cookbook review

Parade.com: A Happy Lunch to Go in a Mason Jar

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"Mason Jar Salads" by Julia Mirabella

The minister of my church once asked all the lawyers present to stand up. Nobody stood. “They’re all working. I should know, because I know the lawyers who are members of this church,” the minister reasoned. As an attorney, Julia Mirabella finds time to write a food blog at MyFoodandOtherStuff.com between long hours at the office analyzing data on computer screens and reading mile-high stacks of documents and forms.

While wisely managing time, Mirabella discovered the art of fine dining in a mason jar. To save time and money during the weekdays, she would concurrently pack several lunches in jars during the weekend. Once she mastered the technique of layering ingredients (such as placing vinaigrette at the bottom of the jars to avoid soggy salad leaves), she wrote a cookbook, Mason Jar Salads.

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Parade.com: Let Them Eat (More) Kale!

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“Let Them Eat Kale” by Julia Mueller

There are kids named “Kale,” and it’s not their nickname. Specialty fast food restaurants prominently feature locally grown kale. Some people are panicking about a pending kale shortage. Other people—unaffected by the news of a shortage—casually blitz kale into smoothies, simmer with smoked meat, toss with salads, and more. People can’t get enough of this trendy green.  Read more →

Parade.com: Make it a Greek Family Affair With Debbie Matenopoulos’ Lemonates Patates

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Lemonates Patates

“To Greeks, food is not just food. It represents love. It represents family,” says Debbie Matenopoulos. She would know. Matenopoulos left her Greek family’s generous and healthy meals to attend New York University, intern at MTV, and work at various television shows, including The View. Life in the fast lane meant eating fast food, which predictably expanded her waistline and increased her acne. Over time, she returned to her family’s traditional Greek recipes, and her health improved.  Read more →

Parade.com: Intimidated By Indian Cooking? Don’t Be

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Rinku Bhattacharya’s "Spices & Seasons: Simple, Sustainable Indian Flavors" cookbook

We tend to think of most Indian meals as time-consuming because of the complex spice blends and rich buttery sauces. Challenging that preconception and expanding our knowledge about Indian cuisine is Rinku Bhattacharya’s new cookbook, Spices & Seasons: Simple, Sustainable Indian Flavors, which offers fast and fresh recipes for busy lifestyles.

Bhattacharya is a food blogger at Cooking in Westchester, a wife, a mother of two kids, a finance professional, an avid gardener, and a writer for local newspapers who understands the value of time. Her previous book, The Bengali Five Spice Chronicles, was published in 2012.

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