I think that it might be exactly the right time of year to have this recipe in the refrigerator. You can make this recipe over the weekend, and then have it ready to eat on the days between the endless holiday parties, celebrations, after-work stopovers, and other seasonal social events. It’s incredibly flavorful, it’ll give your mind and belly a well-deserved rest, and you’ll be glad not to have to think too much about what to make for dinner. Or lunch. Continue reading
Author Archives: Dr. Sukol
The Wrinkle-Free Diet
It’s been decades since my parents, Chef Ira and The Gardener, first coined a name for the way they eat. They called it the wrinkle-free diet. Though it started as a joke, an answer to the fact that they didn’t seem to be aging as quickly as their friends, it did not stay a joke for long. The magic of their wrinkle-free diet, it turns out, happens not on the surface, nor in the words themselves, but deep inside, through changes to the section of chromosomes called telomeres. Continue reading
Discipline is Remembering What You Want
Years ago, in the weeks prior to starting medical school, my brother-in-law gave me a small card with a message in calligraphy: “Discipline is remembering what you want.” I affixed it to the wall of my new study carrel where it remained for a long time until, years later, I passed it along to a friend who needed it more than I. Continue reading
The Introverted Vegetable
This is a post about pale vegetables, the ones that don’t have much color. They may not be the stars, but when it comes to nutrition they — like costume and scenery professionals — provide essential support. You might say that sometimes they win the Oscar for outstanding contributions in the field. Continue reading
About Manufactured Crackers, plus Recipe
My book group makes the most amazing meals. There are never any assignments; creativity runs wild. A while ago, I took the time to write down one particularly memorable meal: That night we ate roasted eggplant appetizer; spinach salad with roasted beets, pomegranates, red onions, and golden raisins; sweet corn pudding; grated Jarlsberg cheese and red onions on whole-grain crackers; squash soup; and chocolate-covered strawberries. I remember once Lynne made us affogato, black coffee poured over a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Wow. Once in a while, we all bring salad. Or dessert. Or baba ganoush and crackers. We deal. I mentioned the last bit because today I would like to talk about crackers. Continue reading
Planning Ahead for the Holidays
This is a very good time of year to begin thinking about what you’d like to make for the upcoming holidays. Especially if you are planning to host vegetarians and/or vegans, but not only. These recipes are amazing no matter what your style.
My kitchen counter is once again covered with pumpkins and onions, and here are two extraordinarily delicious and unusual recipes for your pumpkins and onions. If you have the time, try to get the onion recipe made the day before, because as good as they are, they taste even better the next day! These two recipes are keepers, and they are special enough for holiday celebrations, too, so keep them in mind for the weeks ahead. The pumpkin (in particular) makes a beautiful presentation, and slicing it at the table is a nice and memorable touch. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Yellow Squash Soup
This soup is perfect for all the cold days and nights ahead, and it cooks up beautifully in a crock pot. If you throw together all the ingredients in the morning, the house will smell heavenly all day, and the soup will be ready to eat come dinnertime. If, on the other hand, evening works better for prepping the ingredients, the house will smell heavenly through the night and when you awaken, and the soup will be ready at lunchtime. For the record, it will also keep ’til dinnertime. Continue reading
We are Family: A Blessing on Their Heads
Today is a very special day for our family. Today our nephew will marry his beloved, and she happens to be the daughter of old friends of ours. His parents are thrilled, and hers the same. For us, this remarkable and happy coincidence is nothing short of miraculous. So I share this post in honor of the marriage of our nephew, our new niece, and the new home they will create together. Today I want to share — from a medical standpoint — just a few of a great many things I have learned about friends, family, and the magic effects of kindness, love, and support. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: ButterNutmeg Squash Soup
A long time ago, Chef Ira (my dad) came to visit and brought with him a large bag of ginger. This wonderful recipe is what I decided to make with that ginger. The color of autumn, this recipe is made with butternut squash and nutmeg, which is why I call it “butternutmeg” squash soup. Continue reading
Retronyms, or What’s So Wild About Salmon?
Have you ever thought about why we call potatoes “organic”? What makes oats “old-fashioned”?, cereal “whole-grain”?, flour “whole-wheat”?, or strawberries “pesticide-free”? And what about “wild salmon,” “free-range chicken,” “pastured lamb,” or “hormone-free milk”? Continue reading