Turmeric offers variety of health benefits
What do mustard and curry powder have in common? Their yellow hue comes courtesy of turmeric. This golden spice comes from the Curcuma longa or Curcuma domestica plant, which is native to South Asia. The bold-tasting spice comes from the rootlike section that grows under the soil, called a rhizome. The rhizomes are boiled and dried to make turmeric powder, which is sold on its own... READ MORE
Enjoy warm tastes and colors of spring
I’d like to share a recipe that highlights fresh ingredients: roasted chicken breasts stuffed with yellow and red bell peppers served atop a sweet scallion sauce. While I especially like the ripened, sweeter yellow, red and orange varieties of bell pepper, any combination of which will taste delicious and look beautiful in this recipe, you could also use green bell peppers if you... READ MORE
Superfoods that can help fight off colds
They say you are what you eat. So, it makes sense that eating nutritious foods can help you maintain a healthy immune system. “Vitamins, minerals, antioxidants — these are what keep your body strong, and without them you’re not giving your body the edge it needs to ward off infection,” said registered dietitian Karen Ansel, a former spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and ... READ MORE
New cookbook aims to bring out flavors
This month’s recipe comes from Deep Flavors, a new cookbook described as “a celebration of recipes for foodies in a kosher style.” The author is Ken Horwitz, an attorney and CPA from Dallas, Texas, with a passion for cooking. He tells stories before (and within) almost all his recipes, giving context and history, and he describes step-by-step instructions to maximize the flavor and ... READ MORE
Chocolate spice cookies offer subtle kick
If you’ve been a reader of my column, you know you can expect one thing from me as surely as the fact that I love to help people cook and eat the best food possible: When winter rolls around, at some point I’m going to turn my attention to cookies. My love of baking goes back to my earliest childhood memories. Every year, the kitchen of our little home in the southern Austrian town... READ MORE
Rustic bean soup brings back memories
I first learned to cook in a kitchen ruled by two strong, loving women: my mother and grandmother. They were both amazing cooks, and all these years later my mouth still waters when I think about the food they prepared. They weren’t fancy about our daily food. Though they both knew how to prepare the finest traditional Austrian dishes, they ran our home smartly and frugally. They... READ MORE
Enjoy (indoor) grilled fish all winter long
Many people refer to the Labor Day weekend, now months past, as the unofficial end of summer grilling season. But those of us who love to grill know that you can’t stop just because you’ve turned the calendar page. There are diehards, of course, who brave the elements to continue grilling outdoors. I’ve even known of people who protect their food and themselves with an umbrella in... READ MORE
Try this technique for moist, buttery salmon
Cooking en cocotte— cooking beef, lamb, pork and poultry in a covered pot with little to no liquid — concentrates flavor. We were skeptical, however, that the technique would successfully translate to fish. Fish cooks quickly. Would the fish dry out in the dry pot? We gave the technique a shot with fatty salmon fillets and were more than pleasantly surprised. By passing on searing ... READ MORE
Sweet and spicy Indian turkey burgers
Sweet, spicy, fruity and jammy, mango chutney is a powerhouse ingredient common in Indian cuisine that can liven up even the most mild-mannered of dishes. We first tried packing some chutney into our Classic Turkey Burgers by mixing it with the ground turkey, but the chutney’s high sugar content caused the patties to burn. Simply moving the chutney from inside the burger to on top of... READ MORE
How cooking helped me cope with Mom
The following is excerpted from the new book, The Lost Kitchen, by Miriam Green. In it, the author shares family recipes and discusses her mother’s Alzheimer’s and how it affected her family. Those early months were difficult. I didn’t want to believe the diagnosis. If I was being honest with myself, though, I knew with certainty that Mom had Alzheimer’s. I was not prepared... READ MORE
