I dream of running away to the Greek islands. Aglaia Kremezi and her husband Costas Moraitis actually did it. They left Athens in 2001 for the idyllic island of Kea, in the Cyclades and never looked back. If I ever get to Kea, I may never leave, either, especially knowing I’d be near Aglaia, cookbook…
Veggie Bhaji
Lighten Up For Diwali Originally posted for Huffington Post on 3/18/2010 Holi the Hindu festival of color, starts Wednesday. Wishing you a joyful, delicious one. Namaste, as yogi know, is Sanskrit for I honor the light in you, you honor the light in me. This week, Diwali, the Hindu festival of light, honors the light…
My Favorite People, My Favorite Recipes: Andrea Nguyen
You don’t need to be a pro to create authentic Viet dishes. James Beard Award-winning cookbook author and instructor Andrea Nguyen Nguyen isn’t. She’s been demystifying Viet cuisine with clarity, cheer and fabulous recipes since her 2006 cookbook Into the Vietnamese Kitchen. She does a deep dive into Vietnamese classics with books like Asian Tofu,…
MY FAVORITE PEOPLE, MY FAVORITE RECIPES: Jason Wyrick
The Vegan Taste’s Jason Wyrick wants you to know there’s more to Mexican cuisine than Taco Tuesdays. “People think Mexican cuisine is one thing,” he says,“but Mexico is almost as big as the United States and it’s as varied as the cuisine we have here.” That includes tacos, and Jason wrote the book on them,…
MY FAVORITE PEOPLE, MY FAVORITE RECIPES: Nancie McDermott
I’m sitting at the Association of Food Journalists conference in Phoenix when a woman plops down beside me, gives me a megawatt smile, and with that potent Southern mix of charm, confidence and purpose says, “Hi. Nancie McDermott. North Carolina.” As if she needs to introduce herself. As if she hasn’t published 14 cookbooks including…
Night of the Living Dead Curry
Night of the Living Dead Curry Originally posted for Huffington Post on 11/06/2017 You don’t need to be Dr. Frankenstein to bring life back from the dead. You just need the ingredients in a Thai curry or stirfry. A gnarly celery bottom, hairy scallion ends, lifeless-looking dried mung beans, the spiky top of a pineapple and other…
Miso Lacquered Tofu Bowl with Vegetables and Brown Rice
Meatless Monday’s BFF — DeStress Monday Originally posted for Huffington Post on 3/20/2017 You know, I could totally love Mondays (like I ever thought I’d say that). Maybe it’s because I’m coming off three days of bliss at World Happiness Summit . Maybe it’s because today’s the International Day of Happiness, Maybe it’s because the Monday Campaigns — the same folks…
MY FAVORITE PEOPLE, MY FAVORITE RECIPES: Lidia Bastianich
MY FAVORITE PEOPLE, MY FAVORITE RECIPES: Lidia Bastianich There was a time when Lidia Bastianich, James Beard Award-winner, bestselling cookbook author, Emmy Award-winning star of Lidia’s Italian Table, restauranteur and buddy to Mario Batali, had a brief fling with boxed cake mix. She was a girl when she came to New York with her family…
Lavender Lentils
More on the Plate than Food Originally posted for Huffington Post on 12/12/2016 This lavender lentil recipe has become a Thanksgiving staple at my house. Happy Thanksgiving. In a recent survey that bummed me out, more than half the Amerians polled say their family doesn’t know how to choose healthy food. Over 40 percent say they’d eat healthier, except…
Wine-Braised Cabbage With Apples and Caraway
EcoFarm at 33 — Still Feeding the World You Want to Live In Originally posted for Huffington Post on 1/14/2013 Once upon a time, in 1980, before the internet came of age, the Ecological Farm Association, a farming nonprofit supporting healthy, sustainable food and food systems, sensed farmers needed to meet each other. “There was a…
