Put this in your 2012 holiday gift file

(So sorry, I never took a picture of my gift loaves.) I mentioned in previous blog that my holiday food gift this year was a delicious pumpkin chocolate chip bread. It's based on a muffin recipes form allrecipes.com, however I made some changes, among other things,...

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Weighing in on the low-carb diet question. Don’t.

Low-carb diets. My advice: Don't do it. All you'll do is lose water and ketones fast, then... the carbs come back and you stop losing and even gain. I'm not saying NO carbs. I'm saying whole grains in small quantities. And mix 'em up: brown rice, quinoa, barley,...

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Holiday leftovers . . . again!

Our holiday was modest this year, but there are some culinary memories that will stick (probably because, as I write this, I am fasting in anticipation of a some medical tests): An avocado pie (check Star-Advertiser Web site) made with Grandpa's avocado (now grafted...

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Fulfilling a promise: hek-ka

Hekka is a dish you no longer hear of or see very often, even though chopped, across-the-bone cuts of chicken are still called “hekka chicken” at some Foodland stores. A few years ago, chef Mark Noguchi and I went on a mission to find out where the name hekka came...

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Post-holidays: Pruning the leftovers

My project Monday, besides a fabulous nap, was peering into the depths of the refrigerator and identifying my targets, like cleaning a closet or storeroom. Categories: 1. No use, getting sad — throw away. 2. Still good, needs a transformation. 3. Useful for later,...

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On Day 3 of 2012, two words — thank you

Day 3: 2012 Family and friends have departed. In their place, the Christmas bills. Fridge piled high with curling bits of leftovers; oh, goodie, faavorite chore, cleaning the fridge. (If heaven were about retribution, I'd call a  meeting of all the kitchen appliance...

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The diet clock is ticking

I've got a friend who, like many of us, has made a commitment to lose weight, exercise and eat right in the new year. For her, it's a pressing and life-threatening health problem. I've committed to help her (what was I THINKING? — nah, nah, nah, just kidding). I...

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Have you had enough?

Just a quick post to say I hope everyone who reads this has an enjoyable, safe New Year's Eve. Remember this, the title of a book I once read: "Enough is a Feast." Be mindful of those who do not have enough. Be mindful of how much is enough for YOU. Enough is a...

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