Tag Archives: fruits and vegetables

Fruity Tools

Posted on January 17, 2013 by Alanna

Two foods that I can never get enough of are fruits and veggies. Sweet and juicy, and without all the guilt that comes along with eating pizza and ice cream. But in our busy lives it’s often hard to squeeze in an apple a day when our stomachs are screaming for something more hearty, like a sub or sandwich.
Thankfully, these gadgets from Williams Sonoma will help you get your daily fix of nutrition without any hassle.
First, the OXO 3-in-1 avocado slicer is the perfect pitter and pre-per for your avocado halves. The sharp slicer cuts through the avocados skin. Next, …

 

the magic of the mandoline

Posted on September 26, 2012 by Alanna

mandoline from zappos.com
Working in a restaurant over the past several months has taught me a lot about chef-worthy kitchen tools. One of the most used kitchen gadget is the mandoline. Not the musical instrument kind of mandolin, but the fruit and vegetable slicing mandoline.
When it comes to shredding carrots for salads, or potatoes for hash browns, the mandoline is the only tool to use. The different settings allow you to make wider or thinner sized slices, or longer or shorter slices, so that you’ll have the perfectly sized shred for anything you’re making.
And the OXO Hand-Held Mandoline Slicer takes shredding to …

 

Right-On Ricer

Posted on August 2, 2012 by Alanna

applesauce from babble.com
Have you ever thought about making homemade applesauce? With fresh ground cinnamon and a chunky apple consistency for a grown-up spin on our old friend Mott. Or maybe some delicious gnocchi, with a potato and cheese based chewy texture. And no one says no to fluffy, homemade mashed potatoes.
With today’s gadget you can make all of these tasty treats using the same tool! The OXO Potato Ricer will be your new favorite gadget, with it’s 3 easy-to-use changeable disk settings, ranging from fine to corse.
OXO potato ricer from chefscatalog.com
Simply add your softened potatoes or apples and with the …

 

King of the Corn

Posted on June 14, 2012 by Alanna

grilled corn on the cob from myrecipes.com
When I think about summer cookouts I think pasta salad and corn on the cob. As a kid it was often my job to shuck the corn before tossing it into the steamer. Smothering on the butter and sprinkling on the salt made for the most delicious combination of sweet and savory. I hardly minded all the corn-hair that got stuck in my teeth.
Today, I tend to skip the butter and salt and just enjoy the au-natural sweetness of the corn itself. Maybe it’s the novelty of eating something with my hands that makes …

 

Strained Success

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Alanna

When I moved into my first apartment there were so many things that I would never have thought twice about but suddenly became a necessity to succeeding on my own. My collection of kitchen gadgets basically consisted of a frying pan, a pot and a toaster oven.
So whenever I cooked dinner I would add about five items to my ‘gadget list’ and I gradually started to build my collection. Today I don’t have to worry about running to the store to buy a can-opener before I make a tuna fish sandwich because three years of apartment living has left me …

 

Slap Happy

Posted on February 23, 2012 by Alanna

Last week while I was chatting on the phone with my cousin who lives in Salem, MA, she mentioned her newest kitchen gadget that she just can’t get enough of. When I told her that I’d never heard of it she was taken aback. So I did a little research of my own, and I, too, soon became seduced by the wonder of what is the Slap Chop.
A small, handheld device, with a hollow core and a W-shaped blade concealed within the body of the gadget, the Slap Chop minces and dices a plethora of foods. By “slapping” the lever on the …

 

Ask the Nutritionist: Your breast cancer questions answered!

Posted on March 4, 2011 by Carol

Q: I was diagnosed with her 2+ breast cancer, stage III, in 2009. I just completed treatment (last Herceptin last month). I have begun to switch to a plant-based diet but still eat a little chicken and fish. I have to avoid soy. I am intrigued by the vegan diet outlined in Kris Carr’s new book, Crazy Sexy Diet (she is also the author of Crazy Sexy Cancer). As long as I avoid tofu and focus on other proteins like beans, etc., is the vegan approach alright to try? I can pretty …