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10-15 years ago the majority of my meals came from restaurants and fast food; when I did cook it was with processed foods; and I had a gallbladder. There's nothing like a premature organ removal due to a high-fat diet to change one's eating habits. Now we do occasionally make a meal out of convenience foods (Barber stuffed chicken breasts, Goya rice mixes) but most of our food is made from healthy ingredients. Fat comes from good sources -- olive oil and salmon instead of cheese puffs and candy bars. We tend to eat a lot of vegetarian and ethnic dishes now, and from spring through fall we buy as much at the local farmers' market as we can. And the kitchen is stocked with good quality equipment.

Yes, yes, yes! When I lived outside of New England, I missed Papa Ginos terribly. When I finally moved back, all the Papa Ginos in Maine had closed except for one, which is quite a hike from where I live. I swear I can still taste the cheese and sauce if I think about it though... That was my weekly order when I worked within walking distance of a D'Angelos.

Boston Globe – February 9, 2005 Capturing the soul of Sichuan By Alison Arnett, Globe Staff Recipe: * Chinese pot stickers --------------- Joy of Baking: Confections of a happy baker For Valentine's Day, Greg Case's sweets are all hearts By Lisë Stern, Globe Correspondent Recipe: * High Hat chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese filling --------------- SHORT ORDERS Frisky business Good to Go: Apple of your eye Without Reservation: Perfect pancakes Counter Point: In a pinch Luscious chocolate mousse is no yolk Recipe: * Dark chocolate mousse with shaved chocolate When serving olives, mix it up Recipe: * Marinated olives --------------- Savoy cabbage saves the day Recipe: * Savory Savoy cabbage pie --------------- Partygoers get mashed By Lisa Zwirn, Globe Correspondent

Toronto Star – February 9, 2005 Lust for lunch An eyeful of luscious loveliness can be found in the simplest foods View the photo gallery (Note: Some may find these photos a bit provactive for young people.) --------------- Let's drink to the love of fine wine Gordon Stimmell reviews labels, and the wines behind them. --------------- Lovely dishes satisfy every body Recipes for Avocado Soup with Tomato Salsa, Honey Maple French Toast, and Creamy Chocolate Mint Espresso. --------------- Career change a sweet idea for cookie lady --------------- The kosher gourmet Jennifer Bain speaks with Chef Eran Marom. --------------- The pleasure of skating and eating Andy Murdoch discusses four restaurants to pair with your skates. --------------- Name this mystery garnish

Boston Globe – February 2, 2005 The wired generations Frothy coffees and sweet energy drinks make caffeine a drug for all ages By Alison Arnett, Globe Staff --------------- Things are looking rosy By Lisa Zwirn, Globe Correspondent Recipes: * Moroccan blood orange and date salad * Chicken thighs with blood orange sauce * Blood orange vinaigrette --------------- SHORT ORDERS Without Reservations: Land of polenta Around Town: A Brazilian twist Say it with candy Good to Go: Eat your veggies --------------- Wings of desire By Sheryl Julian and Julie Riven, Globe Staff Recipes: * Beef and bean chili * Maple-glazed chicken wings --------------- How to eat like an Eagles fan By Rick Haggerty, Globe Correspondent

Toronto Star – February 2, 2005 A primer on BYOW Freedom at last! Now you can bring along your own bottle of wine when you dine out in some restaurants Gordon Stimmell adds his do’s and don’ts for BYOW. --------------- Winter can be delicious --------------- Latte drinkers see hearts --------------- We need a burger hero --------------- Cuba for food lovers Jennifer Bain reviews “In a Cuban Kitchen” by Alex Garcia. Includes a recipe for Chayote-Avocado Salad. --------------- It's hot or on the house --------------- Maple turns cocktail Canadian Includes instructions for making the cocktail. --------------- Fire in the belly Jennifer Bain profiles: Includes recipe for Firecracker Chicken.

Boston Globe – January 19, 2005 Just like mom used to make For some cooks, family recipes are for serving, not sharing By Leigh Belanger, Globe Correspondent --------------- WAKING UP to white tea's pleasures Subtle, soothing brew may have powerful health benefits, too By Clea Simon, Globe Correspondent --------------- SHORT ORDERS Loaves and wishes Cyber steaks Salad days Good to Go: A slice worth speaking up for World Table: When is stir-fry a pancake? Recipe: * Okonomiyaki Joy of Baking: American as apple pie, with an old English twist Recipe: * Marlborough pie Glass Notes: 2002 really was a great year Recipes: * Moroccan spicy lentils * Chess pie * Brisket and onions

Toronto Star – January 19, 2005 The Arab Quarter Tour a strip of Lawrence Ave. E. in Scarborough and discover `a mecca of Middle Eastern delights' --------------- Building a Canadian kitchen --------------- Gord on Grapes: Three rieslings to celebrate Gordon Stimmell shares his top picks for Ontario rieslings. --------------- From our test kitchen Recipes: * Sage and Mint Lamb Chops on Pea Mash * Very Canadian Turkey Burger * Horseradish Steaks & Rosemary Red Onions --------------- Lettuce eat more leafy lunch greens --------------- Beef by any other name wouldn't sound so wholesome --------------- Give me meat-and-three

Boston Globe – January 12, 2005 The sensitive guy's grape Inspired by 'Sideways,' wine drinkers are finding a soft spot for pinot noir By Alison Arnett, Globe Staff I had my first taste of pinot noir many years ago at an Oregon winery, and it has been a favorite of mine ever since. “Sideways,” the independent film about two friends' escapades while wine tasting along California's Central Coast, jumped from a niche film to a hit over the last few months. As the film's popularity rose by word of mouth, interest in wine, and especially in pinot noir, is also gaining momentum. Pinot picks We asked four wine experts what pinot noir they like to share with friends. Here are their choices. --------------- Food bloggers chronicle their delicious obsessions By Ethan Gilsdorf, Globe Correspondent Weblogs, or blogs, are akin to online journals. But they also include links to favorite sites and resources, a way for readers to comment, and an archive for discussions and disagreements (careful what you post). Armed with digital cameras, keyboards, and easy-to-use software, gourmands can now create online shrines to beloved or dreaded aspects of the culinary realm: a memorable visit to a Parisian patisserie, a cool must-buy fondue pot, or a warning to skip an overpriced bistro. There are blogs for beer or pizza and blogs based around themes like ''18th Century Cuisine" or a single city, such as Saigon. Some are written by chefs and other food professionals. Pick a peck of food blogs From the hundreds of food blogs out there, we've chosen a selection of some of the best. Once you visit one, you'll find columns of links to dozens of others. Soon you'll be traveling from one food crossroads to another. Remember to leave a trail of bread crumbs. --------------- Old diner car gets a new lease on lunch By Denise Dube, Globe Correspondent As a child John Harmon dreamed of owning a small business. Last year the 40-year-old CPA finally stopped 15 years of counting beans and started offering them at an old diner most recently called Viv's, and before that Uncle Lester's and The Little Red Diner. The classic car was destined for condemnation by the local board of health until Harmon saved it in March of 2003. --------------- SHORT ORDERS Counter Point: China flair China Fair, the funky, no-frills dishware, cookware, and gadget Goliath has everything -- for fantastic prices. If it isn't there, you don't need it. Stacks of white, blue and white, and even gold-leaf-rimmed dishes (starting at $1.99) are on open wood-frame shelving. Juice season It can be hard enough to get kids to eat fruit at the peak of the season, much less in cold weather, when only citrus and bananas are available. Trader Joe's frozen mango chunks ($1.99 for a 24-ounce bag) might help the situation. Combine half the bag with 4 ounces of juice in a food processor and you have an instant, creamy, refreshing snack -- or breakfast -- for four. Good to Go: It could change your life For us, brown rice and tofu used to be a punch line. But we're determined to make the combination a way of life. We're convinced that, together, the hearty rice and pressed soy curds will shrink our waistline and generally improve our lives. At ChoCho's, a Korean (with Japanese, Thai, and other Asian dishes) place in the Porter Exchange Mall, it was exciting to find Kimchi Soon Tofu ($7.95), a fiery stew filled with pickled Napa cabbage and creamy soft tofu. The un-Martha Their warmth is relatively sincere, their dishes relatively low maintenance. They embrace the use of frozen peas and don't seem inclined to lie about stock sales. They are the un-Martha. The staff of ''Everyday Food" -- the new spin-off show of the cooking magazine of the same name, itself a spin-off of Stewart's omniuniverse -- is merely interested, as its members say time and again, in guiding you to prepare food that's ''quick, easy, and delicious": sesame noodles, chicken enchiladas, sauteed snap peas with radishes. Winter warmer Nowadays, the stewed fruit my grandmother served in a footed glass dessert bowl with heavy cream is just as welcome as it was when I was a girl. Recipe: * Warm winter fruit compote Fruit center makes for cake pearfection Most of the fruits in the market don't look great this time of year, but pears can still be fragrant and juicy. Anjou, Bartlett, and Bosc may be the most recognized varieties, and Comice pears have been gaining popularity. Round and chubby, Comice have a firm fiber and succulent taste that work well in baking. Recipe: * Pear cake with brown sugar frosting Baked polenta creates a stir Italian cooking wasn't on fashionable restaurant menus when Julie's mother stirred a big pot of creamy polenta and offered it to the family with a hearty beef stew. She learned the dish from her Eastern European mother-in-law -- polenta was common on many tables outside Italy because it was so inexpensive to make. Recipe: * Baked polenta with tomato sauce Around Town: Now is the season for citrus fruits Winter may be the lean time for fresh vegetables and berries, but it's actually prime season for citrus fruits. The Harvest in Harvard Square, Cambridge, will take advantage of this in a citrus dinner on Jan. 19. World Table: Perfect as a meal, or an appetizer The Vietnamese dish bo nuong la lot (beef rolls in pepper leaves, above), which is made with ground beef and lemon grass, is shaped into cylinders, wrapped in greens, threaded on skewers, and grilled. Though these beef rolls are served as one of the courses of the special, multi-course meal called bo bay mon (beef seven ways), and offered in restaurants throughout Vietnam, they make a meal in themselves or are perfect as appetizers. Recipe: * Beef wrapped in pepper leaves

Toronto Star – January 12, 2005 The vines that bind Tragedy transported chef into Lake Erie wine country, but his story has a happy ending His new winery is one of six in the province's burgeoning Amherstburg region A tragic accident gave Chef Dennis Sanson time to think about what he really wanted in life. --------------- A Catalonian and his artistic eye Jennifer Bain profiles Chef Mariano Laguna of the George Street Diner. --------------- Hollywood and beyond Recipes: * Hollywood SpagBol * Pastel De Choclo * Balsamic Basil Chicken Scaloppine * Chinese Long Bean Cashew Chicken --------------- Martini hits the spot --------------- A Chilean wine list --------------- Bad beer? Bad taste? Both? Or neither? --------------- Flavours of the year inspiration for cooks Recipes: * Coffee-Braised Brisket * Chocolate Pavlova with Tangerine Cream * Muhammara

Boston Globe – January 5, 2005 Good bread starts the day -- and year -- on the right note Delicious and better for you, whole grains are hitting the supermarket shelves By Leigh Belanger, Globe Correspondent Photo Gallery: Five delicious locally made, whole grain breads --------------- Good health means going with the grains By Bev Bennett, Globe Correspondent --------------- A pot of soup that is a way of life In Portugal, the hearty caldo verde is both daily meal and long-standing tradition By Lisa Zwirn, Globe Correspondent Recipe: * Caldo verde --------------- SHORT ORDERS Without Reservation: Do the forbidden World Table: Curry in a Hurry Good to Go: It's fulfilling Without Reservation: S'more for you --------------- Good oatmeal is fast but not instant By Susan Reilly, Globe Correspondent Recipe: * Old-fashioned oatmeal --------------- Advance preparation makes brunch easy Recipes: * Sausage fromage * Praline French toast --------------- Krispy Kreme leaves a hole in her heart By David Mehegan, Globe Staff

Toronto Star – January 5, 2005 Boost your grain power From barley to brown rice, farro to kamut, a hearty variety of 'smart carbs' can help you lose weight If you made a New Year’s resolution to lose weight or eat healthier, consider adding grains to your diet. Recipes: * Barley-Stuffed Peppers * Carrot Millet Pilaf * Morning Muesli * Couscous, Chickpea and Veggie Salad --------------- Whole grains rule --------------- 100 years of food Susan Sampson checks out the hype and the history of several favorite foods. --------------- World's fair favourites a century later Recipes: * Soy-Glazed Salmon Burgers with Ginger-Lime Aioli * Dr. Pepper Barbecue Sauce --------------- Gord On Grapes Pinot grigio a hot item --------------- This inn chef is a proud Scot Jennifer Bain focuses on Chef Graham Black in this Inner Chef column.

I got one a few months ago and I love it. I have tried different chef's knives and found them all to be heavy and tiring for my wrists. Although this could be my fault as I might not have been handling them correctly, I do not have this problem with my santoku. I chop faster and more precisely with it, and it is a pleasure to work with it.

Boston Globe – December 29, 2004 Imported or domestic, white or rose, sparklers can add pop to the evening Champagne, which can only be produced from chardonnay, pinot noir, and pinot meunier grapes grown in the Champagne region, about 100 miles east of Paris, remains the benchmark for bubbly. Everything else is simply sparkling wine, despite the appearance of the word Champagne on the label of some California versions. The falling dollar and increased worldwide demand for Champagne has increased prices for Americans so that last year's $25 nonvintage Champagne now carries a $35 tag. And with vintage and super premium Champagnes going for $70 to $150 a bottle, it's time to look elsewhere for the holiday party. Michael Apstein reviews eight affordable bottles of bubbly. --------------- Toast the year with luxury New Year's Eve party fare has to accomplish the almost impossible -- appear spectacular and be delicious but not tie the hosts to the kitchen. Recipes: * Spicy shrimp with avocado * Spoons of Nantucket Bay scallops * Pita pizzas with Jack cheese * Whole-wheat lavash crackers * Salmon tartare on wonton crisps * Fresh and smoked salmon rillettes --------------- SHORT ORDERS Good to Go: Doubly good At the end of the movie "The House of Yes," the loony matriarch of a dysfunctional family tells an unwanted houseguest, "There are croissants in the kitchen. They're filled with something; I don't remember what. You can take yours in the cab." Last we checked, croissants were best used to keep people around, not send them packing. Counter Point: Pig out on pate Pierre the Pig tops these blunt knives ($12 for two), which are intended for pates, of course, but can be used for cheeses and other spreads. Counter Point: I'll eat to that Love is the universal language, but a festive drink and a bite to eat speak to just about everyone, too. Clink glasses to that understanding while serving snacks on Williams-Sonoma's sweet little plates ($39 for a set of six). Joy of Baking: Compote perks up pound cake Pound cake, not surprisingly, derives its name from the original recipe, which called for a pound each of butter, sugar, flour, and eggs. Recipes have been modified and manipulated over the years, but the sought-after result of any combination of ingredients is a firm, moist cake that is a treat on its own or a perfect canvas for a topping. Recipe: Cornmeal pound cake with dried fruit compote --------------- Those who crave caviar no longer have to go wild By Emily Schwab, Globe Correspondent Regardless of provenance, these salted fish eggs are served -- in their purest form -- on a bed of ice and scooped right from the tin with a tiny, nonmetallic spoon onto a toast point or blini (a miniature buckwheat pancake). Often the spoons are made of ivory or bone, both more time-consuming to craft than metal and therefore just as luxurious as the fish roe. This accouterment just adds to caviar's elite image, and so does its association with Champagne. When it's time to celebrate, pop the corks and pass the caviar. --------------- Fish rillettes, the new tapenade By Susan G. Aaronson, Globe Correspondent This French pate is a centuries-old tradition, first made with meat trimmings that might include pork, duck, rabbit, or goose. The end result, as you can imagine, is quite rich and loaded with flavor. --------------- Popcorn is a guilt-free treat for the ages By Bridget Samburg, Globe Correspondent The smell and pop of corn can bring back all sorts of fond memories. Families have long enjoyed popcorn together, beginning in the late 1800s, and during the Great Depression bags could be purchased for 5 to 10 cents, which made it a treat even for those with little money. Today, Americans consume 17 billion quarts of popcorn each year. --------------- Which brand makes the best batch? We tasted several varieties of popcorn and found that there is a difference in texture and size between the kinds of kernels. If your kernels aren't popping, the corn may have dried out. Try putting popcorn in the refrigerator overnight or add a few drops of water to the corn and let it sit overnight. If all else fails, head to the store for a fresh supply. --------------- Sweet, salty, and straight from the kettle Three years ago, Lala and Scott Boyers started making kettle corn as a treat for friends. This sweet and salty corn is often available at fairs, but the couple were popping it in their Shrewsbury garage. Now, under the label Boston Poppers, the corn is made in an industrial-size kettle behind Lala Java, a coffeehouse the Boyers own in their town. The fresh kettle corn is sold at the cafe and to some local farm stands (Wilson Farms in Lexington sells it).

Toronto Star – December 29, 2004 Banner year for bargain wines Gordon Stimmell reviews more than a dozen wines, ranging in price from $7 to $300. --------------- Shaky humour lurks in tasty banned beer Jon Filson’s Suck It Back column takes on the LCBO’s banning of the Belgian beer Delirium Tremens. --------------- Leftovers to end 2004 --------------- A Caribbean tale of two Piña Coladas

Toronto Star – December 22, 2004 December 25 dining Many Toronto restaurants and hotels stay open on Christmas Day Whether you want a traditional Christmas meal or not, food editor Jennifer Bain has some suggestions. More suggestions here: Places that will feed you on Christmas Day --------------- Sparkling discoveries Gordon Stimmell reviews over a dozen Champagnes and wines in this week’s Gord on Grapes. --------------- I'm a Rum University grad --------------- The science of winemaking The link between ground and grape is worth studying

Boston Globe – December 22, 2004 Good for the goose: a bath in beer By Ann Cortissoz, Globe Staff Recipe: * Beer-basted Christmas goose --------------- Strong, smoky, and seasonal Cortissoz reviews four strong beers. --------------- SHORT ORDERS Counter Point: Shaking with laughter Your treat World Table: Where the buffalo roam Counter Point: Deck the halls --------------- Joy of Baking: Sink your teeth into homemade candy Recipe: * Vanilla caramels with sea salt --------------- Joy of Baking: Ginger brings warmthto the holiday kitchen Recipe: * Gingerbread

Boston Globe – December 15, 2004 Sugar and spice and everything nice By Sheryl Julian and Julie Riven, Globe Staff Recipe: * Standing rib roast with pan juices --------------- Mix cocktails in the comfort of your home By Alison Arnett, Globe Staff Recipes: * Candy cane martini * Crantini --------------- Furnishing shoppers with comfort food By Clea Simon, Globe Correspondent --------------- SHORT ORDERS Good to Go: Super bowl Sunday Counter Point: Better than boxes Without Reservation: Heat included Joy of Baking: This holiday treat not short on flavor Recipe: * Shortbread --------------- When in space, don't let the sauce float off the plate By Alison Arnett, Globe Staff --------------- Recipes: * Cheddar popovers * Glazed carrots * Potato-rosemary tart * Walnut-raisin spice cake

Toronto Star – December 15, 2004 A Moroccan celebration There are those who defend tradition at the Christmas table, and those who like to tinker with it Cookbook author Habeeb Salloum visited Morocco and was surprised when the host served turkey for dinner. Recipes: * Moroccan-Style Stuffed Turkey * Broad Bean Purée * Mandarin-Radish Salad * Buttered Carrots * Fried Bell Peppers * Moroccan Mint Tea --------------- He has restaurants in his blood Food editor Jennifer Bain profiles chef/co-owner Johnny Phang of e-dragon. Recipe: * Ma Po Tofu --------------- Gord On Grapes Gordon Stimmell reviews affordable wines to pair with beef stew, coq au vin, and roast turkey. --------------- Please subsize me --------------- Oh, my aching sweet tooth Recipes: * Strawberry Santas * Spicy Cornmeal Cookies * Coconut Fortune Cookies * Lemon Fig Shortbread * Espresso Shortbread * Nanaimo Bars

I went to Katahdin this fall. The food was terrific and the most expensive entree (delicious scallops) was $22. While some people were dressed nice, we fit in fine in nice jeans.

Boston Globe – December 8, 2004 Bar hopping for energy They're popular, but are they any better than peanut butter? By Katie Johnston Chase, Globe Staff Energy Bars: How They Taste --------------- Cooking up culture for Hanukkah By Andrea Pyenson, Globe Correspondent Hanukkah recipes: * Latkes * Sephardic-style cauliflower latkes * Vegetarian Yemenite soup --------------- SHORT ORDERS World Table: Full of flavor Good to Go: Good eggs Mint condition It lays down the law --------------- Chefs' books offer 3 takes on American cuisine By T. Susan Chang, Globe Correspondent Cookbooks include: * Coastal Cooking With John Shields: 125 of the Best Recipes From the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf Coasts, and Hawaii * The Fearless Chef: Innovative Recipes From the Edge of American Cuisine * Patrick O'Connell's Refined American Cuisine: The Inn at Little Washington

The Toronto Star reprinted the recipe this week and tested it in their kitchen.

Toronto Star – December 8, 2004 Merry mishmashed holiday Food editor Jennifer Bain spoke with Sharon Travis about her annual Chanumas party. Includes recipes for Sylvia Fedder's Latkes and Cherry Cheesecake Bars. --------------- Berton's famous turkey column Includes Thompson’s instructions, originally published on December 22, 1958. Check out Berton's big bird for the instructions formatted as a recipe. --------------- Visions of sugar plums If baking's not your thing but you still want to impress holiday guests at dessert time, try these balls. Includes recipes for Rum Balls, Crème De Menthe Balls, Sugar Plums, Walnut Toffee White Chocolate Truffles, and Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles --------------- Christmas time becomes one more time for wine

Boston Globe – December 1, 2004 Putting flavor back into pork More and more farmers are stepping up to the plate by raising free-range pigs that deliver better taste By Alison Arnett, Globe Staff Arnett reports from Iowa, where she visited with a few free-range pig farmers. Recipe: * Pork chops with garlic-cream pan sauce --------------- Berkshire breed prized for richness of flavor By Timothy Q. Cebula, Globe Correspondent --------------- Savor the difference --------------- Rules of safety --------------- Some confectional wisdom for chocolate lovers Three books offer sweet updates, new delights By Andrea Pyenson, Globe Correspondent Recipes: * Peanut butter cupcakes with chocolate ganache * Pistachio brownies --------------- SHORT ORDERS Super treats Hot and cold Good to Go: A round trip Without Reservation: Seoul food --------------- We Cook: Taking smoking inside Recipe: * Tea-smoked chicken

Toronto Star – December 1, 2004 Ontario's new wine crop Seven fresh wineries in Niagara have grape expectations despite Mother Nature's bad moods The 127 wineries in Ontario keep wine writer Gordon Stimmell busy. For this article, he visits a few of the newer ones and discusses the wines they offer. --------------- Cool job for gay guy Ted Allen, the food and entertaining guru on Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, made his first visit to Canada and food writer Susan Sampson was there to cover it. Includes recipe for Parmesan Crisps. --------------- Broth world expands Food editor Jennifer Bain is happy that Knorr now has more vegetable broth offerings in Canada. Includes recipe for Asian Beef Stew with Bok Choy. --------------- Cambodian adventures In this guest column, Mark Parr discusses the restaurant he had in Cambodia before he returned to Canada. --------------- When noodle-making is an art Order hand-pulled noodles at Dong Bei Wang in Pacific Mall’s food court and you are in for a treat. --------------- Drink of the Week