You normally wouldn’t consider a hedgehog looking vegetable edible. That’s why vegetables (and hedgehogs) grew those spikes in the first place. We’re not supposed to want to eat them. Artichokes are supposed to be worth the hassle of getting to them, but are they? I was watching an episode of “Chopped” last week and one… [read more]
Tomatoes Transformed: Peach Salsa
In my last post, I talked about growing okra. Another vegetable I grow in abundance over the summer is tomatoes. Salsa is dish that I like to make with them, because it’s healthy, easily canned and helps punch up a low-carb diet. I don’t normally eat it with chips. Most of the time I use… [read more]
Okra: Delicious and Mucilaginous
It’s farmer’s market season, so it’s tough to buy things I don’t like. There are actually a few things I do like and they’re all fresh and in season. Okra is something I like. Well, kind of. I only like okra one way. The traditional southern way: pan-fried. It’s not healthy at all, so I’m… [read more]
Purple Hull Peas: Southern Peasant Food
Purple hull peas are a traditional southern food. They’re one of my favorite soul foods. I found some some today at a roadside stand. They were freshly hulled and bagged for just $3. I was so excited I couldn’t wait to get home and cook them. I love purple hull pea season. Purple hull peas… [read more]
Braving Celery Root
I don’t normally eat things that look they’ve been stuck in the back of my fridge for a month. I decided to give celery root, or celeriac, a try anyway. It’s pretty nutritious and everyone says it makes a great addition to a healthy diet. Hard to believe since it looks like something my cat… [read more]
Conquering Acorn Squash – Part 1
I started this blog to add some variety to my diet and try new things. One of the first things I decided I wanted to like was winter squash. In the past, when I’ve seen winter squash on the menu, I immediately decided that I didn’t like. I would say to myself, “It tastes like… [read more]
Eat Like the Animals: Orangutan Bites
I’ve been working on a project at my local zoo for the past few months that centers around teaching kids what the animals eat and encouraging healthy eating habits. Kids tends to imitate what their families do, but they also love animals and want to imitate them. Most of the animals eat fresh produce everyday.… [read more]
One Kale of a Mac and Cheese Recipe
I am surprised I haven’t written about kale before. Since I started experimenting with kale last spring, I’ve grown to like it. Kale is one of the healthiest vegetables you can eat. One cup contains only 35 calories and 5 grams of fiber. Protein accounts for 16% of it’s calories. It also has vitamin B6,… [read more]
Thanksgiving Done Healthy: Apricot Brussels Sprouts
I’ve talked about Brussels sprouts before. I bring them up again, because they are something we have at Thanksgiving, even though they’re normally the slimy fish head ones and nobody really eats them. It reminds me of my Thanksgiving as a kid. I was, surprise, a picky eater. We went to my aunt’s house for… [read more]
When Recipes Attack: Potluck Carmel Apples
Everyone who cooks knows that sometimes things go wrong in the kitchen. Sometimes, we can figure out why. “Oh yeah, I did leave out the salt.” Sometimes, the recipe we follow is at fault. I find mistakes in lots of online recipes. Sometimes we don’t know what happened. I always try to salvage cooking mistakes,… [read more]