Healthy Snack

food that matters cook book Looking for a healthy snack to counteract all of those delicious holiday treats you’ve been nibbling? Then take a look at Mark Bittman’s latest, The Food that Matters Cook Book, companion to his book, The Food that Matters.

The book has all sorts of recipes including main dishes and desserts but I found his suggestions about snacks to be surprisingly easy and tasty.

Pan Fried Chickpeas

1 Can of chickpeas, drained and dried thoroughly
3 T olive oil
Pinch of salt
1/2 T to 1T of one of the following: cayenne pepper, cumin, Chinese 5 spice, garam masala, smoked paprika, chili powder

Heat the oil in a saute pan large enough to accommodate all of the chickpeas in one layer over medium high heat. If you don’t have a pan large enough, fry the chickpeas in smaller batches. Fry the chickpeas until they’re slightly brown, shaking the pan a few times. It should take about 20 minutes. The chickpeas should have a slight crunch when done.

Once they’re evenly browned, pour the chickpeas into a bowl and toss with the spice of your choice.

Nosh happily.

New Books

New books from the culinary world:

america the edible

America the Edible by Adam Richman

cake boss

Cake Boss by Buddy Valastro

cooking for geeks

Cooking for Geeks by Jeff Potter

geometry of pasta

Geometry of Pasta by Caz Hildebrand

gourmet cookies

Gourmet Cookie Book

southern plate

Southern Plate by Christy Jordan

Celebrate Apples!

October is National Apple Month.

Does anything evoke autumn quite like the smell of apples? Apples do it for me because I have fond memories of going to a local orchard as a child, sitting in front of their enormous fireplace and biting into the flesh of a deliciously ripe and crisp apple, surrounded by the sight, scent, smell, and taste of all things apple.

Overwhelmed by the choice of dozens of apple varieties at markets and groceries? Check out The Best Apples to Buy and Grow.

Relax with a mug of mulled cider, enjoying the last bit of October calm before the start of the holiday frenzy. Learn to make your own cider.

In the mood for some baking? Try a recipe from Apple Pie Perfect.

BBQ – Yum!

With the heat of summer at its peak, now is the time to leave the oven behind, get out of the kitchen and get grilling! Don’t think your barbecued meals have to be limited to boring burgers and hot dogs. Master griller Steven Raichlen’s latest cookbook, Planet Barbecue!, offers recipes with distinctly international flavors. From kangaroo kebabs to Singaporean grilled pork belly, Raichlen has scoured the globe to find the very best in outdoor cooking.

Mmmm, Cupcakes!

Cupcakes, the perfect food. (Don’t tell my doctor, I said that!) Fun to bake and even better to eat. Also, delightfully portable, making them the perfect treat to take along on roadtrips and picnics.

Find the perfect cupcake recipe in one of our cookbooks.

Once you’ve baked and frosted your bits of sugary bliss, make them look even more special by dressing them up in fancy wrappers. Learn how-to here.

Eat Local

Locavore was coined to describe and promote the practice of eating a diet consisting of food harvested from within an area most commonly bound by a 100-mile (160 km) radius.

If you’re interested in learning more about eating locally, check out The Locavore’s Handbook : The Busy Person’s Guide to Eating Local on a Budget by Leda Meredith.

farm to forkOr for a book with BAM! factor, check out Emeril’s latest Farm to Fork.

With fresh produce starting to show up, check out where local farmers’ markets are.

And there’s a website that will tell you about farmer’s markets or just someone with an overabundance of squash from her garden, sort of like a CraigsList for market items. Checkout Locavore365.

James Beard Award Winners

Deemed “the Oscars of the food world,” by Time magazine, The James Beard Foundation Awards are the country’s most coveted honor for chefs; food and beverage professionals; broadcast media, journalists, and authors working on food; and restaurant architects and designers.

We have a couple  of the winners:

Baking by James Peterson  which won for Best Cookbook Baking and Dessert

Love Soup: 160 All-New Vegetarian Recipes by Anna Thomas

The full list of winners is here.