Photo: Nanaimo Bars / iVillage Made in Canada slideshow

Warning: This is not a healthy post, but I won’t take responsibility for that. Blame Canada. (Heh heh.)
No, I’m not in Canada this week. Truth be told, I haven’t even been bitten by Olympic fever. I’ve been too busy to watch and now, the last week of the games, I’m hanging in New Orleans, one of the most exciting places in this country for regional food. But, who knew—Canada has amazing regional food, too! And if there’s one thing that will finally cause me Olympic fever, it’s good eats.
I don’t much think about regional Canadian food. And I bet you don’t either. (Save for my Canadian readers, why would we?) But three fortuitously timed things happened since the start of the Olympics that have got me thinking about the foods of our friends up North.
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Check out this week’s Food News, Things I Crave, Green Your Eats, Tips, Tools & Techniques, and Weekly Roundtable. Plus, for a little while, I’ll follow the Weekly Roundtable with a quick update on my non-resolutions to, you know, keep me honest!
Just so you know, I’ll be in NEW ORLEANS (!!) all of next week visiting family, walking around, EATING! I’m hoping to post while gone, but I have no idea what’s in store for me, traveling with both kiddos for the first time. Check in with me, but forgive if I can’t keep up. No matter what, I’ll be back by the 1st. With lots of inspiration from gorgeous NOLA.
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Photo: Roboppy

I’ve been working hard to eat less meat without substituting pasta and other carb-centric mains. And, because of this, cauliflower has become my best friend. It’s not only delicious and good for you, but also filling. Cauliflower makes a hearty curry and satisfying mash, and generally bulks up a meal while making it healthier, too. But, even so, I’ve never just all out made it the main entree. Didn’t even think of it until I saw “Cauliflower Steak” on the menu at famed farm-centric eatery Blue Hill. If Dan Barber could serve cauliflower as a main (at a pretty penny, I might add!), then I could too. As dinner. As all of dinner.
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I have a confession: I’m not so into soup. I can hear the collective gasp now. Everyone loves soup. Every foodie especially. I’ve heard from several food lovers that a chef’s ability is best assessed from how well he or she can make a soup. So, I know. You all think soup is great. Important, even. But, for me, it’s just alright.
At least that’s what I go around thinking. Until I eat the right soup. Something hearty and flavorful, silky and rich. Then I get it. I’ve been trying to tap into my  occasional  enthusiasm for soup since there are so many healthy, low carb, vegetarian options (if you haven’t been following my non-resolutions, I’m trying to cook foods that fit that bill more often). And so this is part of an attempt to master soup. Or at least develop a livelier appreciation for the good stuff. Along with my recent Red Lentil Soup with Sausage, this recipe has me off to a good start.
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Photo: Ticings

Check out this week’s Food News, Things I Crave, Green Your Eats, Tips, Tools & Techniques, and Weekly Roundtable. Plus, for a little while, I’ll follow the Weekly Roundtable with a quick update on my non-resolutions to, you know, keep me honest.
Have a wonderful, love-fest of a Valentine’s Day this weekend. Feel the love. Spread the love. And don’t feel shy about saying I love you. (Like this: I love YOU! Thanks for reading!) And, of course, Happy New Year. Welcome Year of the Tiger!
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I wanted to make something different for Valentine’s Day. Something chocolate, of course, but with more. With a twist. My burning desire for something new led me down a long road paved with failed experiments before coming up with these gems. I wandered (way) far afield before remembering that it’s little adjustments made to the familiar things we know and love that make for the most pleasant surprises.
These chewy chocolate chunk cookies, first discovered on Orangette, are a staple at our house. I hate to admit it, but the first thing that drew me to Molly’s recipe was its use of yogurt (she suggests full fat, but I use non- or low-fat Greek style which always works). There’s still some butter and a cup of sugar, so I’m not claiming that these are completely guilt free (c’mon people—if you’re going to make cookies, enjoy them!), but they aren’t gut bombs either. Which might be why it didn’t occur to me right away to adapt this recipe for our Valentine’s Day treats. Valentine’s Day is supposed to be sinful, right?
All weekend I churned out decadent treats that just weren’t right. Then, it occurred to me: Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be over the top. Instead, it can be mellow and warm. Familiar yet surprising. Quietly romantic. And that’s just what my new version of these cookies are.
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