Food tips

It’s always fun to try out new cooking tools. While I don’t have room for much in my apartment kitchen,  I’ve put these small and affordable items to the test. First up, the Uten 2-3 cup mini chopper . It has 3 blades and was terrific for a few cloves of garlic and fantastic for chopping olives and a handful of nuts, although I didn’t love it for chopping an onion, that's something I'd rather do by hand anyway. But the real reason I love this chopper? It’s fun to use! Instead of being plugged in or attaching to another kitchen appliance like a stick blender, it works with a pull string. You can pull the string as many or as few times as you like to get the result you want. If you have kids I bet they would love using it too. It's dishwasher safe and currently on sale for just $8.99. To learn more about Uten products, sales and more, visit and "like" their Facebook page . I use my toaster oven for most of my baking. I always line my baking trays with parchment pape

Foster Farms  is one of the larger suppliers of chicken in California. It’s a brand you’ll find in most supermarkets. So I was pleased to learn they are now offering organic chicken . At my local supermarket they only had boneless and skinless breasts and thighs, and while I much prefer purchasing whole chickens I did want to give the product a try.  Because I don’t usually, if ever, cook with boneless skinless chicken thighs, I turned to the ever dependable Faith Durand at The Kitchn for a foolproof technique . I added an herb paste, asparagus and leeks and reduced the pan sauce to make a glaze. It’s easy peasy and great for a quick meal that will be done in just over 30 minutes. The leeks, asparagus and herbs give the dish a fresh and light feel.  Although I purchased the chicken with my own money, I did accept four $20 Safeway gift cards for you, my readers, from Foster Farms. If you would like one, please leave a comment about your favorite chicken thigh or breast recipe. Only one

I always have a jar of tahini, a Middle Eastern style of sesame paste, in my refrigerator. It used to last for ages because I really only used it in hummus and baba ghanoush. But not anymore. I think it’s probably the Ottolenghi books and a trip to Israel a few years ago that inspired me to use tahini more often. This rich nutty butter is a fantastic ingredient to use with all kinds of things. I particularly tahini with cauliflower, either in  Warm Cauliflower Dip  or on  Roasted Cauliflower.  Or start by making tahina, which is a sauce made with tahini, garlic, lemon juice and enough water to turn the mixture white and creamy. It’s good as a dip with pita, falafel, meatballs and more. My formula is about 1/2 cup tahini, juice of one lemon, salt, a small clove of finely mashed garlic and just enough water to make turn the sauce creamy and white.  Tahini is available raw, roasted or dark roasted. Raw is somewhat higher in nutrients, but roasted versions are more commonly available. I r

The two most popular dinner requests in my household are for chili and roast chicken. They are both classic comfort foods and my husband never gets tired of eating either of them. It’s funny, because I rarely if ever make either one of them the same way twice. Chili is just a naturally adaptable recipe. Over the years I've posted recipes for  vegetarian white bean chili,  a budget friendly chili with a  mix of beans ,  chipotle pork chili and most recently for bison black bean chili . The ingredients change all the time depending on my mood and what I have on hand. But roasting a chicken is another story altogether. Like so many people I am always looking to improve how I make the perfect roast chicken. Mostly I spatchcock or butterfly it or roast pieces rather than a whole bird for more even and consistent results. But in this case, because Napa Grass Farmer had provided me with such a beautiful bird I thought I’d roast the whole thing.  I used Meyer lemons, but you could subsiti