Seafood – a Family Tradition

By Debbie Goldsmith
For The Family Table, a blog for busy families

Ever since my son Brandon was very little, he had an affinity for seafood. I remember how surprised we were one evening in a New York City restaurant when, at the age of 10, he checked out the menu and ordered a dozen oysters on the half shell. We tried to explain to him what he had just chosen but he held his ground…and ate the whole thing (minus the two that my husband and I stole).

So, needless to say, we have some sort of seafood on the home menu at least once a week. And, this fish stew allows me to change up the seafood combination each time I prepare it.

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Winter Greens

By Lori Powell
For One or Two Bites, a blog for singles and couples

While waiting for spring to arrive, I start yearning for more veggies and everything green. Swiss chard, collard greens, kale and spinach are my go-to greens.

All of the four are packed with tons of flavor and nutrients. They ranked in the top six vegetables with the highest nutrient content in a comparison of nearly 85 vegetables by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. These greens are loaded with vitamin K and lutein and contain calcium, fiber, folate and vitamin C.

There are many varieties of Swiss chard, such as rainbow and green chard. Kale varieties include lacinato (also known as dinosaur kale), curly and red Russian.

A fun fact is that winter greens actually get sweeter as the weather gets colder. So the time to buy and eat these power-packed leaves is now.

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Learning to Love Granola

By Ben Mims
For Cooking Newbie, a blog for beginner cooks

Since moving to San Francisco a few months ago, I’ve learned several truths already: the hills are torture on my Converse-loving feet, it will always get cold at night so bring a hoodie, and people here LOVE granola.

Granola has always been tied to hippies and nature-loving enthusiasts as their snack or breakfast of choice, so many would not be surprised that San Franciscans love it. But I was shocked at just HOW much they love it.

Everyone I know here makes it, or has their favorite brand. Being a Southerner, I never ate granola growing up, or even as a young adult, because I was nursed on biscuits with ham or sausage and covered in gravy, quite the complete opposite of everything granola stands for.

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Judging the James Beard Cookbook Awards

By Sandy Hu
The latest from Inside Special Fork

I’m cooking up a lot of really delicious food in the Special Fork kitchen these days. But I can’t tell you what I’m making, nor can I share the recipes.

I’m a judge of the James Beard Foundation Book Awards once again this year (my third time; not in consecutive years), and I’m testing recipes from my final book choices.

The photo above shows all the cookbooks I received in my designated category. Since the category is secret, not only have I turned the spines away from you, I’ve had the slivers of color from the book jackets Photoshopped out.

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Make your own Mayo

By Jennifer Knapp
A new video for Video Friday

Mayonnaise is the condiment that most of us have at any given time in the fridge. What would that tuna salad sandwich be without it?

But what many people don't know, is that if you have a food processor (or even if you don't!), it’s easy to make own creamy homemade mayonnaise. While you may want to reach for the commercial jar for everyday use, homemade mayonnaise does taste different and there’s nothing like it for a sauce or dip.

By adding a little minced garlic to your mayonnaise, you can turn it into a flavorful aioli. You can also add just about any kind of chopped herb, such as parsley, chives, tarragon or basil, to customize the flavor.

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