CHG Favorites of the Week

Food Blog/Site of the WeekRecipes for Health at the New York TimesThe Gray Lady (or more likely, her interns) (okay, actually Times writer Martha Rose Shulman) has compiled all her healthiest recipes into a single database, crying out to be searched. From risotto to eggplant to stale bread (yes, stale bread), it’s waiting for your clicks.Food Comedy of the WeekFood’lebritiesIf you like food puns – and I KNOW you like food puns – go here right now. Don’t even read the next thing. Just go. You will laugh your corny butt off for days. Down below: Eddie Cheddar. (Thanks to Jezebel for the link.)Food Quote of the WeekContinuing with this week’s literary theme, this excerpt comes from Ray Bradbury’s Dandelion Wine, via commenter Wifemommaniac. Sweet:“RELISH!...

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Posted in: Links

Veggie Might: Steamed Asparagus (Don’t Gild the Lily Shoots)

Penned by the effervescent Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about the wide world of Vegetarianism.Sometimes vegetables should just be left alone.This past weekend, I spent three glorious days in the North Carolina sunshine with my best friend, A., and her husband and two-year-old. It was little C’s birthday, and I just couldn’t resist a circus-themed party.Friday night before the big event, A. and I were fixing dinner: something light and fast before the hotdogs, cupcakes, and apple juice to come. A is the manager of the local farmer’s market in her area. One of the perks is first dibs on fresh produce while the farmers set up their stalls.From her fridge, she pulled out a bundle of perfect, young asparagus stalks: the first...

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Posted in: 15 Minutes or Less,Sides,Vegan,Vegetarian,Veggie Might

Five Fiction Books for the Frugal Foodie

Thanks, you guys, for all your suggestions from yesterday’s nonfiction food books post. They were wonderful to see. I’d never heard of Laurie Colwin before, and hereby pledge to get on the MFK Fisher tip immediately.Today, as a follow-up, I thought I’d recommend my favorite food fiction. Like yesterday’s selections, the books might not have much to do with inexpensive, healthy meals, but all include important scenes and plot points involving edibles.Have you read any of these? What about other novels with stellar food scenes? The comment section is ready and waiting.Beloved by Toni MorrisonSince main character Sethe is a cook, much of Beloved revolves around her post-Civil War era kitchen, where she prepares a series of biscuits, jams, and...

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Posted in: Frugality,Links

Five Nonfiction Books for the Frugal Foodie

Sweet readers, this week’s a little out of whack with the ant situation. So, instead of today’s regular post, I thought I’d offer up a few of my favorite nonfiction food books. They’re fairly standard reads amongst chowhounds, and don’t concentrate specifically on healthy, low-budget cooking, but all have wonderful qualities nonetheless. I wouldn’t hesitate suggesting them to anyone. (Er, which is why they're here.)If you’ve ever perused these guys, or have any ideas for good reads, please go crazy in the comments section. After all, reading is FUN(damental).In no particular order…A Cook’s Tour by Anthony BourdainI never considered myself a particularly daring eater, or imagined cuisine as a huge part of any vacation. But Bourdain helped change...

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Posted in: Cooking,Links

Monday Megalinks: Defi-ant Edition

Usually on Mondays, I post delicious, inexpensive, highly nutritious recipes guaranteed to knock your sock off / tempt your tastebuds / put your undies in a bundle.But I have ants. Again.Why? WHY?!? Why, on the first semblance of a sunny day, do they take the opportunity to turn my kitchen into their own personal Ant-igua? WE ARE CLEAN PEOPLE. Ack.Anyway, it means the galley has been thoroughly off-limits the last few days, since we’ve laid down some highly toxic chemicals designed to nuke them from orbit. (It’s the only way to be sure.) With luck, I’ll have a new recipe up on Friday. In the meantime, here’re the Megalinks, which would normally appear tomorrow.Casual Kitchen: How to Fight Back Against /Just Say No to Overpriced Cereal Parts...

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Posted in: Links

From Here to Bea-ternity

Hey folks,Regular post coming soon. In the meantime, take a break from the frugal/healthy thing to raise a slice of cheesecake for one of Hollywood's last great broads.K...

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Posted in: Links

Pasta with Turkey Sausage and Broccoli Rabe: A Psychic Phenomena

I thought I was a genius.I thought I was doing something new.I thought, when I paired turkey crumbles with rapini and piled them into a mound of al dente rotini WITHOUT USING A RECIPE, that I was the first person in the HISTORY OF THE WORLD to try that combination.I was wrong.Though the type of pasta and some of the ingredient quantities were slightly different, 20 seconds of research revealed that Giada DeLaurentiis has the exact recipe up on the Food Network site – the same cooking procedure, even. It’s called Orecchiette with Turkey Sausage and Broccoli Rabe, and it has over 100 reviews, making it not quite unknown, either. Doy.On one hand, this meant I could use her cooking directions as a guide to write my own. On the other hand, it meant...

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Posted in: Mains,Meat and Fish,Pasta

CHG Favorites of the Week

Hey, folks. Apologies for the out-of-whack posting this week. Today’s regularly-scheduled recipe will be up in a few hours, but first here’s a day-late FotW. Hooray disorganization!Food Blog of the WeekDotti’s Weight Loss ZoneA favorite of Weight Watchers participants, DWLZ is one of the most helpful sites on the entire ‘net for folks interested in dropping a few pounds. While the pages are a tad anarchic, there are resources GALORE, from extensive restaurant nutrition information to a million, billion healthy recipes to inspirational articles out the wazoo. Absolutely worth a few hours. P.S. Dotti herself is a sweetheart.Food Comedy of the Week"Taco Man" from The StateAfter years of waiting, The State is finally out on DVD in July. Michael...

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Posted in: Links

156 Cheap, Healthy Recipes for Ten Common Leftover Herbs

(Sorry for the lateness of the usually-on-Wednesday article, everybody. Finding oregano recipes was much harder than I thought.)When it comes to fresh herbs, I kind of wish sage was snack food, and go through parsley like most people go through underwear. Basil is a most beloved boat-floater, and during summer salsa season, nothing comes between me and a verdant bunch of deliciously soapy cilantro.However.Right now, there are four half-used packs of fresh herbs (dill, sage, thyme, and &*#^$&*% oregano) sitting in my fridge. I can throw thyme in just about anything, but odds are the dill and oregano will make their homes in a Staten Island landfill very, very soon.It’s a problem I often run into: I prefer cooking with fresh herbs because...

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Posted in: Cooking,Frugality

Veggie Might: Kitchn Cure - Pantry and Fridge

Written by the fabulous Leigh, Veggie Might is a regular Thursday feature about all things Vegetarian. It's coming a day early this week, and Wednesday's regularly scheduled article will appear on Thursday. My kitchen is a mess. Not so much dirty messy as cluttered, unorganized, and poorly lit. I'm a renter, so my options for renovation are limited to temporary shelving and pot racks. (Viva la pot rack!) Said shelves and the few cabinets that came with the place are filled to overflowing.You, dear readers, are already aware of the bad lighting via my questionable photography. (See picture at the right.) Not only does my solitary kitchen window give me a view into the neighbor's kitchen and bathroom (blarg), my overhead light is only semi-functional....

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Posted in: Organization,Veggie Might

Tuesday Megalinks: The Wildly Off-Topic Edition

Folks, not only is it Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry’s AND $0.50 Iced Coffee Day at Dunkin Donuts, it’s also National Chocolate-covered Cashews Day! (Note: not kidding.) In celebration, some of this week's links are a bit unrelated. Still, they're good reads.Ad Age: While Others Pare, Food Network Magazine Doubles CircBon Appetit and Gourmet are heading down the toilet, while a magazine that regularly features Sandra Lee (and, okay, Ina Garten) perseveres. Up is down, black is white, people!Boston.com: Dogfish Brewery Always Learning New TricksAnd here I thought my favorite beer was flavored by rainbows and ground-up unicorn horns, when it was chicory, raisins, and maple syrup the whole time. Mmm … beer.Chow: Your Meat is GreenSo, you love...

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Posted in: Links