So, being the rabid football fan that I am (ahem), I excitedly whipped up a big batch of the Pioneer Woman’s Simple Perfect Chili for Superbowl Sunday… a week too early. My first concern, when I realized the error of my ways, was feeling like a complete idiot. But I immediately confessed on Twitter and found that I was not the only one to make this mistake. Maybe I wan’t an idiot after all! Or at least I was in good company. With that out of the way, my next concern was: what would I make on actual Superbowl Sunday?
Hard as I tried, I couldn’t move away from chili. How was I going to make this work. Chicken chili? Veggie Chili? A smoky version of beef chili made with chipotles? No. No. No. I needed something different. Something like green chili. Yes! With pork. YES! Pork chili verde. Now I was onto something.
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I recently had the honor of interviewing renowned “green” pediatrician Dr. Alan Green for Our365.  I was over the moon when asked to do the interview—I’ve been a fan of Dr. Greene for some time now. I first discovered him while researching advisors for my baby food venture, ChowBaby. Though we never got to the point of approaching him, I continued to follow Dr. Greene closely. Not only does he offer a comparable wealth of info on parenting and child rearing as Dr. Sears and the like (with a more modern twist, if you ask me), but he is also one of the only pediatricians dealing head on with issues related to non-toxic living. As part of that, he takes an unprecedented interest in how parents feed their children. So much so that he wrote a book about it, his latest, Feeding Baby Green.

Dr. Greene is widely recognized as a champion for organic eating (as much as you’re able and can afford), but I love him most for his progressive (and non-American) approach to healthy feeding. From his unconventional idea of when to start solids, to his emphasis on feeding even first time eaters whatever the rest of the family is eating, to his ahead-of-his-time attitude about food allergies, Dr. Greene encourages feeding our children in a way that excites the palate and lays the foundation for healthy eating habits for life.

My conversation with Dr. Greene was beyond validating. I was, literally, quivering with excitement as he put into words more eloquent than mine a family food philosophy that I try to live by and share with you every week. Read the interview for more. And, if you’re interested, read his new book, Feeding Baby. I was not asked to promote the book here. I just read it and loved it. I think you might too, especially if you’re pregnant or a first time mom with a wee little one.

6 Questions for Dr. Alan Greene, by Stacie Billis (via Our365)

Follow Dr. Greene on Twitter (And, hey, while you’re at it, follow me, too, if you don’t already!)

Become a fan of Our365 on Facebook!

Photo: Monkey Lunch Bags by BeeThings

Check out this week’s Food News, Things I Crave, Green Your Eats, Tips, Tools & Techniques, and Weekly Roundtable (a roundup of the most recent ChowMama posts). 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.
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Romain lettuce, tomatoes, cukes, feta cheese and, if you’re down, some olives and anchovies. Toss with the simplest red wine vinaigrette and you’ve got the classic Greek salad. But here’s a little secret. Try horiatiki instead (should be offered at any authentic Greek restaurant) and you’ll eat the real deal: a greek salad minus the lettuce. It may seem like a minor edit, but it makes a big difference. It’s like taking out the filler. You’re left with all the good stuff, all the stuff that matters.
In Greece, horiatiki is most often served as a slab of creamy feta over a bed of tomatoes and cukes tossed in red wine vinaigrette, garnished with a sprinkle of dried oregano and a few kalamata olives. Just describing it brings me back to lunch on the beach in Santorini or dinner in a busy tavern in Athens (or Queens, NY!). Tart from vinegar spiked with lemon, peppery from great olive oil, salty from cheese, cool and crunchy from cucumbers, it’s simply the best salad ever. (What? Me, biased?) It’s also easy to make and, served alongside simply broiled fish or with lemony grilled chicken on top, it makes a quick and satisfying meal. I sometimes even add chickpeas. Bonus! Without the ever unpopular raw leafy greens, young ChowBabies get down with this salad, too. Even eat it with their fingers!
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Photo: Not Eating Out in NY

I recently came across this recipe for Apple Cider Braised Kabocha Squash with Golden Raisins and Onions by Cathy Erway of Not Eating Out in NY. Instantly intrigued, I decided to make this recipe exactly as written (which, as you know, is not something I do often). The only problem was that I couldn’t find Kabocha, a Japanese winter squash often referred to as Japanese pumpkin. So I decided to use acorn squash instead. Then I decided that I didn’t need to finish with butter or add the red pepper flakes. And wouldn’t just a little more garlic be good? So, I made this almost exactly as written. (I can’t help myself.)
I expected this veggie side dish to be good—with such a simple run down of delicious ingredients, it seemed hard to go wrong—but was stunned by just how ridiculously delectable this turned out. This squash FAR exceeded my expectations. It was sweet and savory, unpredictably exotic yet familiar and comforting at the same time. For such a straightforward recipe, it sure does feel sophisticated, which satisfied me and the ChowPapa. And with tender squash and plump raisins (with onions that are easy to pick out), this was a hit with my ChowBaby. (And can be fed to kids as young as 6 months!) A super affordable dish for the whole family; a perfect ChowMama dish. Thanks, Cathy!
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Photo: Martha Stewart

I love risotto. (Who doesn’t?) Rich, creamy and endlessly versatile, it can be made to suit most any occasion, winter, spring, summer or fall. But despite this, risotto has a reputation for being a special occasion dish. Even I fall victim to this, sometimes thinking that it’ll take too much time or is unnecessarily fussy for a quick weeknight meal. I was recently reminded, though, that risotto is as basic as it comes. The most simple version is made entirely of pantry staples including olive oil, onion, rice and broth. And, as a 2-pot dish that has about an 18 minute cooking time and can be fed to kids as young as 8+ months, I’d say it’s a PERFECT family meal.
There are many classic risottos: milanese made with beef stock and flavored simply with saffron; risotto al Barolo made with red wine; seafood risotto, sometimes made black by the ink of squid or cuttlefish; and mushroom risotto rich in umami flavor from rehydrated porcini mushrooms. But these are far from the whole of your options. In fact, since risotto can hold (and make delicious) a huge variety of added ingredients, I’ve come to think of my weeknight versions as kitchen sink meals. I start by checking the fridge for unused veggies and build from there, adding stock (chicken, beef or veggie), cheese (traditional parmesan and pecorino, or any cheese that melts easily like feta or fontina), and herbs and flavorings (anything from leftover chives to lemon zest to dried mint). Simple as that.
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