I love the idea in this video, which features chefs Cricket Azima and Dave Lieberman with several young helpers, of making customizable mini-lasagnas. They look so easy.

The video's a little longer than usual, but the kids can learn how to make a complete meal -- including easy breadsticks, salad, and dessert.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Dinner Together, Food and Recipes
        

This Dinner Together is pure fall comfort. And the most comforting thing about it is the ease of making it in a slow cooker, and coming home from a long, hard day to the wonderful smells of apples and spices.

The only bother you'll have is browning the meat and then cooking it on the HIGH setting of your cooker for an hour before you leave it on LOW for 7 or 8 (or if you're in my job, 9 and counting) more hours. But if you start it early enough in the morning, you'll just have time to switch the setting as you race out the door.

The kids' verdict....

Continue reading "Dinner Together: Roast pork with apples" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Dinner Together, Food and Recipes
        

Halloween's a night when it's nice for the family to eat together, along with friends, possibly. It's always a challenge to get any kind of balanced meal into the trick-or-treaters before they gorge on the candy. Here's one fun idea from myglutenfacts.com:

And here are more Halloween recipes from our recipe database.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Ruh-roh -- the Mommy Wars are about to heat up. This story on our parenting page, from Chicago Tribune columnist Julie Deardorff, reports on a British study that compared a set of children of working women with a set of children whose moms stayed home. The kids of stay-at-home moms ate more fruits and vegetables, watched less TV, and walked more.

Ouch. Could someone please shoot me now?

I try. I do. And I'm told by our doctor that my kids are healthy. Still, this is great food for the mom-guilt monster.

As Deardorff points out, the study didn't look at the impact of working fathers. Even in 2009, we still assume that if a kid isn't practicing healthy habits, it's the mother's fault.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 10:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Food and Recipes, Health
        

My daughter has taken a shine to egg noodles, served plain. As I was mulling over how to turn this preference into a dinner we could all eat, kugel occurred to me.

I hadn't seen many savory kugel recipes, but it turns out they're out there. I made this one, which I adapted from a version on krissyinboston.com, to be as bland as possible for the highest chance of success with our family. It was quite bland, but comforting, and better with salt and pepper. It would probably be better still with things like broccoli or chicken or both mixed in, but I haven't tried that. The plain version also might work better as a side dish.

The kugel was a moderate hit, which is to say that my daughter ate it without complaining too much, and my son ate some.

Here's how to make it:

Continue reading "Dinner Together: Noodle kugel" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

As of today, the Dinner Together concept is changing.

You may have read last week that because of the new dynamics of my job, it's become much more challenging to get home for a family dinner that I actually have time to cook -- much less make look pretty for a picture for you. When I do, we often eat lean protein with some kind of optional sauce, the kind of recipe you've seen here before.

So to be good to myself while still bringing you fresh content, I've decided to mix up the format. Once or twice a month, I'll have a recipe here, as I've done weekly since this blog began. On the other Wednesdays, I'll do something different, like highlighting another blog I think has great ideas for family meals.

The Spatulatta girls have one of my favorite family food blogs, and the best thing about it is that the girls do most of the cooking (with some adult help, as you'll see in the video above of their Harvest Soup). Show it to your daughters and sons, and they may be inspired to try something new.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Dinner Together, Food and Recipes
        

Instead of a Dinner Together recipe today, I thought we'd do something different -- a poll.

It seems to me that because of the recession, many people are working longer hours to keep the jobs they have, and may not be getting home for dinner. On the other hand, there are others who've probably lost jobs -- or had hours scaled back -- who are able to be regularly home for dinner for the first time.

I won't bore you with the stats on how children who regularly dine with their parents do better in school and are less likely to use drugs. We've all heard them before, and I think most of us try our best to eat together. But it doesn't always happen.

When I first started this, the goal was to get home for dinner most weeknights, which hadn't been happening. The column has been a great impetus, though I must say my children haven't enjoyed it much. But they're both eating things they wouldn't have eaten back then.

I did better for a long while at getting home for dinner most nights, though I would work more from home in the evenings after the kids went to bed. Now, with some switches in my job and responsibilities, it's gotten harder to both get home in time and actually cook. Any tips for me?

(Photos by me)

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Dinner Together, Food and Recipes
        

How could my kids -- or yours, for that matter -- resist chicken coated with potato chips and baked?

Answer: If you tell them there are potato chips on the outside and act like it's going to be the world's biggest treat. Then they are obligated to pick at their dinner out of spite.

Lesson learned!

I think the kids would have liked these little chicken poppers, adapted from the book "The $7 a Meal Healthy Cookbook," fine without their mother's buildup. Although I did wish the potato-chip exterior had gotten crispier. I didn't want to bake these a lot longer than the allotted 25 minutes, for fear of drying them out....

Continue reading "Chicken tenders baked with potato chips" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Dinner Together, Food and Recipes
        

In my years as a foodie and then a food editor, I'd never made crepes. There were at least two reasons: 1) one of my best friends makes a fabulous version, and 2) they scared me a little.

This recipe looked enough like Dinner Together that I was inspired to try them. And I'm happy to report that these crepes, from the book "One Pot French," are very easy.

They were also delicious, stuffed with a savory blend of goat cheese, herbs and shallots. My husband and I enjoyed them with salad and a glass of white wine. The kids took a few bites, but the sharpness of the goat cheese put them off. I may try farmer's cheese next time.

Or, failing that, Nutella....

Continue reading "Goat-cheese crepes" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 5:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

As the first day of school looms for us Monday, I'm thinking about how Dinner Together will fit into the extra-hectic weeknights that are to come. One solution: Make it ahead.

The hardest thing about these carnitas is cubing the meat from a pork shoulder, which can be slippery work. Make sure your knives are sharp, then cut up a big hunk of meat and slow-roast it in your oven on Sunday. You'll have meals in the bag for the first couple of days of school.

The following technique should work with any amount of meat. To get two pounds of meat, you'll probably need to buy a 4-5 pound pork shoulder, since most of the weight is bone and fat...

Continue reading "Back-to-school Carnitas" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Scallops. Perhaps a stretch for Dinner Together, but the kids do generally like white fish, and these shellfish (so tasty, to my mind) aren't far from that, are they?

To sweeten the pot, we served this dish in parts. The kids opted for just the scallops without the chai-flavored sauce, and without the bok choy.

Split decision, with one in favor and one definitely not. John and I both liked this, for its ease, its waistline-friendly nutritionals, and for its taste. The sauce was very mild, but in a way I found oddly comforting.

Here's how to make it:

Continue reading "Dinner Together: Chai Scallops with Bok Choy" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

I've been looking so long for the right meatball recipe to try for Dinner Together. And I'd been looking forward to the new cookbook from the writers behind the blog Gastrokid, which, natch, is a bonding place for foodies attempting to raise their kids in their own image.

The cookbook, called "The Gastrokid Cookbook," I find both empowering and intimidating. It has recipes that appear approachable yet sophisticated, including said meatballs, which were easy but overflowing with that kid Kryptonite, herbs. On the other hand -- and I won't soon forget this -- it basically says one of the worst things you can do is to make your kid a quesadilla while you consider what the adults will eat.

OK, I've in fact done just that, though usually after offering what I was having to the child. (The whole point is that the kid with the quesadilla did not find my dinner more interesting; instead, he or she thought it downright inedible and an affront to nature.)

And I can bet I'm gonna do it again, because sometimes peace at the dinner table is just more important than everybody eating the same thing. IMHO.

Back to the meatballs....

Continue reading "Dinner Together: Gastrokid Meatballs" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Roast chicken has become a pretty sure bet for our Dinners Together. The key is to find ways to vary it for the adults (and for you readers!) while keeping the kids on board.

This chicken from "Simply Delicioso," a cookbook by Food Network star Ingrid Hoffmann from the show of the same name, mostly filled the requirements. With lemon and lime under the skin, a coating of adobo and a mess of onions roasting below, this chicken takes on a beautifully subtle Latin flavor. The meat was moist and delicious, and the kids ate it up.

That is, until Leah got a piece of meat that had been close to one of the lime slices....

Continue reading "Dinner Together: Lime rosemary chicken over onions" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 5:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

At our house, we heart flank steak. It's inexpensive, great to grill, and at home with Asian flavors, Latin flavors, and just good old summer flavors. That's why I chose to use it as a vehicle for this cherry tomato relish I found on the state's Buy Local Challenge web site, which has recipes and tips for cooking local this season.

The great part about the relish for those with kids is that it can be put on or left off as each person prefers. We set it in the middle of the table; predictably, the adults heaped the pretty tomatoes on to their steak, while the kids ate theirs plain. But they did eat, and everyone was happy.

Here's how to make the steak and tomatoes. You could also use the tomato relish on chicken or fish...

Continue reading "Flank steak with cherry tomato relish" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Since my kids like fish, I thought I'd give fish tacos a try for today's Dinner Together. I found this recipe on the blog A Beautiful Mosaic, where you should go to find out how to make homemade mango salsa to go with these (I cheated and used store-bought).

My only problem with this dish wasn't a problem with the recipe. In a classic mommy moment, I couldn't find the jalapeno for the marinade.

I know I bought it. But several searches of the veggie drawer, the rest of the fridge, the closet where we keep the plastic bags, and even the car came up empty.

Who knows where that pepper is, but it didn't end up in our tacos. Fortunately, they didn't suffer for the omission...

Continue reading "Fish tacos" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Today is Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-Fil-A. Wear a cow costume to any of the chain's restaurants and you get a free meal. What -- you don't have a cow costume? Chick-Fil-A has a kit you can download.

This event reminds me of when my son was 2, and had an adorable Holstein Halloween costume. He was very fond of it even after Halloween had passed. One day, when we were going to see the "Curious George" movie, he decided he just had to wear it. To the theater.

Two-year-olds aren't capable of embarrassment. Instead, he waved at everyone who pointed to or waved at him. After tucking his tail behind him, he gleefully munched on his popcorn and watched the movie.

Costumed cows aren't always benign, of course -- they can be "mad," as in this photo of vegetarians protesting meat consumption in Britain. But the larger point is how great it is that when you're a kid, you can be anything.

And become anything.

(AP Photo/Louisa Buller, 1996.)

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 1:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Food and Recipes
        

In this case, we used half the bottle of marinade as a marinade, and the half that hadn't touched uncooked pork became a sort of salad dressing.

The kids were not interested in the greens, but they liked the pork. (The marinade sounds spicy, but by the time it had cooked with the pork, it was mild enough for them.)

Here's how you make it:

Continue reading "Pork over greens" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 5:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Dinner Together, Food and Recipes
        

Today is the first in a two-part Dinner Together series on super-easy, family-friendly meals on the grill.

One sure-fire way to please my daughter is to feed her a hamburger. (You may remember that this interfered with her vegetarian phase.) But, of course, we worry about serving ground beef, with its high saturated fat content, too often.

The answer for us sometimes is ground bison, which you can now find in most grocery stores. (If you want to stay local, Eddie's of Roland Park stocks bison from the Gunpowder Bison & Trading in Monkton.) It's lower in fat and saturated fat than most beef you can find. It is more expensive, but the other good part is that the taste is very close to beef.

And, we discovered, it performs very well on the grill, using this anti-flaring method my husband John came up with...

Continue reading "Bison burgers" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 5:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Sometimes in the world of Dinner Together, it's all about the presentation.

Take these salmon skewers, which I found in Annabel Karmel's book Cook It Together. There was nothing too unusual about the recipe itself, which features a honey-soy-ginger marinade, but the skewers of salmon looked so cute in the book's picture, perched in a halved lime, I thought they might have novel appeal to my children.

The recipe, which you could prepare with your kids, was very easy and quite tasty. Unfortunately I couldn't get the skewers into the limes without tipping over the limes, but toothpicks worked well. The children were suitably intrigued, and ate their dinner (though my son was more interested in the lime). Yay.

Bonus tip: I learned from the recipe how to make little scallion curls like the ones you see at right. Just slice the scallions thinly -- I ran a knife point down my scallions vertically, then sliced a couple more times -- and drop slices into a bowl of ice water.

Here's how to make these:

Continue reading "Salmon Skewers" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Dinner Together, Food and Recipes
        

You might remember that my son has a thing for lemons, so I was pleased to find this recipe (and a great photo) on Tastespotting, a food photography site that has kindly displayed some of my photos as well.

This recipe sounded light and different -- not something I would have thought of doing with spaghetti, but something simple enough for a young kid to like.

I was encouraged when my daughter said, "This is not too bad..."

Continue reading "Lemony Spaghetti" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Dinner Together, Food and Recipes
        

Doesn't always work out that way, does it?

For example, take these Spaghetti Squash Pancakes, from Mollie Katzen's book Vegetable Dishes I Can't Live Without. I figured it was high time to make something vegetarian, yet I knew such a dish might have a low chance of success with my crew.

I was hoping the "pancake" might help them through.

These are savory pancakes, of course. But I think spaghetti squash is just plain fun, as well as low-calorie. 

 My children did not agree, alas. There were some gagging noises when they bit into this, which probably came from the challenging textural surprise of the spaghetti squash inside the crispy pancake.

But kids who've experienced potato pancakes or other savory pancakes might have an easier time with spaghetti squash pancakes. It's a nice, light dish that could also work for brunch...     

Continue reading "Spaghetti Squash Pancakes" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

This recipe is a two-fer: a successful Dinner Together, and a potential easy, healthful appetizer for a kids' (or adult) party.

I found the appetizer version in the new cookbook "The Farm Chicks in the Kitchen" and decided that if I left the chicken breast halves whole and cut down on the marinating time, this would be a pretty easy family dinner. I used a grill pan to speed things up even more.

My kids seemed to enjoy this, as did my husband, but I was the only one to try the apricot dipping sauce. I liked the sauce, though I thought it was a bit on the sweet side. I added salt and pepper to the recipe, which helps it, to my mind.

Here's how to make this, both ways: 

Continue reading "Cumin Chicken with Apricot Dipping Sauce" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

We headed to James Beard country last night for a different take on the omelet. In the recently-released 60th anniversary edition of his Fireside Cookbook, the icon of American cuisine has a recipe for something called a "Fluffy Omelet."

I mean, what could sound more fun and kid-friendly than that?

Turns out, this omelet was actually a bit of a pain, at least compared to the regular kind. You have to have quick-cooking tapioca on hand; fortunately there was some in my pantry. You have to separate eggs, a task some will find onerous, and whip the egg whites. And beat the yolks to a thick yellow ribbon.

And bake the omelet after you have cooked it on the stove.

All that is to warn you that yes, there is a little fuss along with the fluff here. Still, we had dinner accomplished in less than an hour...

Continue reading "Fluffy Omelet -- Dinner Together" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Dinner Together, Food and Recipes
        

This week, I've returned to the somewhat-winning formula of simple protein with a subtle sauce for our Dinner Together. This recipe from WomenHeart's All Heart Family Cookbook promised a healthful nutritional profile, with no saturated fat and fewer than 200 calories per serving.

While the title of the recipe calls for halibut, you can substitute any thick-fleshed white fish. We used mahi-mahi, since we found that in the freezer aisle at our local supermarket. (For us, individually-frozen fillets of fish work best for weeknight dinners. We put the servings we want to defrost in the fridge on the morning we want to serve them, and they're ready to cook by dinnertime.)

My kids gave this a split verdict. Sam liked it; Leah didn't. My husband and I enjoyed it, but thought the hoisin flavor could have been more pronounced. Next time, I might add a bit more.

Here's the recipe:

Continue reading "Hoisin Halibut with Bok Choy" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Have you heard that the FDA has warned the makers of Cheerios that the cholesterol-lowering claims on its box are appropriate only for FDA-approved drugs?

General Mills responds that the FDA's quarrel is with the way the claims appear on its box, not the science behind them.

Anyway, if Cheerios is really a drug, I hope the feds aren't coming to my house. Or, probably, yours. Not only were Cheerios among the first foods my kids learned to eat as babies -- those little Os are aces for developing that pincer grip -- but my son still munches on the Honey Nut version most mornings. 

AP Photo/Lisa Poole

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)
Categories: Food and Recipes
        

This Dinner Together is almost like cheating, because it's one I know my kids not only like, but love. Everyone in my family loves my dad's blintzes.

Because I traveled with my daughter to hear my father conduct a concert in Kansas City over Mother's Day weekend, I demanded was treated to these delicious stuffed crepes for breakfast. But they could easily make a celebration dinner. Hey, if you can have pancakes for dinner, why not blintzes?

The great thing about these, besides the fact that they taste terrific and are easy, is that kids love to help make them. I was the roller of the blintzes when I was a kid. That made for lots of fun mornings with my father, who would flip the crepes onto a pan for me to fill with cheese, fold and roll.

Now my daughter is the roller, and she has a great time with her grandfather...

Continue reading "Dad's blintzes -- Dinner Together" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Dinner Together, Food and Recipes
        

This is a favorite recipe of mine from several years ago, when I reviewed the American Dietetic Association cookbook "Cooking Healthy Across America" for the Taste section. It occurred to me that I hadn't made it in a long time, and that the kids hadn't tried it.

This recipe has a much better nutritional profile than real fried chicken because it's soaked in buttermilk, coated in wheat germ, parmesan and spices, and baked. It's not a super-crispy coating in the end, but the treatment makes for a tender piece of chicken.

The kids took well to this one, so I see some bulk packages of chicken thighs in our future. Here's the recipe:

Continue reading "Oven "fried" chicken" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

The local meal assembly company Let's Dish is again offering new mothers a free dish (or half-dish, as they call it, that serves 2-3 people) today through May 23.

Any mom who's given birth to or adopted a baby since Mother's Day 2008 is eligible. Bring proof of the birth or adoption and a valid e-mail address to your meal-making session, which you can sign up for at the Let's Dish site.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 9:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Food and Recipes
        

                                                                          Dear Charlie Palmer,

Perhaps you shouldn't read this.

Famed Chicago chef, I tried one of your recipes on my kids. Yes, I did. You may think I'm crazy, but I couldn't help but feel that Charlie Palmer's Practical Guide to the New American Kitchen, was, on some level, made for this purpose. Even though the recipes are haute, the book itself is waterproof. And stainproof. This calls to moms everywhere.

Charlie, since my kids have been known to eat steak (we have taken to calling it "feast" for some reason), I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to start a budget "celebration meal" series for Dinner Together. Hanger steak (or the substitute flat-iron steak that I used) is one of those cuts that doesn't break the bank for a family meal.

Your recipe had the boon of an overnight marinade (or overday, as I'm wont to do), which lets moms cook quickly at the end of the marinating. But here is the first place where I departed from your directions, Charlie, and perhaps it is a good time, if you haven't already, to avert your eyes. Because...

Continue reading "Celebration steak -- sort of" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

April 2 is National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day, which should delight the many kids out there who eat little else for lunch (like mine).

My fellow food editor Heather McPherson of the Orlando Sentinel's Dish blog posted a primer on the history of the combination, along with some recipes that put the two together in things other than a sandwich.

Peanut butter (with or without the jelly) can be a divisive food this days, what with allergies keeping kids from sitting together at lunch and peanut product recalls making some parents leery of feeding it to their children. Where do you stand?

(AP Photo/Jim Cole)

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 12:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Food and Recipes
        

This might look like an ordinary pizza, but it's actually made from layered tortillas -- thanks to a recipe tip from Twitter follower Judith Wilson Burkes of Having a Unique Family, who thought my kids might like it.

This recipe, which I adapted from the version Burkes pointed me to on recipezaar.com, is great for nights when you don't want to splurge on takeout pizza but you also don't want to fuss with pizza dough. The tortillas make a nice thin crust that crisps a bit, and they're a great vehicle for toppings.

This pizza passed the kid test with flying colors.

Do you have a recipe you'd like me to test on the family? E-mail me, and if I like it, I'll publish it in a future Dinner Together post with a link to your blog, if you have one.

Meanwhile, here's the tortilla pizza recipe:

Continue reading "Quick tortilla pizza" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 5:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Dinner Together, Food and Recipes
        

So I told Leah that the Obamas were planting a vegetable garden at the White House the other day. Here was her response:

"They need to stop with the fun and games. We've got big problems to solve!"

I didn't bother trying to persuade her that getting fresh, locally grown food to every family is a big problem. We all know how much she likes vegetables.

But it did tell me that consciousness of our other "big problems" is starting to seep down to the kid level.

If you're more interested in the Obama garden than my daughter was, hop over to my colleague Susan Reimer's new blog, Garden Variety.

(Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 10:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Food and Recipes
        

My son had been asking for mangoes, and no, he wasn't completely satisfied with the frozen version from Trader Joe's. So I picked up the ripest mango I could find at Giant and made these chicken-mango quesadillas from the new book Petit Appetit: Eat, Drink, and Be Merry.

I liked this recipe because it shows you that you can bake quesadillas, which is so much easier if you're feeding a crowd. I'd never thought to do that.

Here's the recipe and the kids' verdict...

Continue reading "Chicken and mango quesadillas" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 5:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

As spring approaches, I thought we'd do a fun Consult with the folks at McCormick & Co. on things you didn't know you could do with food coloring. Here are a few things kids 7-12 might enjoy creating. (McCormick, of course, recommends using McCormick Assorted Food Color):

--Funny Putty. Start with a cup of white glue in a plastic container. Add 1 cup liquid starch a little at a time, stirring constantly, along with any color of the food coloring, until the mixture is rubbery. Store in an airtight container.

--Homemade play dough. Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 cup salt, 1 cup water and 1/4 cup cream of tartar with about 20 drops of food coloring in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes. Cool on wax paper, then knead slightly until dough is smooth. Store in an airtight container.

--Goofy Goo. Mix 2 tablespoons white glue with 2 tablespoons water in a paper cup. In another cup, mix together 1/4 cup water, 3/4 teaspoon borax laundry booster and about 10 drops food coloring. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the borax mixture into the glue mixture and stir well.

--Water colors. Instant paint! Combine 1 tablespoon white vinegar with 2 teaspoons baking soda. Slowly add 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1/4 cup glycerin. Pour 1 inch of the mixture into 6 to 8 paper cups and let dry overnight. Once they're dry, add the food coloring, making sure to use a lot, as the color isn't as deep when it dries. To use, dip a paint brush into some water, then into the paint.

We can talk about food dye and Easter eggs a little later. By the way, if you are interested in learning how to dye Easter eggs the natural way, check out this post from last year.

(Photo of play dough courtesy of McCormick & Co.)

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Food and Recipes, The Monday Consult
        

This may be the easiest salmon you ever make. It's from Mireille Guiliano's French Women Don't Get Fat, which is another bonus.

If you can, spring for a piece of wild salmon to cook simply on one side with a squeeze of lemon juice. But the technique should work for less expensive farm-raised salmon as well.

I thought the children would like this, since lately they have done well with minimally garnished proteins...

Continue reading "Simple salmon" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Dinner Together, Food and Recipes
        

Wasn't last weekend magical around here? My kids had a fantastic time feeding the ducks, visiting Baltimore's tulip park (where of course the tulips aren't in flower yet), and climbing our Japanese maple.

I celebrated by making this Cottage Cheese Poundcake from our Recipe Finder column. (Part of the fun of making it was watching the afternoon light play over the cake as it was cooling in the pan...)

If you haven't read the column, do check it out: It's a personal look at the hunt for a long-sought recipe, an angle too easily lost in the world of easy Internet recipe hunting.

This recipe was sent in by Nancy Simmons of Salisbury, N.C. I'm reprinting it here...

Continue reading "Poundcake and almost-spring" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 11:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Food and Recipes
        

Hamburgers are already a budget meal (and a good one to bank on the kids liking at my house), but these are "stretch" burgers. With a little bread, wine and other add-ins, the meat goes a little further.

At least, that seems to be the reason for the name of these burgers from "The Boston Globe Cookbook." If you're worried about the cost of the wine, try using Crane Lake petite syrah, a surprisingly decent wine (you can drink the rest) for just about $4.99 a bottle.

This was a big hit with the burger-lovers among us: juicy, with good beef flavor.

Here's the recipe:

Continue reading "Stretch Burgers" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Really faithful readers will remember an early Dinner Together attempt at Vegetable Mac 'n' Cheese, which the grownups liked but the kids did not.

This mac 'n' cheese fared much better, with a big added bonus: you make it in a skillet, and it takes just about 20 minutes instead of the longer prep time needed for the baked version.

The kids ate well, though Leah commented that it needed more cheese. (With 4 cups in it already, I don't recommend adding more.)

Here's the recipe, from The Cook's Country Cookbook...

Continue reading "Skillet Macaroni and Cheese" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

It's Fat Tuesday -- also known as Shrove Tuesday -- today, and that means pancakes at my house. In honor of the day, here are three ways to eat pancakes today for not much dough:

--It's IHOP National Pancake Day. Until 10 p.m., each IHOP diner gets a free short stack of buttermilk pancakes. (The restaurant will ask you if you'd like to donate to the Children's Miracle Network, but it's not required.)

--Make the Blue Moon pancakes at left. We featured them last week in a Cooking 101 story with Sarah Simington of the Blue Moon Cafe in Fells Point. (I made them last night, and the vanilla smell was heavenly. I like this recipe because it doesn't require buttermilk, which I never seem to have on hand when I want pancakes.)

I'm reprinting the recipe on this post after the jump, or you can read the full story with Simington's tips here -- and have the added treat of watching her make them in a video.

--If you like thicker pancakes with some texture, try my mom's Cottage Cheese Pancakes, a favorite of my daughter's.

Here's that Blue Moon recipe...

(Photo by Baltimore Sun photographer Karl Merton Ferron)

Continue reading "Pancakes for Fat Tuesday" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 11:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Food and Recipes
        

Boy, it was harder than I thought it would be to find turkey cutlets in this town for tonight's Dinner Together. I wanted to try this recipe because it was lean, super-fast and offered my kids' current favorite --poultry or fish with very little done to it.

Finally ordered the cutlets from Peapod. They were worth the trouble -- dinner was on the table in 20 minutes, and the kids ate every bit.

Here, as usual, is the recipe:

Continue reading "Honey Pepper Turkey" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

This family dinner was another attempt at using peanut sauce to lure my peanut-butter-loving kids to a new dish.

With the salmonella scare, it seemed like a good time to try a homemade peanut sauce instead of a storebought one. The FDA is still saying jarred peanut butter is OK to eat, but if you're worried about buying even the jars, it's easy to make your own peanut butter -- here's Alton Brown's recipe.

I started with a recipe for Spicy Peanut Sesame Noodles from the latest edition of Joy of Cooking, but I figured it might be too spicy...

Continue reading "Peanut butter noodles" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Dinner Together, Food and Recipes
        

A kid hit to report! I'm so happy.

This simple fish comes from a new Weight Watchers book that offers lean dinners in 20 minutes or less, and this recipe delivered. It also had the qualities that please my picky crowd: a pretty plain piece of fish, in this case, that one could dress up with a sauce or not.

I was intrigued by the title, of course. The seasoning did have a few of the elements of Old Bay Seasoning, including a dash of cayenne, which you can leave out if your kids are sensitive to spices.

My kids didn't dress up their fish, and both liked it fine. Leah actually asked for more. I tried not to jump up and down....

(Photo by me)

Continue reading "Chesapeake Bay-Style Catfish" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 7:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Dinner Together, Food and Recipes
        

Here's a recipe special for all of you on liberal leave today with your school-is-closed-again! kids.

It assumes you have either some leftover sweet potatoes or canned pumpkin on hand.

Here's a shocker for regular readers: my kids actually really like these muffins, even though they're full of other healthful things like oats and walnuts.

I adapted this recipe from cdkitchen.com. It originally had a streusel topping, but that, to me, defeats the purpose of the sweet-potato muffin. And I think these are quite good without it.

They're also surprisingly moist...

Continue reading "Liberal leave muffins" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 10:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Food and Recipes
        

To get dinner on the table in the dead of winter, we need the humor -- and ease -- of Peg Bracken.

If you're my age (40-ish) or younger and you don't know who that is, take a look on your mother's cookbook shelf. There's a good chance Bracken's famous I Hate to Cook Book is still there.

This recipe is in a version of the cookbook, from a chapter called "The Daily Anticlimax," otherwise known as the weeknight family dinner. The real joke is that this recipe, like others of Bracken's, is quite tasty and really couldn't be easier. Besides olive oil, the title tells you everything you'll need.

The only hitch for my kids was the unfortunate coincidence of the Lunar New Year this week...

Continue reading "Lamb and lemon" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Every once in a while, I vow to seriously cook ahead on a Sunday -- to prep and freeze mountains of meals for the future, which we will pop out and cook on weeknights without breaking a sweat.

On the few occasions when I have kept this resolution, I've turned to the book Fix, Freeze, Feast, by Kati Neville and Lindsay Tkacsik. It's set up for this kind of bulk cooking and buying, and even has helpful cooking instructions in label form that you can copy and tape onto your frozen bags of food. Those are great to have if you like to cook for new moms, friends who are sick, etc.

Anyway, we recently tried the bulk Beef Fajitas recipe from the book...

(Photo by me)

Continue reading "Beef fajitas" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Another attempt at upscaling the kids' grilled cheese has gone awry. But it made a good dish still worth telling you about.

This recipe for Croque Monsieur (a French version of grilled ham and cheese) comes from a cute little cookbook for kids from Abigail Johnson Dodge, called "Around the World Cookbook." It's got international recipes that kids can make, along with fun facts about the countries themselves.

This Croque Monsieur had the traditional sauce that makes the sandwich extra creamy and, I think, yummy, but the kids were outraged at this intrusion on their familiar dish. They theatrically scraped it off and ate the components...

(Photo by me)

Continue reading "Croque Monsieur" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 7:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

So the Rainforest Cafe in Towson Town Center has closed. It's bittersweet news for our family, because I had the worst restaurant experience of my life there -- and also, in a way, some of the best.

The best came because my children fell in love with the theme of the place from an early age. I still remember my daughter, only about 2, being reluctant to leave after boogeying around the table to something by the Miami Sound Machine as the "thunderstorms" and whooping "animals" made noise above her.

"I just want to dance a little more," she sighed as we left.

Another time, my son saw a slightly younger friend who was a little scared of all the action -- and went over to his table to calm him. And I was tickled when my husband requested that we have Father's Day dinner there. He knew he could actually enjoy his glass of wine and steak (which might not have been the best we could get, but parents learn to compromise) while the kids were entertained.

The worst experience? When my in-laws were in town and wanted to treat us to dinner someplace that the kids would like. On this special occasion, we were saddled with a waitress who was as uncaring as she was slow. The last straw came when she finally delivered everyone's meals -- except for my daughter's grilled cheese sandwich. I had to hunt down a manager to ask where the kitchen was, because I wanted permission to make it myself.

Then when the sandwich finally came -- after everyone else had given up waiting and eaten -- they still charged us for it.

I'd like to say we never went back, but my son wanted to take his best friend on his birthday. What are you gonna do?

In one sense, I'm happy that my kids are outgrowing their passion for bells and whistles (or, in this case, chest-thumping monkeys) when we go out to eat. In another, the passing of the local Rainforest Cafe is an important scene from their childhood gone. In a strange way, I'll miss it.

(1999 photo of the Rainforest Cafe in Towson by Baltimore Sun photographer John Makely)

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 10:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Food and Recipes
        

The economy is so bad that even pretty cheap Chinese takeout food has become a luxury. And since January is the month when we all look at the scale and gasp, it's also not a great time to indulge in delicious but fattening crispy Orange Chicken.

The good news about this recipe from the latest annual cookbook from Fine Cooking is that it replicates the takeout version really well. Serve it over rice and you've got a quick, affordable family meal...

(Photo courtesy of Fine Cooking Annual, Vol. 3, by the editors and contributors of Fine Cooking. Taunton Press, 2008. Photographer: Scott Phillips.)

Continue reading "Orange Chicken With Scallions -- Dinner Together" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Dinner Together, Food and Recipes
        

This week's lighter comfort food was inspired by the bag of extra bread cubes I had left over from making stuffing for Thanksgiving. It kept staring at me from the freezer, until it dawned on me: strata.

Strata is like a savory bread pudding, of course, and it's often advertised as a brunch dish. You soak the bread cubes in an egg mixture overnight, then bake in the morning. It's great, hint hint, for an easy Christmas breakfast if you're still wondering what to serve tomorrow morning.

But there's nothing to say that a busy mom can't make an over-day strata for dinner...

(Photo by me)

Continue reading "Over-day (or overnight) Lightened Strata" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 5:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Dinner Together, Food and Recipes
        

Here's a holiday bonus for you and our friends at Dining@Large -- an extra recipe, for Brown Sugar-Sour Cream Cheesecake.

It's not the kind of thing I usually post on this blog, but it does relate to a common holiday mom theme: Doing way too much and making yourself crazy for the holidays. Even when you promise you won't.

This year, as I have every year recently, I vowed to do only necessary cooking and baking for the holidays, because when you're a newspaper food editor and the mother of two elementary-school children, there is no shortage of "necessary" cooking and baking. So how to explain why late the other night I was pulverizing three packages of softened cream cheese with butter, sour cream, brown sugar and assorted other goodies, then turning down the oven temperature faithfully every 20 minutes for an hour or so, then getting up at 5 the next morning to shave dark chocolate decoratively over the cheesecake that resulted?

The answer is...

Continue reading "The holiday potluck cheesecake recipe" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 10:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Food and Recipes
        

Our latest lightened comfort food is a traditional pot roast. This one, from a recent Cooking Light cookbook, goes easier on the oil than some versions, and calls for a smaller serving of meat than some -- about 3 ounces (the size of a deck of cards).

I thought this would be a good bet for families, because the chuck roast is inexpensive and my kids, at least, tend to like plain pieces of beef that are easy to cut...

(Photo by me)

Continue reading "Yankee Pot Roast, on the lighter side" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Dinner Together, Food and Recipes
        

I saw this Baked Ziti in The Biggest Loser Cookbook. It uses fat-free ricotta cheese and a bit less mozzarella than other recipes might employ, along with whole-wheat ziti. And this version is meatless.

When I presented it to my children, my son started making strange sounds....

(Photo by me)

Continue reading "Baked Ziti (Dinner Together)" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Dinner Together, Food and Recipes
        

Once you've gotten through tomorrow's big feast, you can only make so many sandwiches out of the leftover turkey. This stir-fry from eatturkey.com caught my eye as a good leftovers alternative, even though it was originally designed to use fresh, not cooked, turkey.

And it has lots of fresh veggies to make you feel a little better about the gluttony that has come before...

(Photo by me)

Continue reading "Ginger Turkey Stir-Fry" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 5:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Dinner Together, Food and Recipes
        

Remember Halloween week, when I said I was trying out souffles in mini pumpkins? Here they are, as the perfect kiddie meal, vegetarian alternative, or fun appetizer for Thanksgiving.

Truth be told, we did not all eat these together on Halloween night. (Yes, I know this is supposed to be Dinner Together, but all parents know that sometimes it just doesn't happen. Particularly on Halloween....)

Anyway, I got the prep work done before trick-or-treating. You steam the pumpkins so that the flesh is cooked, then you scoop that out and mix it with eggs, a bit of flour, baking powder, and cheese. You add egg whites to help the souffle rise, and then bake it again...

(Photo by Glenn Moody photography courtesy of Cabot Cheese)

Continue reading "Pumpkin and white cheddar souffles" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Everybody needs a good roast chicken recipe. This one, from the new Bon Appetit Fast Easy Fresh Cookbook, is my new favorite because a) it's roasted in pieces, so it cooks reasonably quickly and is easier to serve, and b) the side dish cooks right along with it. And, while it's cooking, your house smells great.

A funny story happened when I made this for dinner on the day of the Michael Phelps homecoming parade...

(Photo from "The Bon Appetit Fast Easy Fresh Cookbook," by Barbara Fairchild)

Continue reading "Lemon-oregano roast chicken and potatoes" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 5:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Dinner Together, Food and Recipes
        

At this point, faithful readers know that any shrimp dish is pretty much cheating. As long as the shrimp isn't tricked out too much, I'm guaranteed a favorable response from at least 50 percent of my young dinner constitutents.

Then again, this dish was originally designed for kids...

(Photo by me)

Continue reading "Grilled Shrimp with Orange Aioli" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 5:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

I got so busy yesterday that I forgot to link to a You & Taste cover story that will be of interest to any of you who are trying to figure out how to actually get your kids to eat a reasonably healthful dinner on Halloween before they gorge on candy.

It includes a yummy-sounding turkey meatloaf and sweet potato "spiders" recipe (pictured on the left) from a local mom that is simple and fun. I'm going to try out a recipe for cheese souffle in mini pumpkins for a future Dinner Together column. Watch this space to see how it goes over.

(Photo by Baltimore Sun photographer Chiaki Kawajiri)

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 10:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Food and Recipes
        

This recipe goes out to all of you who fear to cut into a pumpkin for anything other than a jack-o-lantern.

Until recently, I was like you. Until a cute little sugar pumpkin arrived in our share from One Straw Farm, and sat on our counter staring at me for a couple of weeks as I pondered whether to eat it, or put it out as a porch decoration.

I decided on the former course when I read that sugar pumpkins are actually very easy to peel. Unlike their hard-skinned squash cousins, these pumpkins can be shaved with a Y-style vegetable peeler. Easy as, well, pie.

But this is a dinner column, not a pie column (though I know my kids would have eaten that....)

(Photo by me)

Continue reading "Rigatoni with Roasted Pumpkin" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 5:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Dinner Together, Food and Recipes
        

Keep this recipe handy for Thanksgiving leftovers. Since it had eggs, which the kids like, and sweet potatoes along with the turkey for an easy one-pot meal, we decided to try it early.

The kids ate a good bit of it, especially the poached eggs. The sweet potatoes get nice and crispy, which makes this a good dish for brunch or dinner.

(Photo by Eskite Photography, from the book "Not Your Mother's Weeknight Cooking")

Continue reading "Sweet Potato Turkey Hash" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Dinner Together, Food and Recipes
        

Do you have a fabulous holiday cookie that your friends, families and coworkers look forward to each year? We'd love to consider the recipe for The Sun's annual cookie contest.

Send recipes to Kate Shatzkin, Food Editor, The Baltimore Sun, 501 N. Calvert St., Baltimore, MD 21278; fax them to me at 410-783-2519; or e-mail them to food@baltsun.com with "cookie contest" in the subject line. Please include your name, address and phone number. The deadline is Nov. 5.

We will select the best to be published in early December. This year, we’re upping the ante and offering cookbook prizes for those whose recipes are chosen for publication.

You can post recipes here if you like, but I'll need you to follow up with me by e-mail with your name, address and phone number in order for them to be considered for testing.

Good luck...

 (Photo by Baltimore Sun photographer Amy Davis)

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 4:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Food and Recipes
        

Country-style ribs are not only an economical option for those who like barbecue, they're also good for slow cooking. We've often braised them in barbecue sauce (for a super-easy dish), but I was intrigued by this recipe from the new book Cheater BBQ, in which the ribs are coated with dry rub, drizzled with liquid smoke and baked in a very hot Dutch oven.

I must admit to committing a cardinal culinary sin when I tested these...

(Photo by me)

Continue reading "Hot Pot Country-Style Ribs" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Found myself paging again through my mother's little book of dinner favorites for economical meals. This simple meat loaf with a sweet-spicy glaze is one I remember fondly.

It's nice and moist, and makes a great sandwich the next day. Kids had a split verdict... 

(Photo by me)

Continue reading "Red Wine Meat Loaf with Brown Sugar Glaze" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

I know -- capers. But the great thing about a recipe like this (from the new book Two Dudes, One Pan) is that the sauce comes at the end.

Until then, the fish (I used tilapia here to keep costs low, but any white fish should do) is simply seared in browned butter.

I saved some plain pieces for my kids before putting the sauce on the adults' portions.

The kids gave this a split verdict...

(Photo by Kathryn Russell from "Two Dudes, One Pan," by Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo. Published by Clarkson Potter)

Continue reading "Fish with Lemon-Caper Butter" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

I felt obliged to use some stray eggplant in my vegetable drawer the other day. I hadn't usually liked eggplant parmesan much in the past, but was intrigued by a recipe from Mitchell Davis' book Kitchen Sense that calls for grilling, not frying, the veggie before it goes into the casserole.

As I put this simple dish together, I thought it looked a little spare, so I decided to add some zucchini, grilled and tossed in cornmeal the same way. (Davis had posed that as an alternative to eggplant parmesan.)

The combination turned out to be delicious, my husband and I thought...

(Photo by me)

Continue reading "Grilled Eggplant and Zucchini Parmesan" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

When I saw this recipe in a new pasta cookbook from Woman'sDay magazine, it reminded me of a dish I used to throw together often as a single gal long ago.

I kept cans of clams in the pantry along with boxes of pasta, so it was easy to make at the last minute.

Since the kids generally like spaghetti, I figured it was worth a try...

(Photo from Woman'sDay Tuesday Night Is Pasta Night)

Continue reading "Linguine with clams and parsley" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Dinner Together, Food and Recipes
        

Now that it's September, it feels like time for more serious dinners, somehow, even though autumn is officially a couple of weeks off.

Pork chops are an easy way to get there. This recipe from a recent Weight Watchers cookbook comes together quickly. And if the wine sauce scares you for the kids, just leave it off for them.

I did, and my kids took to these pretty well...

(Photo by me)

Continue reading "Pork Chops with Rosemary-Wine Sauce" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

With school and all its fundraising needs looming, I'm playing around with a story idea for the Taste section on new tricks and sure-fire hits for bake sales. And, of course, I'm looking for your help.

What are the best sellers at your school bake sales, and why? Will you share your best recipes in the comments below?

I'll test the ones I find most intriguing, and if they turn out well, I'll print them in the paper and/or on our web site.

(Photo by me)

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Food and Recipes
        

You may be wondering: Is that, um, cereal on top of this week's Dinner Together Nachos Casserole?

And you would be right. That is cereal. Special K to be exact.

Before you think I've lost my mind, you should know that Special K is one of my daughter's favorite foods in the whole world. And it's not a bad food. So when I spotted this recipe in a Kellogg's cookbook we had here in the office, I thought the cereal might get her to try this easy family dish.

She loved the idea...

(Photo by me)

Continue reading "Nachos casserole -- Dinner Together" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Dinner Together, Food and Recipes
        

I decided to take another stab at having us all eat something the kids love to eat, but with a twist. (Remember, this strategy -- which I thought would be a slam-dunk -- ended up backfiring the last time I tried it with grilled cheese.)

This time, scrambled eggs was getting a subtle makeover. I found a recipe for Herbed Scrambled Eggs with Goat Cheese in one of my favorite cookbooks, The New California Cook, by Diane Rossen Worthington. I knew the herbs wouldn't fly, but the kids do like scrambled eggs. And they like cheese.

Would they like this?....

(Photo by me)

Continue reading "Scrambled eggs with goat cheese" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Dinner Together, Food and Recipes
        

It's getting to be gazpacho season, but my kids have already pretty much rejected tomatoes. A cool, easy soup is so appealing in summer, though, and bell peppers should be at the farmer's markets soon.

Since I had good luck with Mollie Katzen's Tiny Tacos a couple of months ago, I thought I would give her Cream of Red Pepper soup a try. It's meant to be served warm, but I thought I'd see if it would work as a cool soup.

Indeed it does work, warm or lightly chilled. Though the title sounds a little heavy, there's no actual cream... 

(Photo by me)

Continue reading "Cream of Red Pepper Soup" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Check out our story on the slew of kids' cookbooks coming out this summer. Cooking with your kids is all the rage, and author Maria Blackburn road-tested a few of the books with her tribe and some friends.

Even some of the adults in the office here thought the recipe for Peanut Butter Globe Globs at the end of the story sounded like the best thing ever.

Now we'd like to hear from you. What are your favorite books or web sites for cooking with kids? And we'd love to have you post some of your favorite kid-involved recipes for us all to try. 

(Photo of Maria Blackburn cooking with daughter Mia by Sun photographer Barbara Haddock Taylor)

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 9:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Food and Recipes
        

In times of economic stress, I always think about my mother. How did she manage to feed a family of four on just one salary?

The answer: Sometimes we had pancakes for dinner. Turns out that's what my mother-in-law, who had seven children, did too.

Pancakes for dinner is also convenient if you have picky eaters, and if you can somehow fortify your pancakes to give them a little extra nutrition.

My mom's sweet little cookbook had this recipe for Cottage Cheese Pancakes, which I hadn't eaten in years. She wrote that "with sausage and applesauce on the side, this makes a nutritious 'main meal.' "

The kids downed several without asking questions. Then my ever-sharp daughter said: "I've discovered the secret ingredient. ..."

(Photo by me)

Continue reading "Cottage Cheese Pancakes -- Dinner Together" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

 Here's a shameless promotion link to my story this morning about Cockeyed Cake, also known as Wacky Cake. I used to make it as a kid -- and had forgotten about until recently. If you don't already know about it, you might have fun checking it out and making it with your kids.

In its easiest form, you can make it right in the pan in about five minutes. Kids especially like the chemical reaction that gets the cake to rise -- vinegar and baking soda, which make bubbles together.

I also got a recipe from a reader that makes great, super-easy chocolate cupcakes -- a busy mom's dream. Scroll down to the bottom of the story, and look for the recipe for Wacky Cake in a Tube Pan.

(Photo by me)

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 11:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Food and Recipes
        

I often fret about how far away we live from our parents. My children adore their grandparents, and we call each other frequently, but something about the phone can make my kids very shy and uncommunicative.

Kind of the way they are any time a parent asks them about their day.

So I marvel at my dad's creativity in sparking their imaginations. Recently, he sent them an e-mail with some great questions. I "interviewed" the kids and helped them send the answers back. They were very interested in the project, and my dad got a kick out of reading the answers.

Here are his questions:

To Leah:

Which do you like better--camp or a peanut butter sandwich?

Which would you rather do--read a book or dress your dolls?

What is the difference between running and sleeping?

Would you rather be a dish of ice cream or a robot?

To Sam:

How do you spell "Speed?" (He had to answer this without looking.)

Which do you like better--stickers or lollipops?

Does Speed Racer live in Baltimore?

Which would you rather do--have a strawberry or go to the park?

Do you have any ideas for questions grandparents can ask? Or other ways for grandparents and grandkids to stay connected across the miles? Please post below.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Food and Recipes
        

I couldn't resist reporting that during a rare date-sans-kids with my husband this weekend, I noticed a boy and a girl, perhaps 6 and 9, eating with their parents in the enoteca at Cinghiale.

I didn't witness their entire meal, but I watched them while they were there, and they appeared to behave perfectly. Even more impressive, they appeared to actually eat something.

(Then again, Cinghiale just updated its enoteca menu to including something called R.F.C., a Roman-style fried chicken. There's also a simple spaghetti dish.)

Anyway, in light of our discussions about kids and restaurants, I thought this was worth a mention. Even though I wouldn't have brought my kids -- and was happy to be having a grown-up date in a grown-up place -- I was proud of their parents for representing us well.

(Photo of Cinghiale by Sun photographer Lloyd Fox)

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 12:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Food and Recipes
        

I was looking through Great Food Fast, published last year by the folks who produce Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine and show, when I saw a picture almost exactly like this one (only, of course, better.)

Now, normally you might not ever think of serving your under-10 kids a salad nicoise. But if you deconstructed it in this way? The kids could easily see things they liked, unmolested by things they didn't. They could pick and choose, and might even eat one of the vegetables if they didn't have to eat it all.

Indeed, we had some success with this Salmon Nicoise Salad (the recipe follows). Hard-boiled eggs were the key. ...

(Photo by me)

Continue reading "Dinner Together: Salmon Nicoise Salad" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 8:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Need dinner delivery after your own delivery? Let's Dish!, the meal-assembly company, has an offer for new moms -- free delivery of its 8-meal DishDelivery orders for up to three months after a baby is born.

Details and rules of the offer are on the Let's Dish blog.

If you know someone who's expecting, a nice group gift might be to spring for the meals, then take advantage of the offer for free delivery of them. I know that when I had babies, all I really wanted was for dinner to be taken care of (and cleanup too!).

When my first was born, one of our favorite gifts was a big spiral sliced ham with biscuits, with a tray of fresh fruit. Whenever we were hungry and had a moment to eat, we'd grab it.

What food gifts have you received in the early days of having a baby that you liked best?

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 9:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Babies and Toddlers, Expecting, Food and Recipes
        

Rachael Ray provokes strong reactions, in my household and many others. But for me, it comes down to this: This chili-dog version of pigs in blankets from her new family cookbook was a solid hit with both of our kids. Even the flexitarian daughter.

And the adults liked it pretty well, too.

We used ground turkey for the chili filling and turkey dogs to make things a little healthier. I took Annelies' recommendation and used Trader Joe's refrigerated pizza dough, which performed nicely and tasted good.

The recipe follows. ...

(Photo by me)

Continue reading "Dinner Together: Chili-Cheese Dogs in Beach Blankets" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 5:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Dinner Together, Food and Recipes
        

My baby turned 5 the other day. And the cake I made him, part of a cookbook review you'll see in the Taste section in a few weeks, is one every parent should have in his or her repertoire.

It's from Warren Brown's new Cakelove cookbook, named after the well-known D.C.-area bakery that opened a branch in Baltimore this year.

Many of the recipes require some special ingredients and a bit of skill, but not this No-Mixer cake. You pour the wet ingredients into a plastic container with a tight-fitting lid and shake, which would be a fun project for kids. And the cake is moist and fabulous -- well worth the calories.

It was ironic that I made this no-mixer cake, because...

(Photos by me)

Continue reading "Warren Brown's no-mixer birthday cake" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 10:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Food and Recipes
        

I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, this lady is crazy. Does she think our kids are going to eat that? Tofu? Out in the open?

The thing is, my 7-year-old daughter chose it.

I offered her two options for this week's Dinner Together: fish baked in parchment packets, which she could help wrap up. Or grilled tofu with peanut sauce and baby bok choy.

Even though she wants to be a vegetarian (who, as I said before, eats vegetables only under duress), I thought she'd choose the fun fish packets. But she was horrified at taking a fish's life, and chose the tofu.

I admired her principles, but feared for the outcome of the dinner. ...

(Photo by me)

Continue reading "Dinner Together: Grilled Tofu with Baby Bok Choy" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

OK, I'm pulling out the big guns.

My 7-year-old daughter, Leah, heard me talking with my husband about the endless debate on Dining at Large over whether kids should be allowed to set foot in restaurants before the age of, say, 25. "That's not fair," she said.

Yesterday afternoon, I asked her if she wanted to put her thoughts in writing. And, as you can see, she has.

I helped her with spelling and one bit of grammar. But the words are hers. In case you can't read it, a reprint follows. ...

(Click below to continue reading.)

Continue reading "Kids and restaurants: A 7-year-old's manifesto" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 12:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (30)
Categories: Food and Recipes
        

Here's a small list of best pizza places that kids love. Now foodies, before you get all exercised about what's below, remember that this isn't necessarily the best pizza -- though some of these places rank up there. It's a list of places where families like to dine and everyone is reasonably happy.

Often all we can hope for, as parents. And the absence of even these basic conditions is why many parents told me they don't have a place to go for pizza -- they just take it out.

For example, according to my unscientific observation, the No. 1 kid favorite pizza variety is likely cheese. Just ... cheese. Second favorite: pepperoni. So it's good when a place has both plenty of basic pizza and some fancy-schmantzy stuff for the adults.

--Amer's Cafe, Fullerton. Jason K raved about this place early on. Make-your-own-pizza parties, belly dancing, and a location in the same shopping center as the Beltway Movies 6 movie theater, which shows lots of family-friendly matinees.

--Carmine's in Hunt Valley gets props from Annelies and mgb. I like the sound of a gelato shop in the back.

--Bertucci's, various locations in the area. Yes, it's a chain. I've not been, but I've heard good things from several parents, particularly about the Timonium location on York Road. 

--If it's not busy, Iggies Pizza in Mount Vernon has gotten kudos from Chowhound readers for kid-friendliness (and from Dining at Large readers for its gourmet, thin-crust pizzas). I've never taken my kids, but I do like the pizza and the atmosphere. But Chowhounders recommend avoiding Saturday nights. They also have a "take and bake" option that might work if you think the kids (or you, for that matter) aren't up to restaurant manners that night.

--LIVE! restaurant reviewer and mom Karen Nitkin likes Matthew's Pizza in Highlandtown and S'ghetti Eddies in Roland Park. I second the S'ghetti Eddie's shoutout because I liked its Colors of Italy pie last time we were there -- and because, according to the web site, they now serve ice cream with free sprinkles.

--Edamommy likes another Timonium place, Pasta Blitz (49 Aylesbury Road, 410-453-6603). In a 2006 Sun review, which may not apply anymore, Karen praised the food and said there were lots of pizzas available by the slice.

--If we're going for takeout, our family has become fond of Vito's Pizza, 6304 York Road, Towson, 410-323-8486. Their cheese version pleases the kids, and the adults like the veggie pizza.

Now, I do realize that there aren't any Anne Arundel or Howard County places on this list that aren't chains, so I'm fervently hoping that some readers from those parts will chime in with good recommendations. And if there's anyplace else that should be mentioned, please tell us in the comments below.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 9:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Food and Recipes, Tip Sheet Thursdays
        

On the subject of coming up with healthful, quick meals that the kids will actually eat, you'll want to check out today's installment of our Make Over My Meal series. This month, a single mother who works full-time asked for help with dinners for her daughters.

Food blogger Rachel Rappaport offered some good ideas, including a recipe for peanut butter and noodles with snow peas (pictured) that I'm definitely going to try. Maybe the picture of the adorable little girl about to try something new that ran with the story will persuade my family it's a good idea.

By the way, if you'd like to volunteer to be featured in Make Over My Meal, please send an e-mail to food@baltsun.com with "Makeover" in the subject line. Give us your name and phone number, and tell us a little about what meal you'd like made over.

(Photo by Sun Photographer Amy Davis)

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 11:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Food and Recipes
        

When all else fails, go to the stuffed baked potato. It's easy, full of nutrients, and allows each family member to add his or her own toppings.

This recipe is from a recently published Sesame Street cookbook, called "C" is for Cooking. This is Cookie Monster's baked potato: Baked once, then mixed with cheese, yogurt, butter and bacon bits if you like, then stuffed back into the shell and baked a little while longer.

Without the bacon, we thought it might be a good vegetarian option for my daughter. ...

(Click below for the recipe.)

(Photo by me)

Continue reading "Dinner Together: Stuffed baked potatoes" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

This is a good dinner for anyone looking for a quick vegan recipe. If your kids don't like the idea of tofu, they won't know it's hidden in the sauce.

If they don't like the spinach as pictured, you can add some of the spinach to the sauce as you're making it, too. Just make sure you do that in small batches, because too much can make the sauce brownish-green instead of creamy red.

(Click below for the recipe. ...)

(Photo by me)

Continue reading "Dinner Together: Pasta with Creamy Spinach and Red Pepper Sauce" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 5:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

All next week, Let's Dish!, the meal-assembly company some of you probably use, is making a Mother's Day offer I wouldn't be able to refuse if I had had a baby this year -- free dinner for the family for any mother who has given birth since January 2008. (Now if they could just come over and do the dishes afterwards...)

Check the link above for details. Moms of twins born this year will be happy to hear that they get two meals.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 8:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Food and Recipes
        

If you want to treat your kids to ice cream, tonight is the night to do it for less. Baskin-Robbins stores are having a "31 Cent Scoop Night," with 2.5 ounce scoops of ice cream available for 31 cents each between 5 and 10 p.m.

The event honors firefighters, and some locations may be collecting donations for firefighter charities. Limit of 10 scoops per person, so don't go too crazy.

(Photo courtesy of Baskin-Robbins)

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 12:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Food and Recipes
        

There may be no greener chef than Alice Waters, the Berkeley, Calif., creator of Chez Panisse restaurant who is often considered the mother of the sustainable food movement. More important to this blog's readers, she also started the Edible Schoolyard project to get more healthful food into school lunchrooms and curricula.

So for our Green Week, I decided to make the family a chock-full-of-chard frittata from Waters' latest cookbook, The Art of Simple Food.

There are at least two "green" things about this easy dinner: Not only does it have a lot of chard, but it uses the whole bunch -- even the tough, colorful stems, which would often be thrown away. Here, they're cooked gently with onions to become a tender, flavorful addition to the dish. And a frittata is an easy way to use up leftover vegetables, pasta, or meat.

I had a bit of a cooking crisis in the middle of making this. ...

(Photo by me)

Continue reading "Dinner Together: Chard Frittata" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 5:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Here are those cupcakes I promised you to celebrate 400 comments.

I chose these because if you're going to have a treat, in my opinion "Barefoot Contessa" Ina Garten is the chef to see. She does it up right.

I also chose them because Susan K likes chocolate, and because the cupcake plays kind of an interesting role in the current state of parenting. We're constantly either making them for one school event/birthday/party or another; or we're buying them but secretly feeling that perhaps we should have made them from scratch; or we're worrying that our children are consuming altogether too many of them anyway, so we're trying to be strong by not taking them someplace, and taking carrot sticks instead.

Then we are so overcome with this inner wrangling that we simply must have a cupcake for ourselves. As local blogger Sweetney observes: "Mommy Guilt: It's What's For Dinner." Also dessert.

But I digress. ...(Click below for recipes.)

(Photo by me)

Continue reading "Chocolate cupcakes and peanut butter icing" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 10:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Food and Recipes
        

Thanks to Susan K, our little debate with the Dining at Large readers, and the posts from other commenters yesterday afternoon, we hit our 400th-comment benchmark with some to spare. So look for your virtual treat early next week. You can use the recipe next time you're hit up for a bake-sale contribution.

Best thing about a virtual treat: No calories. That is, until you bake it yourself. ...

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 1:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Food and Recipes
        

This week I had my kids choose a recipe together, from one of Emeril Lagasse's books for kid chefs. "Emeril's There's a Chef in My World" -- yes, "Emeril's" is part of the title -- has an international theme.

The children liked this recipe because of its Irish influence (they've got a fair amount of Irish blood). It had not only salmon (which my son likes) but bacon (which my son likes). My daughter just liked the idea of an Irish-themed dish, and probably the concept of pie for dinner. ...(Read on for the recipe.)

(Photo by me)

Continue reading "Dinner Together: Irish Salmon Pie" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 5:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Next Wednesday, the Taste section will have a story on the rising price of food, with tips from experts and regular folks about how to keep eating well when everything's getting more expensive. To add to the story, we're looking for tips from readers about how they save money on meals.

I know this blog's readership is extra-savvy about such matters, so I'd love for you to participate. If you'd like your comments published, please send an email to food@baltsun.com, and we'll put a selection on our website with the story next week. You can also talk about it in the comments section below.

(Photo of John Garcia, of JJ&F Market, as he organizes vegetables on display at a grocery store in Palo Alto, Calif., by Associated Press photographer Paul Sakuma)

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 1:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Food and Recipes
        

While I've been writing about Dinner Together, faithful commenter Annelies has started a new blog about the lunches she sends to preschool with her son, whom she calls Nugget (on the blog, anyway). She packs his fare in very cute bento boxes. Annelies has an added challenge in preparing tasty, healthful lunches: Nugget has food allergies, which will make her blog particularly useful to many of you.

There are other dishes besides lunch. I'm going to try the Xetzels she made as a school snack sometime.

How do you deal with lunch and food allergies?

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 11:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Food and Recipes, Parent bloggers
        

Thought I'd give sneaking in some good stuff another try.

Though she generally passes up meat for moral reasons, my daughter loves hamburgers and occasionally eats them. This recipe from the latest cookbook by Missy Chase Lapine, the "Sneaky Chef," slips in spinach, blueberries and oat bran.

This cookbook is designed to help you fool your man into eating healthfully, which isn't an issue in my house. (That explains the "barbell" title.) But this recipe worked on the kids. These tasted like regular homemade hamburgers, though the texture was much softer (I'm not actually sure it would fool a grown-up guy.) 

(Photo by me)                                

(Read on for the recipe...)

Continue reading "Dinner Together: Barbell Burgers" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 5:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Couldn't resist linking to this WebMD account of a new study that finds picky eating may be more related to genetics than to the food you're offering, especially for boys. The study from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia followed the eating habits of nearly 800 pairs of twins and found that identical twins tended to share the same preferences for food and drink, according to the article.

Interestingly, girls seemed more influenced by "environmental" factors, such as what snacks are available in the home.

For parents of very selective eaters (even though I've used the term picky eater before, I don't really like it), does this news bring any comfort? Or are you more confused than ever about how to help your child eat well?

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 1:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

All I can say is, hooray for Mollie Katzen.  

She's the vegetable-loving author of the string of wildly successful Moosewood Restaurant cookbooks. Several years ago, she published a cookbook for preschoolers and up called Salad People, which I picked up recently at the library to inspire my picky 7-year-old daughter to try new foods.

Several of you have suggested getting the kids involved in choosing our meals, and I think it's a great idea. I've had Leah help me at the market before, but this time I gave her the book and told her to pick something for dinner.

Even though Leah really has a hard time trying new things, Katzen's whimsical drawings and kid-friendly step-by-step directions captivated her. She not only chose this recipe for tiny tacos, but wanted to make it herself.

The original recipe calls for packaged tortilla chips, but we made our own. It's very easy -- not to mention cheaper and more healthful. ...

(Read on for the recipe. ...)

(Photo by me)

Continue reading "Dinner Together: Tiny tacos" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 5:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Thought we might have more success if we went back to pasta, but tried it in a fun shape -- little pillows of tortellini.

You'll see lots of variations on this recipe around; I've made this one less creamy than some traditional versions, but it still has a tasty sauce that benefits from some reserved pasta-cooking water.

It comes together quickly with frozen tortellini and frozen vegetables; I use peas because they're the only vegetable my daughter will taste at the moment, but you could easily substitute another vegetable or two. Asparagus would be a nice seasonal touch; just blanch it separately and toss with pasta at the end.

My son loved this dish, especially the savory prosciutto...

(Photo by me)

Continue reading "Dinner Together: Cheese Tortellini with Prosciutto and Rosemary" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 5:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

The Food Allergy & Anaphalaxis Network is having a conference tomorrow in Baltimore called "Food Allergies: Living and Learning." The conference is open to the public (see prices below), and will include information on helping a child manage food allergies and reactions and on how and when to use epinephrine. There's a special lunch session for teens to discuss handling allergies while dating, traveling and dining out, with a concurrent (but separate) session for parents of teens.

The conference starts at 8:30 a.m. at the Sheraton Inner Harbor Hotel, 300 S. Charles St. Online registration is closed, but you can call the FAAN office at 800-929-4040 to register, or do so the morning of the conference.

The registration costs are: Member: $85; Guest: $75; Teen: $65; Nonmember/walk-in: $105; Nonmember Guest: $95; Nonmember Teen: $75.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 11:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Food and Recipes, Health, Things to Do
        

We were on the verge the other night of getting takeout, and we were talking Chinese. Then we thought about the electric bill, the oil bill, the price at the pump, the prices at the grocery store...all going up.

Why not make Chinese at home for a little less money?

Of course, it wouldn't be as authentic. But it would probably be healthier, and it would be a chance to introduce some different foods to our more, um, discriminating eaters.

We figured the egg in the fried rice would be a familiar sight for our kids, who both like scrambled eggs. And they'd get fresh vegetables without a lot of hidden fat and sodium....

(Click the link below to get the recipes)

 (Photo by me)

Continue reading "Dinner Together: Chinese At Home" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 7:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Dinner Together, Food and Recipes
        

Some parents cook and bake all the time. Some do it when they have time. And some avoid it at all costs.

But every family needs a great brownie recipe.

It's the bake sale standby, the rainy day pick-me-up, the just-because quick project. Brownies are low-maintenance and high-satisfaction.

As a treat for your support of this blog, I thought I'd share the recipe for my latest favorite version. This one comes from The 150 Best American Recipes, a cookbook that has never failed me. These brownies are fudgy and chewy, and best of all, they're as satisfying for adults as they are for kids ... (read on for the recipe)

(Photo by me)

Continue reading "Time to bake: Every family needs a great brownie" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 11:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Food and Recipes
        

My husband had a theory about why our last couple of Dinner Together recipes weren't very successful with the kids (although we liked them). "These aren't foods they recognize," he said. (I thought last week's pizzas were a pretty familiar concept, but he said the portobello "crust" took things too far.)

So I promptly put him in charge of finding this week's recipe. And I learned that when you have dinner together, sometimes it's the parents who have to try a not-so-favorite thing to take one for the team.

John chose a homemade vegetable macaroni and cheese from familyfun.com. I'm not a huge fan of macaroni and cheese, but it's definitely a familiar food to my young ones. Only it's usually a little more orange in color, and not from the carrots you see here....

(Photo by me) 

Continue reading "Dinner Together: Vegetable Macaroni and Cheese" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Dinner Together, Food and Recipes
        

The kids like pizza. They like hamburgers (at least the taste, if not how they're made). Portobello mushrooms taste a bit like hamburgers, are high in niacin and potassium, and can stand in for pizza crust. Portobello pizzas will make us all happy, right?

Well, maybe they'll make your family happy.

Even though we tucked the spinach for their pizzas under a bigger mound of cheese than you see in this picture, the children were less than enthused. And they didn't touch the broccoli or the sweet potato.

 I was sorry that they missed out on the easy homemade pizza sauce...

Continue reading "Dinner Together: Portobello pizzas" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 5:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Dinner Together, Food and Recipes
        

Susan Reimer is writing a piece for our Taste section about the increasing interest in veganism and vegetarianism on the part of teenage girls and young women, spurred in part by books like Skinny Bitch in the Kitch. She'd like to talk to a local parent or two of a vegan or vegetarian girl who's still living at home about how you integrate your daughter's diet with the family's, and about how you approach any health concerns you might have about the way your perhaps-still-growing girl eats.

If you'd be willing to talk to Susan, please email her at susan.reimer@baltsun.com.