Secrets of a Skinny Chef

Just in time for my post fashion week feeling of unhealthiness, I received an advanced copy of Secrets of a Skinny Chef by Jennifer Iserloh.  The book, due out mid March by Rodale, contains 100 guilt free recipes for the most beloved comfort food dishes there are. Think Mac and cheese, brownies, fried chicken - all the good stuff.  The goal of the book, according to Jennifer Iserloh, is to celebrate food and to keep eating the foods you love, but  in a healthier way.

I absolutely love cookbooks and am not ashamed to admit that I own so many that I had to open a storage unit. Right now seems like the perfect time to invest a few evenings learning some new, healthful recipes.  Reason one being the above result of fashion week and reason two being the fact that I, much like many new Yorkers out there, am a bit thin in the wallet these days. Hey, at least something is thin, right? Gotta stay positive!

But really, in thumbing through this book today, what I like a lot, aside from the promise of healthy and tasty Cajun catfish in cornmeal breading, is that I already have most of these ingredients in my pantry. Which means no after work visits to the gourmet market or Korea town for new ingreds. These are recipes easily achieved by thawing out what’s in the freezer and attacking the spice rack.

I plan on attacking the Just Like Takeout Sweet-and-Sour Chicken the next time the take out fairy plants a seed in my head.

Stay tuned for the results!

Gift Guide For Foodies

By Fabiana Santana

It’s that time again! When holiday wrapping paper is starting to poke out on drugstore shelves and commercials featuring fun loving elves and reindeer are a dime a dozen. Gift giving season came around sooner than you thought, and it really is time to get ahead of the game and start thinking about what to buy.

Here are a few suggestions to help you get started for those few people in your life who have already feed their habit quite well.

For coffee lovers: You’d probably do fine with a gift card to Starbucks for the coffee lover in your life but why not give them their very own coffee bar? The Nespresso CitiZ is a sleek, chic coffee maker that easily churns out coffee, espresso, latte and perfectly foamy cappuccinos in just seconds. And the cool retro-modern design will fit in nicely with any kitchen décor and comes in several colors, so even the coffee loving fashionisnta will be happy!

For your sister: Give out some girl power this year. Riedel Crystal created the perfect Pink CrescendO glasses to help you do just that. The set of 4 limited edition pink O Chardonnay/Viognier glasses are each in a different delicate shade of pink—from just a whisper of color to a rosy glow. And the best part – Riedel Crystal will donate 15% of the sale of each set to Living Beyond Breast Cancer, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering all women affected by breast cancer to live as long as possible with the best quality of life.

$70 at www.riedelwebstore.com or www.wineenthusiast.com or visit your local Bed Bath & Beyond retailer.

For your organic friend: When someone chooses organic, they appreciate when other recognize their commitment to the choice. “The Spice Kitchen: Everyday Cooking with Organic Spices” is a recently released cookbook that any home cook would love, if not for the simplicity and variety of the recipe, then for the history and guide to spices and herbs that the book offers. Sidebars on topics including dried vs. fresh herbs and why organic certification maters makes this a great read, too. Handy recipes for things like thousand island spread, chili powder, and curry spice blend will easily make this a go to when time is of the essence and cool dessert recipes like bittersweet chocolate chip ginger cookie and cardamom candied walnuts will satisfy when the creative juices get flowing in the kitchen.

For the foodie who has it all: Nudo Italia lets you give the gift of the Italian countryside by adopting an olive tree for a year. Nudo is an Italian artisanal olive oil company that supports small scale, artisanal farms in the Marche region. After receiving the adoption papers, your gift comes with all the olive oil from your tree in the spring (approx. 2 liters) plus assorted infused oils in the fall. Nudo is a gift that keeps on giving. Bet no one will think of that for the foodie friend who has, and knows, it all!

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