about our palettes. The color wheel. The rainbow. The wide array of grassy greens, sunny yellows, and juicy purples to choose from when decorating your dinner plate. Playing around with the hue of your ingredients is just as important as playing around with sweet, spice, sour, and even salty flavors. Because when something looks good, it magically starts to taste good too. And by pairing pleasant looking foods together, you will easily take low-sodium dishes from palatable to crowd-pleasing. Which is why this simple winter white salad with dashes […]

February 14, 2014

Weekly Obsessions 2.14.14

I’m not going to lie. I’ve had a few handfuls of candy this morning and it isn’t even 9am yet. Valentine’s Day! You get me every time. I also ate a few of these date caramels you see above. But considering they are made from coconut milk, coconut oil, dates, and dark chocolate, I’m pretty sure they actually count as breakfast. (And while I have to keep the recipe a secret for now for a super special surprise, here’s a recipe for date caramels to get you started on our own). But just in case you are like me and […]

January 10, 2014

Weekly Obsessions 1.10.14

This has been a super week for substitutions. And I am so beyond grateful to thekitchn.com for letting me kick off the new year with five days of food swaps. So to keep things short (and tasty), here are some links from the web this week that will help you reinvent your favorite dishes and give some unsuspecting ingredients a chance in the spotlight. OLD INGREDIENT, NEW TRICK: Do you sometimes wish we lived in a world where broccoli could be breadcrumbs, bananas could be buttercream, potatoes could be quiche crusts, cauliflower could be burger fillers, and lentils could be gravy? Well […]

December 20, 2013

Weekly Obsessions 12.20.13

Okay, first of a all I finally made those banana bon bons from Nom Nom Paleo that I was talking about a few weeks ago. And you know what? BONKERS. Totally crazy good. Absolutely bananas. Literally. And speaking of bananas, um hello, next week is Christmas. And even for those of us that don’t celebrate this holiday, we all know that the next few days will be hurried with wrapping, gifting, and spreading love. If this stresses you out a little, have another bon bon. But hopefully these low-sodium gift guides (here and here) have helped you make your wish […]

December 13, 2013

Weekly Obsessions – 12.13.13

Last week we discussed gifts for the novice cook: measuring cups and spoons, mixing bowls, dust busters, and non chemical cleaners. You can’t go wrong here. Which means this week, we’re talking presents for the pros. Or that budding culinary genius in your life who’s ready to experiment with xanthum gum, make baguettes from scratch, smoke fish on their stove, and dehydrate beef jerky. Or at least make a pint of mint chip ice cream. This is the gift list where low-sodium dreams come true. It is full of the tools and tricks that make the impossible dish possible. That […]

December 6, 2013

Weekly Obsession 12.6.2013

Holy December. Have you guys started your holiday shopping yet? I totally most definitely have not. I haven’t even written down my wishes for pretty plates and new measuring cups and a sous chef named Jacques. I have, however, been very busy eyeballing other people’s gorgeous holiday guides. Here. Here. And Here. Which made me think that it is time to make a little list of my own (or perhaps several) to help you get or gift all the goodies one needs for a great low-sodium diet this holiday season. To start, let’s talk about that beginner cook in your life. The one who […]

November 8, 2013

Weekend Obsessions 11.08.13

This week’s theme: try it. We are three weeks out until my favorite day of the year, aka Thanksgiving. Usually, on this holy of holy food days, by the time dinner is finally served I’m so stuffed with stuffing and soup and tastes of turkey drippings (don’t judge) that I can barely finish my plate. But somehow I usually manage to finish two. Because did you hear what I said? Favorite. Day. Of. The. Year. Just wait a minute, though. Could things get better? By golly they could. Because on top of gravy and mashed potatoes and yes, turkey drippings, […]

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