Food Is Not Complicated

Meryl Streep’s new movie, It’s Complicated is hilarious. There are some scenes you will laugh so hard you may wet your pants. Food was not an integral part of the plot, but it definitely added to the pleasure of the movie. Jane, Meryl Streep’s character, is a great cook and her three adult children, her ex-husband, her future son in law, and her new love interest are all appreciative recipients of her talent in the kitchen.

As America’s Cooking Cheerleader, I admit to being a bit obsessed when it comes to food and family meal times. I believe that eating dinner together as a family, with a meal that was prepared at home, is extremely important to the overall health, well being, and enjoyment of your family. Because of this bias, I am sure I gave food a lot more importance for this movie than what the director had intended.

Food symbolized “I am taking care of you”. When referring to his new wife and her lack of cooking skills, Jane’s ex-husband states very clearly that “no one takes care of me like you used to.” Food symbolized love when Jane cooked up a storm for her son’s homecoming from college. Her refrigerator was over stuffed with good things to eat for her kids to enjoy.

Food symbolized being sexy when Jane and her love interest make chocolate croissants together, and when she makes a special meal for a romantic evening. Food meant fun when she eats a piece of chocolate cake when she is feeling especially happy.

Is food the only way to show love, or care, or sex, or fun? Absolutely not! However, food is a language everyone understands, a subject people love to talk about, and an activity everyone participates in. You do not have to be a gourmet cook to have a happy home life, but taking the time to cook to care for your family, to create a romantic mood, or to create some fun will always serve you well.

Do you think cooking is a way to show your family you care about them?

Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.

Simple cooking idea: To peel garlic, crush the clove with the flat side of your knife. The peel will come off easily.

Copyright ©2009 by Gigi Centaro. All Rights Reserved.

Do You Know What Real Hot Chocolate Tastes Like?

Do you ever look at the ingredients in the foods you buy? Your shopping has become routine, and you absentmindedly reach for the same foods all of the time, that you have no idea what is in the food you feed your family on a daily basis. Real foods do not come with a label informing you of all of the additives, preservatives, fillers, artificial flavors and artificial colors. When you eat real foods, you know what you are getting; eggs are eggs, broccoli is broccoli, and apples are apples.

A very good argument could be made that real food is not real because of pesticides, hormones and genetic tampering, but you cannot control everything. Let’s Cook Tonight® teaches a common sense approach to cooking and eating. It makes sense to exercise choice over what you can completely control. You do not always have a choice about pesticides and hormones because of either price or availability, but you can exercise complete choice over manufactured and prepackaged foods.

If you buy hot chocolate mixes, look at the ingredients label; it makes for interesting reading if you have a chemistry dictionary handy. I am quite sure all of those ingredients have been tested to be safe, but are they necessary to ingest? Let’s Cook Tonight® believes that cooking is necessary if you want to get the most flavor and nutrition from your food. Made from scratch, hot chocolate has four ingredients: unsweetened baking chocolate, sugar, whole milk, pure vanilla extract. The flavor is rich and delicious and you get to decide how intense the chocolate flavor is and how sweet it tastes, not someone else. Is it more work than opening up a mix and adding hot water? Yes, you do need to melt the chocolate in the microwave, add the other ingredients, bring it to a boil and wash a pot, but Let’s Cook Tonight® believes that you and your family are worth it. Do you believe you are?

Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.

Simple cooking idea: Never place your knives in the bottom of the sink. You may forget they are there and cut yourself when you reach into the soapy water.

Copyright ©2009 by Gigi Centaro. All Rights Reserved.

Garbage in Garbage out

Your body is a fantastic chemical factory. It converts what you eat into energy to carry out its functions and the food you eat is the raw material for all of the body’s new cells. Your body literally takes broccoli, or a candy bar, converts it into fuel and makes it into heart tissue. Food allows your body to fight off any invaders, and it powers your muscles to fire so you can walk, talk, and think.

High performance athletes know that what they eat will have a direct effect on their performance. That is why they follow very strict diets; they cannot afford for their bodies to perform poorly. Even their snacks are analyzed to give them everything they need.

It is not necessary for you to scrutinize everything you eat, but it would serve you well to have a basic grasp of how different foods affect your energy level and overall feeling. You usually eat out of habit. If you took a moment to consider that what you are about to eat will affect your energy level, mood, and long-term health you might be a bit more deliberate in your food choices.

You probably have heard that turkey makes you sleepy, but a meal rich in carbohydrates will also make you nod off. Foods that have added fat take longer to digest that is why you feel fuller longer after a dish made with a cream sauce than you do after eating fruit. Foods with a lot of fiber also take longer to digest so they are more filling. For a quick boost of energy, fruit is the best thing to reach for. A candy bar will serve the same purpose, but, because there is very little to digest with a candy bar, the energy boost is not long lasting. Eating candy also makes you hungry because of the immediate rush of insulin. Protein satisfies your hunger and usually does not set up any type of craving for more.

Let’s Cook Tonight® teaches a common sense approach to eating. It makes sense to pay attention to how you feel after you eat certain foods so the next time you eat them you will know what to expect. You do not have to analyze everything you eat, but being more conscious of your food choices will serve you well.

Have you ever paid attention to how you feel after you eat certain types of food?

Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.

Simple cooking idea: Never wash your knife in the dishwasher. The dishwasher dulls the blade.

Copyright ©2009 by Gigi Centaro. All Rights Reserved.

Eat, Drink, and be Merry

It’s Christmas, eat, drink, and be merry. Part of the joy of the holidays is the foods that are made just for this time of year. Some of the fun would be lost if you could not eat them. Just do not eat and drink yourself into oblivion for the next two weeks. In fact, you will be merry if you eat and drink whatever your want December 24 and 25 and then go back to paying attention December 26.

Food is one of the pleasures of life. If you deny yourself some of that pleasure, you will not be merry and you will binge the moment you put your guard down. I have done that too many times to count. So partake of the special treats, just do not use it as a license to eat without thought until Valentine’s Day.

Let’s Cook Tonight® teaches a common sense approach to eating. If you use your head and enjoy the goodies in moderation, you will be merry all year.

Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.

Simple cooking substitution: A one-ounce square of unsweetened baking chocolate = 3 tablespoons baking cocoa + 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Copyright ©2009 by Gigi Centaro. All Rights Reserved.

Fabulous Food Memories

A friend told me she made her late Aunt’s cinnamon buns. As she was making them, a flood of warm, wonderful memories came over her. She vividly remembered her Aunt, how she looked, how her kitchen smelled, how her Aunt made her feel while laughing and sharing conversation with her. The love her Aunt had for her came back in detail; she felt as if her Aunt was beside her every step of the way. The buns tasted good, but the real delight was the pleasure of remembering someone for whom she had great affection.

Food can do that. A taste or aroma conjures up memories of people, places, and feelings. You have foods you eat only at particular times of the year or that only certain people make for you. Some foods you eat only at certain locations or in certain situations. Food and eating is a pleasure and it adds to our storehouse of good memories that we can recall and recount to others.

My friend would not have that memory of her Aunt if her Aunt had picked up the buns at a bakery. Are food memories the only ones people can leave you? Of course not, but they are very powerful because they involve all of the senses: taste, touch, sight, smell, and sound. Let’s Cook Tonight® believes that cooking is necessary if you want to get the most flavor and enjoyment from your food. Cooking will also allow you to create memories your family will treasure for a lifetime.

Do you have a favorite memory that involves food?

Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.

Simple cooking idea: When measuring a liquid put it on a level surface and bend down to view it at eye level.

Copyright ©2009 by Gigi Centaro. All Rights Reserved.

Ridiculous Kitchen Math

Have you ever tried to double a recipe and gotten confused by the math? It would be simpler if we did everything by weight like the Europeans do. Think how easy it would be if a recipe asked for 6 ounces of sugar instead of ¾ of a cup. You would easily know that 12 ounces is double instead of trying to figure out that ¾ doubled is 1½ cups.

Did you ever wonder why a recipe does not always taste the same? It is hard to get the cup measurement the same every time. This is not as significant in cooking as it is in baking. A bit more sugar can make your cookies crispier, which is fine unless you prefer them chewier.

Do you know what a pint is or how many cups are in a quart? Those measurements are a nightmare. The recipe calls for 1 cup of cream, but cream is sold in pints and half pints. Which one do you purchase? It would be easier if the recipe called for 8 ounces of cream and it was sold in ounces instead of pints and 1/2 pints. Often people that work in the deli department do not know weights. If I ask for 2 ounces, they seldom know that I am asking for 1/8 pound, and they have no idea what the number on the scale should read.

Let’s Cook Tonight® would love to start a revolution in the kitchen and have all recipes written in weight amounts instead of cups. A kitchen scale is not expensive and using one would take all of the guesswork out of cooking. Until we have the influence to change recipes you will have to put up with the kitchen math. Here are the weight and measurement equivalents, butter equivalents, and common abbreviations. You can find them in most basic and beginning cookbooks. Print them out and put them on the refrigerator so you have them handy.

Dash or pinch = less than 1/8 teaspoon

1 ½ teaspoons = ½ tablespoon

3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon

4 tablespoons = ¼ cup; 2 ounces

5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon = 1/3 cup

8 tablespoons = ½ cup; 4 ounces

10 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons = 2/3 cup

12 tablespoons = ¾ cup; 6 ounces

16 tablespoons = 1 cup; 8 ounces; ½ pint

¼ cup = 4 tablespoons; 2 ounces

1/3 cup = 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon

½ cup = 8 tablespoons; 4 ounces

2/3 cup = 10 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons

¾ cup = 12 tablespoons; 6 ounces

1 cup = 16 tablespoons; 8 ounces; ½ pint

2 cups = 16 ounces; 1 pint

4 cups = 32 ounces; 2 pints; 1 quart

½ pint = 1 cup; 8 ounces

1 pint = 2 cups; 16 ounces

1 quart = 4 cups; 32 ounces; 2 pints

1 gallon = 16 cups; 128 ounces; 8 pints; 4 quarts

1/8 pound = 2 ounces; number on scale = .125

¼ pound = 4 ounces; number on scale = .25

1/3 pound = 5 1/3 ounces; number on scale = .334

½ pound = 8 ounces; number on scale = .50

2/3 pound = 10 2/3 ounces; number on scale = .668

¾ pound = 12 ounces; number on scale = .75

1 pound = 16 ounces; number on scale = 1.00

½ stick butter = 4 tablespoons; ¼ cup

1 stick butter = 8 tablespoons; ½ cup; ¼ pound

2 sticks butter = 16 tablespoons; 1 cup; ½ pound

Abbreviations

tsp. = teaspoon

Tbsp. = tablespoon

oz. = ounce

lbs. = pound

Does kitchen math frustrate you?

Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.

Simple cooking idea: Do not add salt to your dried beans until they have finished cooking. Salt slows down the cooking process.

Copyright ©2009 by Gigi Centaro. All Rights Reserved.

Mindless Eating

I have always had to work at staying thin and there was a time when I was a size 16. I stay thin, and feel best, when I eat modest quantities of whatever I want. I get into trouble when I deny myself my favorite foods and when I do not pay attention when I am eating. That happens when I eat while I am doing something else.

Has this ever happened to you? You want some chips so you go to the cupboard and get a bag; then you eat them while you are working or watching TV. All of a sudden, you look into the bag and notice that it is three quarters empty. That is mindless eating. Wanting the chips is not bad and neither is eating and enjoying them. What gets you into trouble is eating too many. The saddest part is the realization that you have ingested all of those calories and you did not enjoy them because you ate them without paying attention.

Think how many less chips you would have eaten if you had taken a handful or two, put them on a plate, sat down and did nothing but eat and enjoy the chips. Your craving would have been satisfied and you would have zero guilt when you were done. Do not try to convince yourself that you cannot take the time away from your work. You are eating chips, not a 5-course meal; even if you eat them very slowly, it will only take 2-3 minutes. You are worth stopping and taking a 3-minute chip break if that is a fun desire. As for TV, either push the pause button or take your 3-minute chip break during a commercial.

Let’s Cook Tonight® teaches a common sense approach to eating. It is perfectly fine to eat the foods you enjoy, snacks included, and it makes sense to pay attention when you eat so you can enjoy the food completely and so you will not eat more than you need. The next time you reach for the bag of chips, get a plate and sit at the table. You are worth a 3-minute chip break.

Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.

Simple cooking idea: Do not let cooked pasta remain in its cooking water. It will continue to cook and turn to mush. Drain it, put it back in the hot pot, and cover it. It will all stick together, but the sauce will loosen the pieces.

Copyright ©2009 by Gigi Centaro. All Rights Reserved.

Life is too Short to Date Ugly Men and to Eat Ugly Food

I once heard someone say that life is too short to date ugly men. I would add that life is too short to eat foods that do not have incredible flavor. The subjects are not at all similar, but the advice has the same implication. Do not lower your standards for convenience, out of necessity, or because it, or he, is good for you.

You have to eat, but never settle for anything that does not taste outstanding to you. It does not make any difference if it is good for you. Cabbage is a powerhouse of nutrition, but if you dislike the taste why would you eat it? You can find another food that is just as nutritious that you would prefer.

Sometimes you eat whatever is in the house, even if it does not taste good, because it is convenient. You are allowed only so many calories a day, why would you waste them on something that does not taste good just because it was in the house? Would you date every man your sister brought home?

Often you grab anything because you ran out of time to fix yourself a meal. That would be like choosing any man available because you need a date for tonight’s party. You are worth more than what you can quickly grab. The easiest fix to this is a bit of planning. You know when you arrive home from a full day you are hungry, have the foods you like available so you can grab those instead.

What you eat determines your energy level and long-term health. You need to stop being so haphazard with your food choices. Leaving the nourishment of your body up to chance is like playing dice with your body. Let’s Cook Tonight® teaches a common sense approach to eating. It makes sense to do a bit of planning so you will eat the foods you love, and that are good for you, no matter what the situation. You are worth this bit of extra effort in both your eating and your choice of men. Your body will thank you and so will your beautiful children!

Is your spouse handsome?

Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.

Simple cooking idea: Salt your vegetables when you start to cook them. The salt will draw out the water and they will cook quicker.

Copyright ©2009 by Gigi Centaro. All Rights Reserved.

'Tis the Season for Temptation

A form of stress that we seldom think about is eating. As strange as it may sound, eating is work for your body. In addition to carrying out all of its other required functions such as breathing, your body has to process all of the food you eat. It has to take what you chew and convert it into useable energy. The body also has to take that food and create more cells. If you see your body as a chemical factory and food as its raw material, it becomes clear that all of the food you eat must be processed within a limited period.

The more you eat the more raw materials you are giving your factory to process. When you eat past the point of feeling satisfied, you are putting additional stress on your body. Eating is a delightful daily necessity, but eating beyond what you need is an unnecessary stress. Let’s Cook Tonight® teaches a common sense approach to eating. It makes sense to avoid any unnecessary stress. Food is delicious and one of the pleasures of life, but asking your body to process more food than it needs just does not make sense. This is the season for special foods, parties, and family gatherings. Do not deny yourself anything because that will set you up for a binge, but use you head and do not require your factory to process any more raw material than what it can comfortably handle.

Did you ever think that digesting food was a stress for your body?

Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.

Simple cooking idea: Store any leftover wine in a covered glass jar in the refrigerator.

Copyright ©2009 by Gigi Centaro. All Rights Reserved.

Do You Know the Side Effects of the Foods you Eat?

I have had to watch my weight for as long as I can remember. I have been a binge eater and I know the pain of agonizing over what to eat, how much to eat, and when to eat. I understand being over weight and not feeling good about how I look.

I used to dread going to parties. I knew the food would be good, there would be plenty of it, someone else was paying for it, and there would be things to eat that I did not get all of the time. This was the perfect set up for eating too much. I would worry about what to eat all day, and tried to build my stamina so that I would not binge. I always ended up succumbing to the immediate pleasure food gave me.

A shift happened when I decided to stop thinking about my weight, but to focus on how my body felt instead. I was sick and tired of bloating, headaches, stomachaches, puffy eyes, gas pains, lethargy, and lack of energy. I realized that food effects more than just the number on the scale; it also has side effects that I no longer wanted to experience.

I started to pay attention to what certain foods did to my body after I ate them. When I finally figured out sugar gave me a headache, I stopped eating it overnight. I had tried to stop eating sugar all of my life. Just telling myself sugar caused me to gain weight never worked. When I see desserts and candy now, I do not see pleasure I see a headache; I want no part of them.

Now that I eat only the foods that feel good to my body, all of those side effects are gone, and I am the thinnest I have been in years. Let’s Cook Tonight® believes in a common sense approach to eating. What you eat is directly related to how you feel physically. It makes sense to listen to your body and to eat the foods that make your body feel good. Focus on feeling good physically after you eat; losing weight might be a side effect.

Do you agree that what you eat directly effects how you feel?

Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.

Simple cooking idea: Browning meat adds incredible flavor to the finished dish. Do not use a non-stick pan because the meat will not brown; use a regular pan.

Copyright ©2009 by Gigi Centaro. All Rights Reserved.

A Chef’s Knife Will Make Cooking a Pleasure

When I got married the first thing I did was go to a kitchen supply store to stock my kitchen. A set of knives was on my list, but, being a brand new bride, I had no idea what I needed or which ones to buy. Taking the salesperson’s advice, I purchased a set of stainless steel knives that I shortly threw away. They never kept an edge and were quite dangerous because they would not cut. The duller the knife the more pressure you use and the higher your risk of cutting yourself. When you have a dull knife cutting and chopping is a real chore and you easily get frustrated.

I was still working at a restaurant at the time so I asked the chef what knife to buy. His was always razor sharp. He recommended Henckels. I immediately purchased a 9” chef knife and a 3” paring knife and I still use them every single day, twenty-seven years later. Nothing will ever beat a high carbon stainless steel knife. Most nonprofessional knives do not have enough carbon to keep an edge so they get dull very quickly.

An excellent chef’s knife will make all of your cutting a pleasure. You use the heft, or weight, of the knife to do the hard work for you, you can get paper-thin slices if you need them, and mincing a pile of herbs is a snap. Purchase an 8”-10” knife because it gives you more cutting surface. Make sure it has a straight edge and not a serrated one. Serrated knives tear at food they do not slice food; the best bread knife, however, must be serrated. Always buy your knife in person so you can hold it in your hand; it must feel comfortable. A good professional knife is not cheap, but it is worth every penny you pay for it. If you take care of it, you will have it forever.

Never put your knife in a dishwasher, it will dull the blade. Be sure to buy a diamond sharpening steel to realign the blade after you use it. Once or twice a year, depending on how much you cook, get it professionally sharpened. Do not trust your knives to just anyone. If he does not know what he is doing, he can ruin a perfectly good knife. I only use www.mrleonardknifesharpener.com/. Henckels suggested him and his service and turn around time is excellent.

All you need to start is a chef’s knife and a paring knife. You can add other knives as time goes by. An artist has the necessary brushes and paints he needs at his fingertips to create his masterpiece. Treat yourself to the five tools you need to make cooking dinner a pleasure: an excellent, professional chef’s knife, a large wooden cutting board, a bench knife, measuring cups, and measuring spoons. Let’s Cook Tonight® wants you to cook; it is easier to do so if you have the tools.

Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.

Simple cooking idea: Always cook chicken attached to its bone. The flavor the bone adds is incomparable.

Copyright ©2009 by Gigi Centaro. All Rights Reserved.

Do You Have Drawers Full of Kitchen Gadgets?

There is never a lack of talent or imagination in creating a new kitchen gadget. Many are useful, some are very good, and others are interesting. I have purchased my share of gadgets through the years, but I have discovered that I need only five utensils to produce a meal easily. Measuring cups, measuring spoons, a bench knife, a wooden cutting board, and the best high carbon stainless steel chef’s knife you can afford.

Measuring cups and spoons need no explanation except to say that in cooking the difference between liquid and dry cups is negligible, so feel free to use them interchangeably. With baking, where measurements must be exact, use them as they are intended liquid for wet ingredients and dry cups for dry ingredients.

A bench knife, also called a dough scraper, is a small sheet of stainless steel (usually 3”x 5”) with a handle. Traditionally used by bakers to manipulate dough and to clean work surfaces, this tool is invaluable in transferring cut food from the cutting board to your pots.

Unfortunately, the wooden cutting board has gotten bad press. With the frequent out breaks of salmonella poisoning people have gotten germ paranoid and have switched to acrylic boards. Admittedly, I do have one for cutting meats, but that is the only time I use it. The best surface to cut on, to keep your knives sharp, is a wooden surface. I have had my teak cutting board for 27 years. After my chef’s knife, it is my best friend in the kitchen. Its large size of 23” x 13”, allows me to cut numerous ingredients and leave them on the board. Always keep one side for vegetables, herbs, garlic, onions, etc., and the other side for fresh and dried fruits; that way your apples will never taste like garlic. After every use, wash your board with hot soapy water, scrub it if necessary, rinse it with clean water, and dry it. Never let it soak in water. If you take care of it, your wooden cutting board will out last you.

I do not want this blog to get any longer so Monday I will talk about your chef’s knife. Let’s Cook Tonight® believes that cooking is necessary if you want to get maximum health, flavor and enjoyment from your food. If a new gadget will get you to cook for your family more, and make your time easier or more efficient in the kitchen, then buy it. If you have to ask if you need a new gadget, then you probably do not need it.

Do you have a favorite kitchen tool?

Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.

Simple cooking idea: If your shrimp are frozen put them in a clean sink and run cool water on them until they are soft enough to peel.

Copyright ©2009 by Gigi Centaro. All Rights Reserved.

Eating Should Not Be This Hard

I was at a whole foods market the other day and I picked up the store’s flyer near the checkout stand. It was twenty pages, had great glossy photography, and interesting articles. It was more like a magazine than a flyer and it was done very well.

I applaud the store for wanting to educate its customers, but as I read, I felt confused. The articles singled out fruits and vegetables and listed the many vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, etc., found in the foods. It explained what these nutrients do for the individual parts of the body, how much the body requires, and where to find the nutrients. By the time I was finished I was overwhelmed. I was convinced that if I did not go back to school to learn chemistry, nutrition, herbology, and medicine I would never be able to eat right and stay healthy.

Let’s Cook Tonight® believes eating does not have to be hard it just requires common sense. Eat a wide variety of colorful foods as close to their natural state as possible, cook them simply, and dress them lightly. Eat real foods with real flavor and cook them yourself to ensure that is the case. Eating should be easy and a pleasure; it should not be a source of worry and concern about getting it all right. Besides, chemistry was my weakest subject in school, how about you?

Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.

Simple cooking idea: Use filtered water for your coffee. Tap water can make it taste bitter.

Copyright ©2009 by Gigi Centaro. All Rights Reserved.

'Tis the Season for Potluck

The Christmas season is a wonderful time of year because so many people have parties. The first thing I do whenever I am invited anywhere is ask: “What can I bring?” Everyone is under a time crunch and offering to bring a dish makes it easier on the host. Most hosts request that you bring a salad. If you are tired of the same macaroni or potato salad, and you do not want to bring a green salad, try a sweet potato salad.

Sweet potatoes are dark orange so they are full of nutrition and fiber. People seldom think of sweet potatoes other than as a casserole for Thanksgiving so bringing a cold sweet potato salad will be a delicious surprise. I have made this salad for potluck dinners many times. People always like it and ask for the recipe. It is not common so you can be sure no one else will bring the same thing.

Boil unpeeled sweet potatoes until a fork inserted into the potatoes goes in easily. Let chill in the refrigerator until completely cold. Mix together equal parts mayonnaise and sour cream and add honey until it is pleasantly sweet, but not as sweet as dessert. A good proportion is four tablespoons mayonnaise, four tablespoons sour cream, and two tablespoons honey. Peel and cut the cold potatoes, mix in the dressing and sprinkle a generous handful of any toasted, unsalted nuts on top.

Admittedly, you could stop by your local deli and pick up a ready-made salad, but this salad is fast, easy to make, less expensive, tastes good, and is nutritious. Sounds like the perfect Christmas gift.

Do you have a delicious, and unusual, salad that you take to potluck gatherings?

Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.

Simple cooking idea: Use one side of your wooden cutting board for savory ingredients and use the other side for fruit. That way your apples will never taste like garlic.

Copyright ©2009 by Gigi Centaro. All Rights Reserved.

Italian Salad Dressing Does not Exist in Italy

I have been to Italy twelve times. My husband has relatives there and I have eaten countless meals in their homes. An Italian meal usually ends with a green salad. What amazed me the first time was the simplicity of how the Italians dress their salad. The cook brings a big bowl of freshly washed and torn greens to the table along with extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar. She proceeds to pour quite a bit of oil all over the greens, and then sprinkles them with a very generous portion of salt. She then looks up from her work to her guest and says in a questioning cadence: “un po’ di aceto?” She is asking her guest if she should add a little bit of vinegar.

The first time I was asked that question I sat in silence. I had no idea how I was supposed to respond. After all, she was dressing the salad for the entire table and if I said yes to vinegar everyone else had to eat my choice. I opted for no vinegar, and have subsequently been invited back many times.

To Italians eating is an art form, a science, a pleasure, and a non-stop topic of conversation. They believe in simplicity, real flavor and easy preparation. The best foods are fresh, cooked quickly, and dressed lightly. They want to taste the nuances of the greens in their salad, which is why only oil and salt are added.

Let’s Cook Tonight® teaches a common sense approach to cooking and eating for maximum health, flavor and enjoyment. It makes sense to enjoy the real flavor of food and not mask or disguise it with something heavy on top. Reach for the only Italian dressing Italians use and use bottled salad dressings occasionally.

Are you surprised that Italians do not use bottled dressing?

Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.

Simple cooking idea: Use a fork to break ground meat up into small pieces. A wooden spoon does not do it effectively.

Copyright ©2009 by Gigi Centaro. All Rights Reserved.

‘Tis the Season to Host Parties

Are you bored with the standard party munchies? I realize chips and salsa, and cut veggies with a ready-made dip are fast and easy, but they get old very quickly. Chips and salsa can taste good and raw vegetables are nutritious, but everyone serves them. How about a new fun twist for your party munchies?

Most people love deviled eggs, they are easy to make, they are inexpensive, and can be made in advance. You can also mix chopped fresh apple with salted peanuts and raisins. Be certain to mix the cut apple with fresh lemon juice first so it does not turn brown. If you are not opposed to using toothpicks or forks, mix baby mozzarella balls with cherry tomatoes (that you cut in half); add chopped fresh basil, a pinch of salt, and olive oil. Mix pitted kalamata olives with small chunks of feta cheese; sprinkle with fresh lemon juice and a bit of olive oil.

Finger foods can be good for you, good tasting and easy to make; you just need to think out of the box. With just a bit of thought, your Christmas gathering can stand out. The only thing you risk is being asked to host one again next year!

What different finger food do you make for your parties?

Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.

Simple cooking idea: Taste your pasta to determine when it is done. Do not throw it against the wall!

Copyright ©2009 by Gigi Centaro. All Rights Reserved.

Can you Cook Like a Cave Woman?

Humans have been cooking for a long time. Probably right after fire was discovered, man realized chicken tasted much better cooked than raw. Think about those early cooking experiences. This was long before Le Cordon Blue Cooking School in Paris, Julia Child had not yet been born, and the Food Network was not in anyone’s imagination. Yet those cave women managed to cook something for their families.

How did they cook without measuring utensils, frozen foods, microwaves, and non-stick pots? Well, it was a bit before my time, but I have a theory. They cooked simply, easily and let the good ingredients provide the entire flavor. If you start with real foods, the ones that do not come with an ingredients label, you can have a healthy delicious dinner on the table in no time at all.

It is a pity that cooking, which is such a necessary part of our lives, has gotten a reputation for being hard to do and for being time consuming. Cooking is not complicated and, unlike baking, it never has to be exact. Put your favorite meat in a pot with your favorite vegetables; add chicken broth, your favorite herbs and simmer. This makes a great stew that also freezes well. Cook any vegetable in oil, garlic and salt; do not add water. Serve on rice or pasta. The easiest sauce to make is oil, garlic, canned tomatoes and fresh basil. You can put that on top of anything.

You are not the master pastry chef in a five star restaurant. You are trying to get a nutritious and tasty dinner on the table for you family. If you have no idea how to cook, just pretend you are a cave woman. Does that make sense?

Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.

Simple cooking idea: To reheat leftover pasta put it in a colander and pour boiling water over it and drain. Do not re-boil it.

Copyright ©2009 by Gigi Centaro. All Rights Reserved.

Eating and Breathing Seem to Go Together

Eating is as necessary to life as breathing. Granted, you can go longer without food than oxygen, but if you stop eating you will eventually starve to death. Breathing is simple to do and you never have to think about it. It seems like eating should be just as easy. The problem arises because we have many options in food; oxygen still comes in only one flavor.

Food options came about when companies started manufacturing foods. The ease and convenience of manufactured foods are undeniable, but the farther foods are away from their natural state the more nutrition and fiber is lost. Pound for pound, processed and packaged foods are more expensive than real foods and they do not give you as much food energy for your money. Therefore, unlike oxygen, which is always convenient and free, with food you have to choose between convenience, health, and cost.

You do not need a degree in nutrition to make wise food choices; you just have to choose real food. Real food has not been processed in any way; it has real flavor and all of the nutrition and fiber Mother Nature put into it. You will know real food when you see it because it never comes with an ingredients label. When you choose colorful foods close to their natural state, eating will become as simple as breathing.

Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.

Simple cooking idea: When you have leftover chicken broth, label it, write down the amount, and put it in the freezer. Thaw in the microwave when you need it.

Copyright ©2009 by Gigi Centaro. All Rights Reserved.

Do You Use Your Stove?

I was visiting a friend the other day and I commented on her stove. It was a beauty and it shined as if it had never been used. When I asked her how she managed to keep her stove looking brand new she told me she has not yet used it. What amazed me was that the stove has been in her kitchen for five months.

There is a time and place for eating in restaurants and bringing home takeout foods. Everyone is on a time crunch and the convenience of fast food is undeniable, but eating that way for five months is excessive. When you cook at home, you are the one in control. You know the freshness of the ingredients and you can choose foods that give you the most nutrition. You are in control of the quantity of salt, sugar, and fat and you do not add any artificial preservatives, colorings, or flavorings.

Eating is important. The food you eat determines your energy level and your overall long-term health. What you eat has a big impact on the quality of your life. If you needed surgery, would you let someone else pick your surgeon or would you take the time to find the best surgeon available? Why would you allow someone else to decide what is in your food?

Dinner is not something that just has to be gotten over with, it is an integral part of your health and well being. Take the time to cook for your family, make larger portions and freeze half so you have your own homemade takeout in the freezer. Do not convince yourself that you have no time to cook. Eating convenience foods may save you half an hour, but the value in that half hour is lost if you have no energy to enjoy it.

Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.


Simple cooking idea: Cook shrimp quickly and briefly. They are done when they turn pink. If you cook them too long, they will shrink and get rubbery.

Copyright ©2009 by Gigi Centaro. All Rights Reserved.

Are You Fooling Yourself?

Many low fat, low calorie, low carbohydrate, low salt foods exist. Food manufacturers go out of their way to give the public what they want. You can find a diet version of almost every kind of packaged food. If you have dietary concerns that prevent you from enjoying sugar or full fat foods, then the lower varieties are perfect for you.

If you do not have dietary concerns, why do you buy the low fat or low salt versions? If you are trying to save calories when you buy baked potato chips you are fooling yourself. Admittedly, a serving of baked potato chips does have fewer calories than the fried ones, but the flavor is not the same. When the flavor is not the same you end up eating more because you are trying to get the taste satisfaction you crave. If you eat double or triple the amount of the low fat version, you defeated any value the low fat version had to begin with. You can justify it by saying they are better for you, but the “better” is gone if you consume too many.

Let’s Cook Tonight® teaches a common sense approach to cooking and eating for maximum health, flavor and enjoyment. Eating is a pleasure and it makes sense to enjoy all the foods you love, salty snacks included. It does not make sense to tamper with those snacks to give the false appearance of healthy. Potato chips are a snack food; they no longer have the nutritional value of a baked potato. Eat and enjoy the chips with full fat and full salt and, therefore, full flavor. Do not buy the low fat variety and fool yourself into thinking you are eating something healthy.

Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.

Simple cooking idea: The smaller you cut your vegetables the quicker they will cook.

Copyright ©2009 by Gigi Centaro. All Rights Reserved.

The Morning After

If you are like most people, you ate a lot yesterday. You probably had anticipated the meal for a few weeks and you could not wait to eat your favorite dishes. Eating is one of the pleasures of life, and when it is done at a special feast with your family, the pleasure is even greater. Your body can handle over eating at one meal; do not put yourself on a guilt trip and have no regrets.

The problem arises when you use one “bad” day as an excuse to continue to over eat for the rest of the weekend or longer. You did not “blow” it. You made a conscious decision to eat as much as you wanted and to enjoy special treats. Now make a conscious decision to eat what is better for your body and go back to the portion sizes your stomach prefers. The mentality that says, “I was bad yesterday so I might as well continue to be "bad” does not do you any good. I understand that mentality because I used it many years.

Let’s Cook Tonight® teaches a common sense approach to cooking and eating for maximum health, flavor and enjoyment. It makes sense to eat and enjoy a feast, but it does not make sense to use that feast as an excuse to continue to eat more than your body needs. What do you do with the leftovers? Wait a week and repeat the meal. A second feast, one week later, is much better than feasting for seven consecutive days.

Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.

Simple cooking substitution: Simple Cooking Idea: Use unsalted butter. It allows you to control the salt content of your dish.

Copyright ©2009 by Gigi Centaro. All Rights Reserved.

Chestnuts and Brussel Sprouts

On Thanksgiving Eve, it has become a tradition for my nieces, along with their husbands, my brothers in law, and my sisters to come and help me peel the roasted chestnuts. We gather in the kitchen, with a towel in our hands to protect our fingers from the heat, and we peel, and munch, away.

One year I told the chestnut blight story. It seems that years ago Chestnut trees grew in abundance through out the US. In the early 1900s, blight attacked the chestnut trees and made them virtually extinct in our country. The American chestnut tree went from the most important tree in the East Coast, about 4 billion in number, to insignificance. Now, almost all of our chestnuts are imported from Italy. The fun part is that my family asks me to tell the story every year. It has become a tradition. Along with the story comes a lot of scolding as I try to keep them from eating all of the roasted chestnuts. I am always frightened that there will not be enough to put with the brussel sprouts the next day.

That is what food can do. It gathers people together and creates memories that last a lifetime. The kitchen is the heart of the house, food is nourishment for the body, and the memories created in the kitchen, and around the dinner table, are precious.

Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.

Simple cooking idea: When your pasta is done do not leave it in the hot water or it will turn to mush. Drain it, cover it and put it back in the hot pot without any heat.

Copyright ©2009 by Gigi Centaro. All Rights Reserved.

I Wish You a Colorful Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving dinner can be a very healthy meal. Admittedly, there is a lot of fat, salt, and sugar in your favorite holiday dishes, but they also are full of color and fiber. One of the ways to get the vitamins and minerals you need is to select a wide variety of colorful foods. Thanksgiving dinner is very colorful. My dinner has eight colors: red, green, orange, white, tan, brown, yellow, and grey.

Thanksgiving is also full of foods you tend to ignore at other times of the year: sweet potatoes, cranberries, chestnuts, Brussel sprouts, and pumpkin. Those foods are full of nutrition and fiber. A colorful meal, full of a variety of vegetables that have nutrition and fiber is the best. The extra salt, fat and sugar make the meal special. You could bake your sweet potatoes, but some of the pleasure would be gone; you would miss the pineapple, brown sugar and marshmallows.

Let’s Cook Tonight® teaches a common sense approach to cooking and eating for maximum health, flavor and enjoyment. It makes sense to keep a holiday meal special and full of memories. Delicious, once a year dishes help create those memories. Make your Thanksgiving dinner full of color, flavor and love.

Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.

Simple cooking idea: When you put a lot of dishes into the oven at one time, the temperature will go down and everything will take longer to cook.

Copyright ©2009 by Gigi Centaro. All Rights Reserved.

Family, Food and Flavor

Thanksgiving is the only truly American holiday we have. We did not borrow it from any other culture and it is completely secular, so every American celebrates it. The best part about Thanksgiving is that it is not commercialized. It truly is only about family, food and flavor.

Food creates memories. Undoubtedly, you have dishes that you eat only once a year and that you associate with particular events, people, or places. Tradition dictates that holiday meals are always the same. Expecting the same dishes brings happy anticipation. I never change my Thanksgiving dinner; I believe a rebellion would take place if I did.

If this is your first year to cook Thanksgiving dinner create a menu that you will enjoy cooking, that will taste good, and that your family will look forward to every year. Cooking Thanksgiving dinner is not necessarily hard, but it is very labor intensive. Make that labor count by making sure your ingredients are as fresh as possible and that everything has a lot of flavor. Thanksgiving is a feast; this is not the meal to skimp on fat, salt or sugar. If the meal is colorful, it will be full of nutrition and fiber.

Let's Cook Tonight® teaches a common sense approach to cooking and eating for maximum health, flavor and enjoyment. It makes sense to invest the time in creating a Thanksgiving dinner that has maximum health, flavor and enjoyment. You will then have a tradition that is full of family, food and flavor. It does not get any better than that.

Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.

Simple cooking idea: Do not stuff your turkey in advance. Stuff it just before you are going to put it in the oven.

Copyright ©2009 by Gigi Centaro. All Rights Reserved.

A Healthy Body and a Healthy Wallet

There are many ways to make your life simpler when it comes to making dinner. One of these is to stock your pantry with the staples that you use all of the time. These non-perishable items have a long shelf life and are the base of a meal: olive oil, vinegar, salt, rice, pasta, canned chicken broth, canned tomatoes, mustard, pepper, flour, and honey. The perishable items to have on hand are eggs, onions and garlic. Keep a running list of these items and replace them as they get low. If you purchase them in larger quantities while they are on sale, you will not have to restock them often. If the items you use all of the time are in the house, your shopping trips will be considerably shorter because all you need to do is get the fruits, vegetables, meats and dairy products you need for the week or the day.

If you need to fix a quick meal, or you are going to have unexpected company, all you need to do is run into the grocery store for three items: fresh basil, salad greens and bread. When you get home you can put a pot of water on to boil for pasta, brown garlic in olive oil, add canned tomatoes, salt, fresh basil and cook that for 15 minutes. While the tomato sauce is simmering, cook the pasta and make a salad dressing of oil, vinegar, and mustard. Serve the pasta with bread and the salad and you have a delicious, healthy meal in about 30 minutes.

Is it easier to pick up a ready-made chicken with the trimmings at the deli? No, because you still have to go to the grocery store. The deli meal also costs a lot more, and you have no control over the salt, fat or nutrition. You could go out to eat, or order in, but you still have to wait for the meal, you would be spending a lot more, and you have no control over the ingredients or nutrition. With a bit of planning, you can put a quick meal together. It is easy and a lot healthier for your body and your wallet.

Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.

Simple cooking idea: Buy Cheddar and Monterey Jack when they are on sale. Cut them into usable portions, label, wrap well, and put in the freezer. The taste and texture will be perfect.

Copyright ©2009 by Gigi Centaro. All Rights Reserved.

It’s All About Looks

Have you ever noticed how the food is served in a nice restaurant? The food is plated meaning it is artfully, and tastefully, displayed on your dinner plate. The chef knows that eye appeal and presentation is a large part of the diner’s enjoyment. Imagine if the chef took his beautifully plated food and put it on a paper plate. The presentation would be diminished.

How do you serve meals in your home? Do you use real dishes or paper plates? Paper is wonderful at a picnic or for a snack, but when it is used for dinner, it takes away from the food. Presentation is very important to your enjoyment; even a peanut butter and jelly sandwich looks, and tastes, better when served on a real dish. A real plate makes you stop and notice, it means someone took the time for you, it says stop and savor for a moment. It means this is a meal and not a quick snack.

When you eat, you are providing energy and nourishment for your body. Do not see dinner as something that has to be finished quickly. When you eat slower, you can savor more, you will digest better, and you will feel more satisfied. Take the trouble to use real plates, let the dishwasher wash them. It will make your family feel important.

Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.

Simple cooking idea: Mix fresh cut apples and pears with lemon juice so they do not turn brown.

Copyright ©2009 by Gigi Centaro. All Rights Reserved.