Lisa on March 7th, 2009

No pictures today, folks–this is a big topic and a very serious one.  I hope you’ll stick with me as I give you the bare brushstrokes of the picture. Oils and fats form the basis of our food preparation:  we use them for cooking, baking, and roasting.  We dress our salads with them, season our [...]

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Lisa on December 22nd, 2008

From quiches to frittatas to custards, eggs have long been at the forefront of many cuisines–they can, after all, be hard-boiled, pickled, fried, baked, whipped into frothy peaks, made into creamy sauces…the list is endless.  And it’s much more economical to keep the hen alive and eat its eggs for years rather than kill it [...]

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Lisa on December 18th, 2008

As much as we’d like to blame restaurants for America’s (mostly) unhealthy eating habits, the truth is that the majority of the junk we consume comes from the grocery store–after all, most of us eat at home more often than we do out.  (All those snacks and “in-between” meals add up.)  With that in mind, [...]

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Lisa on November 24th, 2008

Popeye was a forward-thinking guy–he recognized the value of a fresh head of spinach! While it’s a bit much to think you’ll have biceps bigger than Arnold’s if you eat like Popeye, it’s true that you’ll feel better and have more control over your weight when greens take up more of your plate. The feeling-better [...]

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Lisa on September 10th, 2008

Shopping for fresh produce is a mini-adventure: you’re surrounded by vivid colors, countless shapes and textures, and exotic scents. And the best part is, you can eat everything you see! (Although watch out for rhubarb leaves and potato eyes.) When shopping for produce–especially new items you may not have tried before!–make sure to use all [...]

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Lisa on August 2nd, 2008

I love corn–an actual fresh ear of it, that is–but I do not like all of the side products of corn the food industry has devised.  From malodextrin to citric acid (bet you also thought that was made from lemons!), from caramel color to xanthan gum, corn is everywhere.  It’s a safe bet that if [...]

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Lisa on July 29th, 2008

I admit, I have very strong feelings about margarine, and they’re all negative.  Margarine/shortening is hydrogenated oil plus yellow dye.  Hydrogenation occurs when the oil is forced to bond with the water, thus becoming semi-solid..and far more stable than the original fluid oil, which is why the food industry uses hydrogenated oil so extensively in [...]

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Lisa on July 28th, 2008

If you want to make your dishes higher in nutritional value, consider using these healthy substitutions in your recipes (especially in baked goods).  Sometimes I substitute the full amount called for in the recipe and sometimes I only substitute half.  It really comes down to texture, sweetness, and your personal tastebuds.  You’ll have to experiment [...]

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