cooking
plum and raspberry crumble redone
I had a partial bag of frozen berries I wanted to finish off and I found this crumble recipe from Ina Garten. (You can view the original here). Since I can still find plums at my fruit stand this time of year, it sounded like a perfect choice. The crumble is loaded with delicious... »
super slim roasted potatoes from a sensual goddess
Its been a while since I’ve put my skinny spin on a superstar’s recipe. (I’ve been busy finalizing the recipes for my own book, Romancing the Stove.) But last weekend I got down to cooking and one of the dishes I tried was this perfect, simple winter side. The original inspiration was Nigella Lawson’s... »
my super skinny version of cookbook chick parm
One of my chosen summer reads this year is Man with a Pan, the collection of essays and recipes from men who cook (and can write). I loved the idea of New Yorker cartoonist and family “chef” John Donohue’s Weeknight Chicken Parmigiana as it involves making your own super simple sauce and doesn’t involve... »
the summertime cheese plate
I know I’ve been skimping on the brunches lately. I have no idea where all my summer Sundays have gone. I was so happy that this week I found the time to get into the farmers’ market groove and spend the day playing with peak of the season produce. The menu included Chef Annette... »
slimming down the neelys: a stuffed pork chop recipe
I have to admit that the recipe I chose to make over this week wasn’t all that bad for you to begin with. Pork is already a lean meat but I thought a pork chop stuffed by a team of Food Network chefs known for their down home cooking would surely be ripe for... »
quick, crunchy summer salad
July might be the best month of the year for the farmers’ market. Summer spills out of stalls everywhere you turn. And the July produce is so perfect, flavorful, sensual, that it would almost be a crime to do much with it. That’s why this week, my farmers’ market recipe is a simple, peak... »
top chef hot potato redo-a recipe for real people
This recipe comes from my chef crush Hubert Keller, (my little hot potato). And although I do believe that Chef Keller’s cuisine is perfection, his French food is a little too heavy on saturated fat for everyday eating. That’s why I took his potato gratin as published on the Top Chef website (from Top... »
slimming down paula deen-a schnitzel recipe
A few days after I posted City Chick Cube Steak, (a figure-friendly version of Pioneer Woman’s cube steak recipe), I read that Fox News was pointing the finger of blame at food-related television for America’s obesity epidemic. What was most interesting to me about the Fox revelation, (besides the fact that Fox produces several... »
duck eggs, morels & cherries
I love spring at the farmers’ market!!! I can spend hours just strolling the aisles, dazzled by the wild rainbow of colors, aromas and textures–exciting ingredients I’ve never before experienced. This week I didn’t exactly reinvent the wheel but for my Sunday brunch I picked up morels(!), komatsuna (a Japanese green similar to spinach... »
succulent strawberry season (with recipes)
Although strawberries are available year-round these days (and in our test kitchen garden, homegrown ruby gems can be had from April-December), I think the best berries hit the market in May. So for my first farmers market brunch in many months, I planned the meal around these plump little gifts of the season. Chile-Rubbed,... »