Monday, February 28, 2011

Nutrition: The Future of Medicine by T. Colin Campbell


This article is taken from crazysexylife.com, a really fantastic website by cancer survivor Kris Carr (author of several wellness books, most recently Crazy Sexy Diet). It's written by Dr. T. Colin Campbell, who if you don't know, is one of the foremost nutrition experts and also the author of The China Study
I doubt that few would disagree with the observation that nutrition is one of the most confusing words or concepts in the English language. What we choose to eat also is one of the most emotionally intense topics of human discourse, ranking up there with sex, religion and politics. Yet, properly practiced nutrition, as a dietary lifestyle, can do more to create health and save health care costs than all the contemporary medical interventions put together.
I know well this story. Having started a research and teaching career in nutrition over 50 years ago, I have seen the passion, the frivolity and the arrogance over and over and over when people talk about their food choices. This topic is very, very personal. It’s sad because I do not see very much progress over these last four to five decades. Lots of shouting and not much constructive thought...
For the full article please go to Crazy Sexy Life

EatingWell's 5 tips to control your cravings

Here's an interesting article from Nikki Micco, Editor at Large for EatingWell Magazine, on controlling your cravings. 


I've had a few recent run-ins with dark-chocolate M&Ms. Here's what happens: I'll grab a few of the candies then sit down at my computer to meet a writing deadline. Type a few words, then walk back the cabinet for more M&Ms. Two sentences. Three M&Ms. The more difficult the subject matter, the less I'm able to focus on writing and the more overwhelming is the pull of the M&Ms.
In the March/April issue of EatingWell, science writer Rachael Moeller Gorman tackles the topic of food addiction -- the idea that food can overtake the same brain circuits involved in drug and alcohol addictions. Could I be addicted to chocolate? I could be: people who chronically crave food aren’t so different from people who suffer drug or alcohol addiction, say some experts, including Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
But I’m not addicted to chocolate. For me, overeating M&Ms is situational—the latest manifestation of a chronic procrastination problem that gets worse when I’m under the gun and low on sleep. And, in fact, dealing with issues like stress and too little sleep can help “cure” food cravings, Volkow told Gorman recently. Try these tips to help you stave off overeating*:
Anticipate moments of weakness. “You preset yourself [to say], no matter what, you’re not going to allow yourself to be tempted by the food,” says Volkow. “It’s much easier to control your urges if you do it beforehand than if they take you by surprise.” For example, if you tend to binge on candy while working at your computer, cut up melon and keep it on your desk so you’re less likely to visit the vending machine...
To continue reading this article... huffingtonpost.com
Article taken from The Huffington Post website. 

Sunday, February 27, 2011

10 easy ways to be healthier

I enjoy feeling healthy. 
Healthy to me means eating lots of fruits and vegetables (at least 5 a day), drinking a lot of water, exercising and getting enough sleep (at least 8 hours). It doesn't mean starving yourself or punishing yourself for eating poorly. 
The important thing is to be consistent. 


I also don't think it's hard to create good eating habits. It just takes a little practice. And just as Caitlin always says on healthytippingpoint.com (another blog I love), lots of small changes can really add up to something great. 


So herein, are my top 10 easy ways to be healthier, everyday. 


1. Drink lots of water
This one really goes without saying. Water is so important because your body is mostly water and you need to stay hydrated for everything to work right. Now I know that's not very technical, but trust me. You will feel better. Your skin will glow and most of the time, when you think you are hungry, you are actually thirsty! Make a habit of drinking a glass before and after meals, as well as in between meals. I carry a Klean Kanteen with me at all times (it is stainless steel and BPA-free). BPAs are the bad things in plastic water bottles that can leech into your water. If I have water on hand, I find myself drinking a lot more of it. I think it was Dr. Junger who said if you aren't peeing every hour at least once, you aren't drinking enough water:) 


2. Eat a lot of fiber
Fiber is what keeps you full. A lot of processed foods are stripped of fiber, so the more natural foods you eat, the better. There are two types of fiber, soluble and insoluble. According to healthcastle.com, insoluble fiber 'moves bulk through the intestines and controls and balances the pH (acidity) in the intestines', while soluble fiber 'promotes regular bowel movements, removes toxic waste through the colon, and helps prevent colon cancer'. What are some foods high in fiber? Legumes (beans, peas, soybeans), oats, rye, chia seeds, fruits and vegetables. You know what doesn't have fiber? Animal products. That's why it takes a long time for meat to move through your body. So if you are planning on eating meat, make sure you also eat a bunch of grains or vegetables. 


3. Follow the 50% rule
This one is easy but really makes a difference. Try to fill half your plate with vegetables, either raw or cooked, at every meal. This can mean salad, roasted, sauteed or steamed vegetables- whatever really. The idea is that if you fill half your plate with veg, and the rest with whatever you want, you'll be consuming a lot more good for you stuff, and on fewer calories too. This is especially important when dining out- if you order pasta, serve yourself a reasonable amount, and maybe share a salad with someone. That way, you won't only fill up on the calorically dense foods. Which brings me to my next point...


4. Eat nutritious foods
Now this rule might sound obvious, but foods that are nutritionally sound will help you eat less. The body works in mysterious ways: did you know that if you don't get the right phytochemicals and vitamins from your food, that your body will remain hungry all day? I was shocked when I found this out. According to vegan Ironman Triathlete Brendan Brazier, 'eating the nutrient-dense foods that turn off your hunger signal, so that you're not chemically hungry, that primal signal telling you to eat will only be shut off when you have the nutrients, the micronutrients, the phytochemicals, the antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, trace minerals...' (nomeatathlete.com). So if you want to eat less, you need to eat well. 


5. Stay away from sugar
Sugar is the devil. I  know that may sound extreme, but it's true. In so many ways, sugar just messes with you. I remember reading about a study done on lab rats, where the rats actually preferred sugar to cocaine! There are legitimate sugar addicts. And the funniest part is, it actually only takes 2 weeks of no sugar, for your cravings to go away. I know because I have experienced this. If you really like your sweets, try to bake with more natural sugars such as Agave, or even better, use a natural sweetener such as dried fruit or ripe bananas. And don't forget nature's candy: fruit. Fruit is the best sweet you can have because it also has fiber in it, so it won't cause your blood sugar to spike so much. 


6. No white stuff
This is a big one for me. In addition to sugar, I find that refined carbohydrates do a number on my blood sugar and mood as well. I say no white stuff because refined carbs are mostly white (white rice, white bread, white flour). It's an easy rule to go by. Try to choose whole-grain whenever you have the option. And this is an opportunity to get creative because there are really great grains out there such as quinoa and barley that aren't refined and can easily replace processed carbs. 

7. Read labels
Once I started reading labels I realized just how crappy most packaged food is. I'm not sure what the regulations are here, but in the States, ingredients must be listed by what occurs most to what occurs least in the product. So, if the first ingredient listed on something is sugar, put...it...DOWN! That means that sugar is the most highly occurring ingredient in the product. You also don't want anything that has more than 5 ingredients, and definitely nothing that you can't pronounce. This rule illustrates why I advocate...

8. Cook more often
Up until 1 1/2 ago, I never cooked or baked. I ate take-away almost everyday and was not interested in cooking at all. It seemed like a waste of time. Then when I became (mostly) vegetarian (and at the time vegan), I realized if I didn't cook, I would have to subsist on pasta and french fries and I'd most probably quickly gain weight. I took it slowly, buying cookbooks and trying out easy recipes. And it became an obsession. Cooking at home means you can control what goes into your food (oil, salt) and it is almost always healthier. Also, when you make an effort to make something at home, you don't want to rush through the experience of eating it after. Finally, baking at home is something I've come to love because I am a pastry person. I love baked goods but as I've said before, baked goods in shops are usually loaded with butter and sugar, and I can usually make a healthier version that still satisfies at home. Baking at home means you can have your cake and eat it too! 

9. Implement evening relaxation
Most of my friends who struggle with bad eating habits find evenings the hardest time to remain on track. They eat well all day, and then at night, after dinner, find themselves munching mindlessly in front of the TV. I've been guilty of this on many occasion as well, and I've found that the best way to nip this habit in the bud is by implementing a healthier option. For example, I like to drink a cup of tea in the evening a half hour after dinner. It gives me something to linger over and is cozy for me. I also like to have a grapefruit about an hour or so before bed, usually while watching TV with my fiance. Peeling a grapefruit takes time, and so you can't rush through it. These are just examples, but they work for me. I think oftentimes at night, we stressed out about work, or bored and turn to food. But if you find another way to soothe yourself (that might be taking a bath or reading a good book), you won't resort to mindless munching. 

10. Accept imperfection
I would say the number 1 diet downfall is trying to be perfect. I see a lot of people who make these unrealistic strict rules (no chocolate, no bread, no soda, no alcohol EVER), and then inevitably fail because they can't stick to them. I have a been a victim of this as well. I'm not saying eat chocolate and bread and drink alcohol everyday, and in fact, I think a cleanse every once in a while is a wonderful thing to do for your body, but in general, moderation is key. If you do happen to slip off the wagon and eat too much or whatever, you have to move on- immediately! The 'oh, I've ruined my diet, to hell with it!' mindset is terrible and will just make you feel hopeless. One bar of chocolate doesn't ruin a diet, 10 of them does:) 

So here are my tips. You might be thinking, 'what makes you qualified to give advice?' Well, I used to be 20 pounds overweight with a serious fast food addiction (not to mention a daily cocktail+ ciggies habit). These are the tools I followed to become healthier, so I know they work, and I hope they work for you too. 



Saturday, February 26, 2011

Whole wheat low-fat apple muffins

I love muffins. However, they can be a total calorie-explosion if you don't watch out. Most muffins sold at places like Starbucks are actually just cake in disguise as they can easily contain up to 500 calories! Also, if they're made with white flour instead of wheat, they won't have much fiber, which means you'll be hungry an hour later. Finally, they are usually loaded with white sugar, which is basically crack (as far as your blood sugar is concerned). 
So I went about trying to make a healthier version of a recipe I found on Smitten Kitchen's blog. 


I replaced the sugar with agave nectar, which though still not okay for Type 1 diabetics (as far as I know), is much kinder on your blood sugar and won't make you wig out. I also lowered the butter content from 1/2 cup to only 2 tablespoons. We'll see how that turns out, but I've generally found that most muffin recipes use waaay too much fat. I also played with the ratio of wheat flour to white; ideally, I would make this completely wheat, but a little white flour tends to make the final product less dense. Who knows, next time I might omit the white flour completely. I also threw in a tablespoon of flaxseed because flaxseed is really good for you. 


Healthy tip: Stay away from anything white. White flour, white sugar, white bread, salt- all that stuff tends to wreak havoc on your body in one way or another. 


Ingredients
Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen


1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon flaxseed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup agave nectar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup strained yogurt
3 medium apples, chopped


Directions: Combine the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients. Mix the two until just combined (over-mixing will make the dough tough). Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes. 


Note: strained yogurt is just that, yogurt that has been strained using cheesecloth, to produce a firmer product. If you can't find it, you can use Greek yogurt or regular will do as well. 


Result: They burned a little bit on top because I started them out at 350 before realizing they need to be baked at a lower heat, but otherwise they turned out nice. I think I will reduce the agave to 1/4 cup next time, as I thought they were a bit too sweet. However, they are nice and chewy and fairly healthy. I calculated the nutritional info below!


Nutrition Info
12 servings
Amount per serving:
Calories           153.7
Total fat          3.0 g
Saturated fat   1.4 g
Cholesterol     16.6 mg
Sodium            10.8
Total carbs      28.9 g
Dietary fiber   2.8 g
Sugars             10.6 g
Protein            4.5 g


I'm gonna work on this recipe and hopefully I'll have a better revised version soon. 

Friday, February 25, 2011

On being an ex-vegan

What we eat and what we don't eat says a lot about who we are.


In the States, pancakes and eggs, waffles and bagels are standard breakfast fare. The idea that someone might eat tomatoes, feta cheese, olives and cucumbers for breakfast, might seem odd. In other parts of the world, beans on toast or even miso soup are the norm.


Indians believe cows are sacred, while Muslims believe pigs are dirty, and thus don't eat them.


For most of my life, I didn't think twice about what I ate and why. My parents raised me and my sister on a varied diet, mostly healthy vegetables, grains and occasional meat and chicken.






I actually quite liked meat. I didn't eat it often, but when I did (once or twice a month), I savored it.


And then it all changed. One day I was sitting at home, looking through my sister's books, trying to find something to read when I stumbled upon 'Skinny Bitch' by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin. The titled appealed to me- who wouldn't want to be a skinny bitch? So I read it, then and there, all the way through. It was truly illuminating. I learned so much about factory farming and the way animals are raised that I had never heard of before.


I became fanatical. I become a vegan right then and there and read and watched everything I could on the subject. 'Food Inc.', 'Eating Animals', 'The Face on Your Plate', 'Diet for a New America', 'Vegan Freak' and more. In so many ways, I am thankful for the awakening that occurred in me.


But I also became judgmental. I judged those who weren't vegan or vegetarian, like they were lesser or less informed and made it my mission to educate them, constantly. I gave my fiance 'the look' every time he ate meat near me, and I generally just became a really annoying person to be around. I didn't like this part of myself. I struggled. Why couldn't I have my own beliefs and let others live however they pleased? And that's when I realized, I hadn't convinced myself. You see, if I had been completely confident in my own beliefs, I wouldn't have felt the need to bring others onto my team. It wouldn't have bothered me. But it did, because I wasn't totally happy with my choice.


I didn't miss meat and I still don't. But I missed cheese and yogurt. And I missed desserts and baking with eggs! And I felt guilty for these feelings, which is ridiculous! I soon came to the realization that no one is perfect, including me. I decided to honor the beliefs I felt very strongly about (like not eating flesh), but to be easier on myself about other things I really missed.


Becoming 'un-vegan' has made me a much more accepting and kinder person, I believe, to those around me, and to myself. As a Taurus, I run the risk of seeing life in black and white, and it's not.
The sooner you realize how gray life is, the easier it becomes.


Please feel free to share your thoughts, if you'd like.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Homemade mac n cheese tastes better than take-out anything!

Tonight I wasn't really in the mood to cook. I was at a funeral for part of the day, and the weather has been just awful here- muggy, gray, rainy. Usually, I like gray weather. Being that I'm from California, gray skies are appreciated, because most of the time, we get to enjoy 70-degree weather. Not in Istanbul apparently. It's been like this for a week, and not only does this weather make me extremely lazy, but it puts a major damper on my running schedule as well. Yesterday my 5-mile run was miserable thanks to rain that started after merely 2 miles.

Anyway, so I wasn't in the mood to cook. But my fiance is coming over, from the Asian side, and I wanted to do something special. I flipped through my cookbooks, but wasn't feeling inspired. I was just about to resort to take-out when I remembered this blog. I hadn't posted today and I didn't want to let you (is there anyone out there?) or me down.

I ended up cobbling together a homemade mac n cheese recipe, which is basically a riff off of Smitten Kitchen's 'easiest baked mac-n-cheese'. It was SO easy and took maybe all of 30 minutes, including the time it took for the water to boil.
The original recipe doesn't even require that you boil the pasta beforehand, but since I was using whole wheat penne, I wanted to make sure the pasta would be cooked (and whole wheat takes a bit longer than normal pasta, so I parboiled it). Parboil, by the way, is a fancy word for partially pre-boiling.

In addition to replacing the elbow macaroni with whole wheat pasta (an easy and healthy swap for Type 1 diabetics, and everyone really), I added broccoli florets (which I tossed into the pasta water towards the end), frozen peas (which thaw out immediately) and a handful of black kalamata olives I had lying around. I always think of Bethenny Frankel, of The Skinnygirl Franchise, in moments like this as she would always say, 'use what you have!'.

The sauce consists of drained yogurt (which I replaced the cottage cheese with as I didn't have any), milk (a mixture of normal and soy, as that's all I had), salt, pepper and cayenne.

I used a mixture of Grana Padano, which I've been using more frequently here as its much cheaper than Parmesan, and Emmenthal.

I did mix up the recipe quite a bit, but I'm confident it'll turn out well. All that really matters is that I didn't resort to take-out. Hence the name of this post: homemade anything is always better than take-out!
You end up feeling better cause you didn't spend money, you got to get creative in the kitchen and hopefully your loved ones will end up feeling spoiled because you toiled away for them.
Now here's hoping my sister doesn't cringe at the sight of the kitchen!

I'll share photos of the finished product after it's been baked.
As promised, here's the final product:

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Product review: Blessing's alive & radiant Foods Kale in a Krunch

Photo credit: naomicatalina.com 

Last time my sister was in the States, she picked up a pack of these kale chips, and boy am I glad she did! They are deeelish! The ones I'm currently feasting on are 'cheeziyes' flavor apparently and consist of cashew, kale, red bell pepper, lemon juice, nutritional yeast and himalayan crystal salts.

For those who haven't been blessed with the chance to try kale chips yet, they are baked or dehydrated chopped up pieces of kale, sprinkled with all sorts of goodness. And because kale is naturally high in many vitamins including A and C, you're getting a lot more good-for-you-ness than you would from a bag of chips. 

I know some of your are going to be skeptical ('kale chips have nothing on my Doritos!'), but seriously trust me when I say that they are so cheesy and good! They are crunchy, and taste like they have cheddar cheese on them, when they are actually dairy-free. 

Price: $7.00/ 3 oz. 

They are actually really easy to make at home as well. I bought a bunch of kale (there are different kinds and curly works the best as far as I know), ripped it up (make sure to remove the tough veins), sprinkled it with olive oil, salt and red pepper flakes and popped it into the oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. They turned out divine. 

I highly recommend picking up a pack next time you're out shopping or to try making them at home. You won't regret it. 

Cookbook review 2: Vegan Yum Yum

Decadent (But Doable) Animal-Free Recipes for Entertaining & Every Day
by Lauren Ulm

Background: Vegan Yum Yum was a wildly popular and gorgeous blog (veganyumyum.com) that unfortunately hasn't been updated for over a year. The author, Lauren Ulm, was even featured on Martha Stewart for her 'knit night' cupcakes. This cookbook is a compilation of recipes from her blog.

Tone: The tone is straight-forward and all her recipes are easy to follow. In addition, her introductions often include substitutions in case you don't have a certain ingredient and other useful tips.

Recipes tested: I used this book quite a bit. My favorites are her Hurry Up Alredo, which is a delicious, creamy decadent (but still healthier!) alfredo pasta recipe, her Caesar Salad recipe, which might be one of the my favorite vegan caesar salad recipes so far, and finally her 'Weekend Pancakes Made Easy'. What's great about her pancake recipe is that she recommends leaving the batter in the fridge overnight, which I did; this results in thicker, heartier pancakes.

Accessibility: While she does have a few recipes that feature harder to find ingredients such as nutritional yeast and seitan, on the whole, her recipes are pretty accessible. There are easier dishes such as the Rainbow Rice and Beans, which even a beginner could make, but also more challenging ones, such as the Onigiri. However, I like that there is variety, as the book is fit both for beginner cooks and more advanced level chefs, too.

Rating: 4.5/5. All in all, this is a great vegan cookbook- one of my favorites, in fact, that I turn to time and again. Oh! And I must mention that every- single- recipe- has a photograph! Which is a huge plus in my book.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Morgan's Wholesome Banana Bread

If you haven't heard of Morgan from Little House of Veggies (littlehouseofveggies.blogspot.com) yet, then I suggest you click over to her blog right now! She has lots of wonderful healthy vegan recipes, many of which are kid friendly, too.

I currently have her wholesome banana bread baking in the oven. I'm excited to see how it turns out! I followed the recipe to the T, with the only exception being the sugar I used. Unfortunately, my fiance is a Type 1 diabetic, which means baking for me is a tad more difficult than for others. You see, sugar does lots of wonderful things in baked goods- one of the most important is the fact that sugar retains moisture. Thus, replacing sugar with imitation products can lead to an unusual product. It really depends on the recipe. Sometimes, I have no problems and sometimes it just doesn't work out (frosting!) and the only way to know what will happen is to try. 

That's why I'm going to be sharing my experiments with sugar substitutes on here as well. I figure there are others out there who can't enjoy normal sugar, and have had disasters in the kitchen with substitutes like I have. (I am in no way endorsing these imitation products. I would prefer to bake with something more natural like agave nectar, but as far as I know, agave is not okay for Type 1 diabetics). 

I used to always replace the sugar in recipes with Splenda. However, I have been reading about Stevia recently. Lots of doctors like Alejandro Junger of 'Clean' have been saying that stevia, which is a leaf extract, is better than Splenda. Also, you use a LOT less stevia than Splenda when baking, because it is 300 times as sweet as normal sugar! In my book, the less sugar substitute I have to use, the better. 


For example, I only had to use 1 tablespoon of stevia in the banana bread I'm currently baking, vs. normally I would use the full 1 cup (of Splenda). 

One thing to keep in mind when baking with artificial sweeteners is that they usually bake and burn faster, so you need to decrease the baking time. Also, they won't brown like normal baked goods; one way to fix this problem is by spraying the top of your bread with a mist of cooking spray. 

I'll let you know how the bread turns out!


Results: The bread is delicious. Definitely wholesome-tasting though. If you like your banana bread to be like cake and super indulgent, then this bread isn't for you. BUT, if you are like me, and enjoy a hearty loaf, then this is perfection. What's really wonderful about the recipe is that thanks to the whole wheat, the bread is nutty and filling. I did, however, use 1 cup whole wheat and 1 cup white flour, and I think using 100% whole wheat flour might have made a too dense bread. Also, 1 tablespoon stevia was more than enough! Finally, there was no added oil in this bread, which is great. However, if you wanted, I'm sure you could add a few tablespoons for a richer loaf.
Rating: 4/5

Monday, February 21, 2011

Cookbook review 1: Appetite for Reduction

By Isa Chandra Moskowitz




Background: 'Appetite for Reduction' is a vegan lowfat cookbook full of easy recipes. Moskowitz, for those who aren't familiar with vegan culture, is THE go-to vegan cookbook author for all newbie vegans and veterans alike. Other books by the author include 'Veganomicon', 'Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World', 'Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar', 'Vegan Brunch' and more. For more information on Moskowitz, check out her blog at www.theppk.com.


Tone: This is where Moskowitz shines. In addition to being a talented chef, she is really funny, which makes the recipe-reading a joy. She's down to earth and not preachy either, which is a plus.


Recipes tested: Mushroom and Cannellini Paprikas: This dish was delicious! Very easy to make, quick and filling. OMG Oven-baked Onion Rings: Just as Moskowitz's own boyfriend did, mine went bananas over these oven rings. They are truly delicious and baked, at that! This is one of the must try recipes in the book. However, it is time-consuming and can get messy (dunking the onion rings in the batter with one hand, while keeping the other dry for the bread-crumbs). Edamame Pesto: This is another delightful recipe. This pesto uses veggie broth instead of the requisite huge glug of olive oil, thus significantly reducing the calorie count. However, thanks to the edamame (genius!), the pesto remains just as creamy as usual.


Accessibility: Many vegan cookbooks require too many hard to find ingredients, but fortunately AFR isn't like that. There are very few unfamiliar ingredients and most can be replaced. This is a major plus if you live outside the US like I do.


Rating: 4/5 (1 point deducted for the absence of low-fat desserts, baked goods and photos)

Why I love cookbooks

There are few things more exciting in life than a good cookbook. A new cookbook represents potential. The recipes in the book might find a way into your life. You might make the veggie casserole on page 21 for your boyfriend, or perhaps the dark chocolate ganache cake for your students. They might love it and you'll have created a memory with that person- thanks to that recipe.


Cookbooks are a really simple pleasure. At least, the ones I like are. I don't like the fussy, difficult, super challenging ones. Because, frankly, I want and need cooking to be fun and loving. Not harsh and punishing.


And baking is that much better than cooking because it is indulgent. No one needs dessert to survive. We need food to survive thus cooking will always be that much more...essential. But baking? It's purely decadent. Something you do to show someone you love them. Something you do when you want to feel loved. There is less room for interpretation, which means you can sink into the comfort of measuring and whisking without being forced to add your own spin.


I go on a journey with every cookbook I purchase. Each cookbook has its own feeling and sound. Different cookbooks represent different periods in my life. But mostly, cookbooks allow me to pretend for a few moments, or hours, that life is no more complicated than the steps necessary to successfully create the recipe at hand.
All you have to do is follow the recipe, and you will end up with something wonderful.
If only life were so simple!


So this blog is an ode to cookbooks (and cake!).


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