My family takes our pickles seriously. Sour pickles, half-sours, pickled green tomatoes, you name it. We debate whether Grandma Rosie used too much dill or not enough, why the garlic cloves sometimes turn blue, whether you need a little sugar or you don’t, and so on. So when I saw this beautiful recipe, the epitome of simplicity, I knew I wanted to share it with you! Feel free to use any combination of the following vegetables. You can pickle anything, not just cucumbers. Each 1-quart jar will contain approximately 12 ounces. Continue reading
Category Archives: Heat
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Joe Gardewin’s Spicy Cucumber Salad
I am proud to share a recipe from my friend and major YHIOYP fan Joe Gardewin, who loves food (especially when it’s Korean!) and has been actively contributing to the conversation here for a long, long time. This is such a great recipe, and I love the technique, the marinating, the kick, the bite, the sweetness, all of it. Thank you, Joe, for sharing your spicy cucumber salad with the readers of YHIOYP. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Joe’s Sassiest Asian Slaw Ever
My buddy and longtime fan Joe Gardewin has come up with what he calls “the very best and sassiest Asian slaw ever.” He says it’s great on turkey tacos but you should also feel free to eat it plain, right out of the bowl, if you want! His list of veggies is somewhat flexible, but includes cabbage, daikon radish, and hot peppers at the very least, and he is proud to say that he is a legit food snob since he hand-cuts his slaw. Go, Joe! Continue reading
Slow Food for Passover and Other Times
This week I’m starting to prepare for Passover, which begins this coming Friday at sunset, and I am reminded of an experience from a few years ago, when I got an email from a neighbor asking if anyone knew where she could find horseradish. Now it turns out that I had planted a horseradish root a few years prior, so I happened to know the answer to her question. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Yoga-Inspired Recipes
During the recent holidays past, I was given the gift of a yoga calendar by my beloved friend Lee. Tearing off a page every morning has now become an especially joyful and expectant way to start my days. Most of the pages are filled with beautiful messages (some of which are so very special that they get pinned to the cork board the next day), or sometimes a special yoga-position-of-the-week. Very occasionally, I find an inspirational recipe. What I find most awesome is all the different kinds of spices, and the fact that roasting them brings out infinitely more complex flavor profiles. Here, below, are the recipes I’ve enjoyed most of all (so far). Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Spinach & Chickpea Curry
Let this list of spices inspire you! Sure, you can reach for the curry powder in the spice cabinet, but wait! Don’t! You are not going to believe the difference between THAT and THIS. It’s diamonds vs. paste. Top shelf vs. moonshine. Everything you’ve ever wanted vs. anything you’ve ever settled for. You will be so grateful, and your tastebuds will, too. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Stogie’s Belize Hot! Sauce
When I was a kid my parents had friends, Ted & Frieda, who grew hot peppers on their farm in Muncie, Indiana. When we stopped in Muncie for a visit, on our way across the country to the Twin Cities, Ted laid out an array of peppers on the kitchen counter. I tried every one. They were spectacular, and I was hooked. Forever after, he called me “Hot Pepper.” I’ve never met a hot sauce I didn’t like. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: “Party Salad” or Sweet & Spicy Kale Chips
If anyone in your house is not eating as many greens as you think they ought to be (whether it’s you, or the kids, or your spouse), then make this asap! Think of it as a kind of party salad. You’ll notice that this particular recipe uses two large bunches of kale, but don’t think that’s too much: once they shrink in the oven, they turn into a moderate-sized bowl of chips at best. Continue reading
YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: These Chickpeas Bite!
Looking for something special to share with a group of friends this holiday season? Here’s your answer! Chickpeas are amazingly delicious, nutritious, and full of flavor, and you can double down on all those descriptions when you add some creamy, nutty tahini, umami-rich miso, and bright lemon juice, along with some powerful sriracha! Now that’s a recipe guaranteed to satisfy all your tastebuds! Continue reading