I love munching my way through a summer farmers’ market.  Take a look at this wonderful recipe for Cherry Borscht in the New York Times!  Who knew cherries could make such a grand soup?

How many of you have been tuned in to the latest season of “The Next Food Network Star”.  I’m a bit spent on the ‘life-as-a-contest’ programming as of late, but this result bears mentioning.

Check out cafemom.com to see how Melissa, the newest winner, manages new foods and the mouths of her 4 little ones.

I have just discovered a fantastic cookbook authored by two extraordinary women, Mary Harris and Wilma Nachsin.  It’s called “My Kid’s Allergic to Everything Dessert Cookbook”.  What a lucid title!  (Some used versions are available on Amazon now, revisions available Spring 2010).

In honor of the second of the series (due Fall 2010), “My Kid’s Allergic to Everything Main Meals and Side Dishes Cookbook”, I’d like to share a fantastic dessert recipe from book #1.

Mini-Chocolate Chip Cake

1/4 cup softened butter or softened margarine or mild-tasting oil

1/3 cup water or cow’s milk or soy milk or almond milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup light or dark brown sugar, packed

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon Ener-G Egg Replacer powder

1 cup oat flour

1/2 cup barley flour

1/2 cup rice flour or soy flour

10 ounces mini-chocolate chips or mini-carob chips

Preheat oven to 375.  Grease one 8-inch cake pan.  Combine butter or margarine or oil, water or milk, and vanilla and mix well.  Add brown sugar, baking powder, and Ener-G Egg Replacer powder; mix well.  Add the flour 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Add mini-chocolate or carob chips; mix well.  Pour into cake pan.

Bake for 30 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.  Cool, frost if desired, serve.

We want your feedback!  Is there an allergy-friendly recipe you’ve been searching for?  Or a favorite allergy-free recipe worth sharing?  Mary and Wilma are working on the next edition - YOUR comments, questions and feedback with have an impact!

Have you ever heard of the Slow Food movement?  The notion is nothing new, but in the current economy people seem to be embracing the philosophies of “slow food” more than ever.

We’re all examining our spending habits and paying closer attention to diet and lifestyle choices.  A slow food approach describes a shift in attitude away from fast food and toward savoring what we eat.  Americans are showing more interest in knowing exactly what they’re eating and where their food comes from.

I would say I’m a pretty healthy eater – I pay attention to what I buy, where it’s grown, how it got to the shelf, etc.  I would NOT, however, say that I am the kind of person who luxuriates in what I eat each day.  I’m not quite cramming it in absentmindedly at every meal, but it does require focused attention on my part to slow down and appreciate each bite.  I blame motherhood for this unfortunate turn of events.

So, if you’re like me and wish you could visit that place where you fully attend to the eating moment (at least aspire to do so), take a summer day to drop by a farmer’s market and pick up local veggies for a stir-fry or local fruit to toss on some yogurt.  Take a look at some of the yummy recipes (and cooking demos) on how2heroes.com, take a deep breath, and TASTE.

Mollie Katzen has written some of the best-selling cookbooks of all time, most notably “Moosewood Cookbook“.  Her advice is worth a read and re-read.

“1) ‘Low-fat’ is a misguided concept. Some fat is very good for you, and you should go out of your way to eat it. Nuts, especially walnuts; olive oil; avocados; seeds from pumpkins and sunflowers.  Don’t count total fat or grams of fat. Lumping all fat together is meaningless.

2) Instead of beating yourself up trying to be all healthy all the time, cut yourself some slack with “The 80-20 Rule,” meaning that if you can eat good, healthy food 80 percent of the time, you can let yourself have whatever you want the other 20 percent of the time, and all will be well. Here’s the bigger message: We don’t have to draw a line in the sand with no-fun, “healthy” eating on one side and fun, delicious eating, which we assume is “bad for us,” on the other. That line can go away altogether. Healthy eating can be delicious, and vice versa. No “on” or “off” switch needed.

3) Drink plenty of water and cold or hot) herbal tea. Don’t get your calories from your beverages. They can really add up, and all you’ll have gotten from the experience is a zero-nutrition weight gain. Often we think we’re hungry when what we really are is thirsty. So if you feel a drop in energy between meals, drink before you eat. Your energy will likely come back because you really just needed hydration. Drinking will make you healthier all around and help you to eat less.”

I’m not sure I’ve ever met anyone who doesn’t love french fries.  It’s unfortunate that most preparations leave much to be desired in the nutrition department.

Make your own oven fries at home instead.  They’re fantastic!

Use either white or sweet potatoes – or both.  I like to leave the peels on as they’re full of nutrients. 

Preheat your oven to 400.  Slice the potatoes into desired shape and size.  Toss with a drizzle of olive oil to coat and season with salt and pepper.  It’s also fun to try other seasonings your family loves – play around with mesquite spices or peppery blends.

In order to keep fat content down, either spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray or line it with one of those fabulous Silpat baking mats, http://amazon.com/Silpat-2-Inch-Nonstick-Silicone-Baking/dp/b00008T960.  Spread the potatoes in a single layer on the baking sheet and bake until tender-crisp – about 1/2 hour.  Enjoy!

Summer is upon us and if you have little ones at foot you’re probably looking for new and fun things to do with them.  Why not have some fun with food?

1. Make art out of food – Try apple-wedge flower petals around a kiwi slice for some flower art.  Or maybe fun food faces with berry eyes and a banana mouth.  See what you can create and how colorful it can be.

2. Read “The Hungry Caterpillar” and ask your kids these questions:

a) The caterpillar must have been hungry at the beginning of the story.  What does your stomach feel like when you’re hungry?

b) How do you think the caterpillar felt at the end of the story?  What does it feel like when your stomach is full?

c) How do you know when it’s time to stop eating?

d) When do you know that you should eat something?

e) What are you now?  Hungry?  Full?  In-between?

3. Colorize the house (or a room).  How many colors have you eaten today?  Encourage your kids to “eat a rainbow” every day – and blue Gatorade doesn’t count!  Go around collecting old magazines and grocery store circulars.  Have the kids identify the colorful fruits and vegetables they see and help them cut out their favorite images and paste them on colorful construction paper.  Ask them to talk about why they selected what they did and then decorate the room with all the colorful art work!

A diet rich in a wide variety of vegetables has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes and certain forms of cancer.  Here are just a few ways to make sure you’re getting the most benefit from those veggies on your plate.

First, save money by buying what’s in season.  The summer months are a great time to enjoy tomatoes, zucchini, mushrooms, greens, eggplant, corn, peas and peppers.

Another tip – wait to wash, chop or slice your veggies until you’re ready to use them.  Doing this prep work too far in advance causes loss of nutrients.

As far as preparation – use the least amount of water in cooking as possible.  Steaming your vegetables is a wonderful way to maintain color, lock in the vitamins, enhance flavor and for some vegetables like broccoli and cawliflower, steaming makes the texture more appealing to some.  Also, try sprinkling on some fresh parmesan or asiago cheese for a yummy flavor boost!

Here’s something fun.

Check out the cooking demonstration videos for gluten free dishes on http://how2heroes.com.

Ming Tsai, owner of Blue Ginger in Wellesley, MA offers us another joy that is safe for those living with food allergies. 

You will love this recipe (along with accompanying video) for his Turkey Fried Rice – how2heroes.com!