Al Dente Pasta for the Taste and Your Health When it comes to pasta, learn from the Italians. They are the masters at cooking pasta and creating simple, delectable pasta dishes. Any Italian will tell you the only way to cook pasta is al dente. "Al dente" is an Italian term that refers to pasta […]
Why Bread, Pasta, and Pastries Feel Different When You're in France and Italy It’s not unusual for people with gluten sensitivity to report that they can enjoy breads, pasta, and pastries while traveling in France or Italy. They have an easier time digesting these foods there than when they eat them in the U.S. Here […]
Essential Healthy Eating Habits You've probably heard the saying, "You are what you eat," meaning eating healthy food is crucial for good health. However, the right food is not enough. How you eat matters just as much as what you eat. When I say "how you eat," I'm referring to factors such as where you […]
The Secret to Eating Well and Balancing Your Health and Weight Maybe you’ve heard of the French Paradox. It’s an age-old question, “How can the French routinely eat bread, cheese, butter, cream, and croissants and stay thin?” Since many people believe these foods cause weight gain, how the French can consume these foods and stay […]
Serving milk with dinner is filling and can ruin a child’s appetite for the meal. In addition, the taste of milk conflicts with and overshadows the flavor of the food, making the food less attractive. Instead of serving milk with dinner, do like the French and Italians and serve calcium-rich foods after dinner as a course. Â
Food companies are savvy at marketing processed foods as wholesome and healthy. Read this post to learn three questions to ask to assure you are buying the quality food you think you are.
Who Brought the Unexpected Gift A friend of ours called this morning and asked if he could come over for dinner. He is one of our ex-pat friends from France who used to live near us in Michigan. A year ago, he moved with his wife and three children to their dream city, Chicago. Although […]
Understanding the Ingredients and Flavors That Define Healthy Eating During a recent conversation with a participant in my "Transform How You Eat" program, a woman expressed uncertainty about what constitutes good food. She explained that she didn't grow up eating many of the foods I teach about, like fresh garlic, basil, and homemade salad dressing. […]
A Delicious and Easy Dinner Idea The French are famous for their love of cheese — and their mastery of it. While cheese is often used in cooking, there's another tradition worth borrowing: the cheese course. Served after the main dish (and sometimes before a sweet dessert), a cheese course is a simple, no-cook way […]
When I mention anchovies, I either hear, "Oh my gosh, I love anchovies!" or, with a slight grimace, "I'm not a fan." It seems you either love them or you don't. If you love anchovies, read on for serving ideas and where to shop for Italian anchovies. If you are in the latter group, consider […]
When I suggest serving fresh nuts for dessert, I often get blank stares. It’s not what most people expect, but every time I bring out a bowl of nuts after dinner, the reaction is the same — "Wow, what a fantastic idea!'" This is usually followed by, “Where do you buy fresh nuts?” So, let’s […]
You can improve your health and make mealtimes more meaningful by serving dinner in courses rather than a one-plate meal. Read the post to learn about the other benefits of eating in courses.
