Category Archives: Recipes

YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Pea Salad with Mint & Lemon

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My family is growing like a garden of sweet peas! My own children have met their beloved partners, who have brought us to meet to their own extended families, and we could not be happier.

So this past weekend we found ourselves in attendance at an annual Labor Day party in the middle of Pennsylvania. Lasting late into the night, there was more delicious food than the eye could see, a climbing structure for the kids, a blessedly beautiful bocce court, and an annual tournament for all. We sat happily among everyone on the sidelines, absorbing the rules of the game, enjoying the earnest efforts of the younger players, applauding the antics of the dozen or more toddlers, and feeling very appreciative of the love, warmth, and hospitality. Continue reading →

The Origin of “Granola”

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It will probably surprise you to learn that the term granola was coined way back in the 1870s by one Dr. John Kellogg, late of Battle Creek, Michigan, where he ran a famous health sanitarium to which patrons flocked in pursuit of health and wellness. Among his many prescient recommendations was one that should be familiar to you, dear reader — that food be prepared the old-fashioned way, using whole grains instead of stripped ones like white flour or corn syrup. Continue reading →

YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Watermelon Gazpacho

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Once, when we were in Sedona, Arizona, my brother-in-law sent us to eat at a restaurant called ChocolaTree. It was like a dream come true. We entered and then made our way through to the back of the establishment, so that we could eat on the stone patio under a very grand tree. It was a peaceful oasis, a quiet center in the midst of a busy town. The wait staff were exceedingly patient as they guided us through a menu unlike any we had ever seen before. Which is saying a lot. What good fortune to have learned about this restaurant. When you have time, check out ChocolaTree to see their remarkable menu and recipe collection. Continue reading →

YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Judith’s Southwest Chopped Salad

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It’s time for another recipe from Judith! This time I got her to share her Southwestern Chopped Salad recipe, which is going to make you so, so happy! You can throw this together and have it for dinner all by itself, or you can take it to a party, where it’s sure to get rave reviews and unlikely to leave leftovers. Use canned black beans, canned corn, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder instead of garlic cloves — keep it as easy as you want. This is also a great recipe to set out deconstructed for kids, with lettuce in a large bowl in the center, and add-ons in smaller bowls all around, so that they think they’re the ones deciding what to eat. If you make the salad this way, you can serve the dressing separately in a small pitcher. Wink-wink.  Continue reading →

YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Grandma Rosie’s Rhubarb

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Last week, I wrote about my Grandma Rosie’s chopped eggplant, and it was a huge hit! So now, this week, with the rhubarb starting to poke up in the garden, I thought I’d write about her rhubarb. But first a few words about the woman. My Grandma Rosie was an extraordinarily good cook. I mean exceptionally good. Continue reading →

YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Grandma Rosie’s Chopped Eggplant

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On this Mother’s Day 2019, here is my present to you: Grandma Rosie’s Chopped Eggplant. This recipe means so much more to me than simply the sum of its ingredients. We used to make it for special holidays, and always in a big wooden bowl with what we reverently called “the chopper,” a utensil whose correct name — I have since learned — is actually “mezzaluna,” which accurately describes its half-moon shape. The bowl and its contents would pass among my grandmother and whomever else was helping out in the kitchen, each of us chopping for as long as we were able, until our chopping arm was aching and it was time for the bowl to be transferred to the next lap. We all chopped, but Grandma Rosie was the only one who decided when the eggplant was ready.

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YOUR HEALTHY PLATE: Chopped Salad

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My parents moved into the house next door to us a year ago, so instead of getting to eat my father’s cooking only a few times a year, we are now lucky to count ourselves as regular beneficiaries of my father’s superb cooking. Not long ago, my father, also known as Chef Ira, cooked dinner while the rest of us put in a full day of work. The menu for that memorable meal included fresh cod; roasted potatoes, eggplant, squash, and Brussels sprouts with caramelized garlic and onions; and his famous chopped salad. My dad’s chopped salad, which appears at most if not all the meals he cooks, is “to die for!” and it is certainly worth learning how to make.  Continue reading →

Avoid HFCS, Make Your Own Ketchup

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My dad is on a mission to get people to eat less ketchup, but it’s not because of the tomatoes, or the ketchup. It’s 100% because of the high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). He can’t stand the fact that most national brands of ketchup have so much HFCS, and that it’s usually first or second in the ingredient list. So he asked if I would post an entry about this. Okay, Dad, yes, here it is! Continue reading →