Cooking In The Vortex~Poached Eggs With Kale And Bacon

May 21, 2012
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Cooking in the vortex.

That phrase could have multiple meanings, both literally and figuratively.

Figuratively, it could stand for so much; cooking while the world spins around you, cooking at the center of the storm, cooking amid chaos. We all have our own types of chaos in our lives. One person’s version of chaos, could be another’s good day. I try to remember this when I have one of those self-pitying, woe-is-my-life moments. For the most part, one of my worst days, is not nearly as bad as another person’s in country where the average family lives on $2 a day, in places where basic human rights are violated or even right here at home. I have my health, my family, my job and a roof over my head and when I remind myself of this, it puts it in perspective right quick. I don’t have to worry where …

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Wild Salmon with Quinoa, Dandelion Greens and Parsley Pistachio Vinaigrette

May 7, 2012
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My mother doesn’t know it yet, but she already had her Mother’s Day Dinner at my house, a couple of weeks ago. Once again, she’s off galavanting around the world and will be gone on Mother’s Day, this time to Istanbul and Italy. Had she been in town, I would have made this for her on Sunday. Instead, a few weeks ago she asked if I could get some wild salmon, the first of the season, and I obliged with this special meal. At the time, I forgot she’d be gone, so because I didn’t say it then I will say it now, “Happy Mother’s Day Mom!”

While all meals made with love are special, this was was especially so because of the ingredients. First there was the salmon. Why is wild salmon so special you ask? Mostly because of how it differs from Farmed Atlantic Salmon. Think of it …

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Chicken Soup with Wild Rice and Greens

April 11, 2012
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Recipe for Middle Aged Weight Creep

1 cup sit all day

2 lbs eat whatever is put in front of your face

1 dash too much work

1 generous spoonful of no exercise

1 pinch of laziness

Serves: two ever-widening hips.


I’ve got to do something about this. In the past I’ve tried cleanse diets, and they work, like any diet will, until you stop doing it and slide back into old habits.

This time, the goal is to simply eat healthier, limiting fats and simple carbs, and try to get my body moving more. Sounds easy, right? Maybe for you, but for me the “moving” part is harder than the “eating” part. So I’ll start with the food and hope the exercise follows.

I made this soup because it’s healthy and filling and doesn’t feel like “diet food.” If you are anything like me, “diet” is a four …

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Moroccan Beet Salad with Tangerines and Cinnamon

March 21, 2012
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A couple of months ago I mentioned I got Paula Wolfert’s gorgeous book, The Food of Morocco as a gift. The first thing I made was preserved lemons but had to wait a month for them to finish curing. Then, a few weeks ago, we had family visiting and I decided to go all out, making five dishes from this book, a veritable Moroccan feast. In later posts I will share some of the other dishes I made, but today we’ll start with this beet salad. It’s a very simple salad, but it packs a lot of flavor. With the leftovers, I used the beets in other salads and they were fantastic (if not better) even a few days later.

The original recipe did not include tangerines or their juice, but I wanted to add a little color and sweetness so considering that tangerines were named after Tangiers Morocco, it’s not that much of …

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How To Make Meatballs

March 7, 2012
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I was never a Girl Scout, but I am always prepared.

Make that almost always prepared. 

Every year we throw a New Year’s Day brunch party. Over the years it has grown to about 40 people, complete with pounds and pounds of bacon, kick ass Bloody Marys, Hoppin’ John, crepes, pizzas and more. Two years ago, the party which started before noon, lasted well into the evening. We literally ran out of food (gasp!) with a dozen people still in the house. They didn’t go home until we ran out of booze. Alas, I was unprepared.

This year I vowed to be ready. What would be better to whip up in a flash but homemade spaghetti and meatballs?
A couple of days before New Year’s my mother shared with me her recipe and together we made 80 meatballs and a vat of sauce. The plan was to heat …

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Sautéed Kale with Sumac Yogurt and Roasted Almonds

February 14, 2012
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I’ve always said “I don’t like cabbage.” At least I thought I didn’t, until I had this dish. I am now a convert.

I’m still not a huge fan of regular head cabbage. I’ve never understood the allure of traditional cole slaw, brussles sprouts (I don’t care how you roast them or how much bacon you add) and I don’t particularly care for kimchi. If that means my foodie card will be revoked, so be it.

But I’ve always liked my sauteed greens. Give me spinach, swiss chard, or beet greens and I’m a happy girl.  Put napa or savoy cabbage in my stir fried noodles and I’ll slurp it up. I’ve always associated kale with “cabbage” and therefore thought I didn’t like it. I was wrong. I think the “kale is healthy” craze of the last couple of years and the abundance of kale chips, kale soup and kale smoothie recipes …

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