There's nothing like good weather that gets me in the mood for cooking in my kitchen, which inevitably leads to more trips to the grocery store. Although some may think supermarkets that focus on natural and organic foods are too expensive, there are plenty of ways to cut costs on your grocery bill. I talked to Lindsay Lehfeld from the Whole Foods team who shared with me 10 ways they can help you save.
Say "Bordeaux" and you'll scare away many everyday wine drinkers who associate it with $2,000 bottles of Lafite. But not all wine from the region is expensive, precious, or rare; in fact, much of it is impressively affordable (as Bordeaux is the largest wine-producing region in France) and not half bad.
The key, I've discovered, is finding quality Bordeaux AOC and Bordeaux Superior AOC offerings, basic-level wines that still embody the character of the region. I found a recent steal, 2009 Chateau Le Touzinard Bordeaux, on sale at Whole Foods for a paltry $10, as part of a promotion they'd launched offering an early taste of the 2009 vintage. It's one of their outstanding selections that comes from a "petit château," a small, family-owned property.
The shocker about this wine was the fact that it was smooth, medium-bodied, and structured, yet still easy to drink on its own. I attribute that to its incredibly fruity nose, which evoked images of ripe, jammy plums, tart cherries, and cigar box spice, and its pleasant level of acidity. It's a great everyday wine for food, or without. What's your favorite Bordeaux wine?
Skin care brand Yes To and Whole Foods want to know how your garden grows, or at least how it would grow if you received a grant to create one. The companies are partnering on a new initiative to create school gardens that will teach kids about nutrition and sustainability. And from now until May 31, they're taking applications. To find out more, just keep reading.
The other day I was at Whole Foods when I witnessed a very interesting conversation between a customer and one of the produce section's employees. She asked him where the parsley was, and when he pointed her toward the Italian flat-leaf parsley, she said, "That's not parsley!" I was surprised that she had never heard of Italian parsley. It, naturally, got me thinking about parsley preferences. I always cook with flat-leaf. How about you?
For the past couple of years, the food world has been fascinated with goat meat. I've read countless stories in magazines and newspapers and seen goat on trendy restaurants' menus, and now, it's available at Whole Foods. While I've tried goat more than once, I don't know if I'm ready to make it at home. I've heard the meat must be cooked for long periods of time to get it tender. How about you?
If you were disappointed there was no bean-based dish in my roundup of vegetarian entrees, I've got an awesome recipe for you: lentil chili. It's hearty, slightly spicy, and absolutely delicious. The best thing about this meat-free chili is that it's healthy, so you feel good eating it. It has the warm, comforting qualities of a classic chili, but without all the extra fat. It takes a little more than an hour to make, but this satisfying one-pot dish is worth the wait. While the chili cooks, it fills your house with the most enticing aroma! Serve with a citrus salad and toasted bread. To make the chili this weekend, keep reading.
Eating healthy isn't always as easy as it seems — especially when navigating your way down the grocery aisle. Our tip is to shop the perimeter because it's usually where whole, unprocessed foods are kept like produce and meat. This chart from the healthy eating blog Summer Tomato will make things even easier to decipher. Darya Pino, a food scientist, put together this "supermarket GPS" chart as a way to steer consumers toward the good stuff and away from the crap.
My favorite tips on the chart are to avoid foods that contain more than five ingredients and those with ingredients that you cannot pronounce. It all sort of goes back to Michael Pollan's mantra, which I love: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."
Source: Summer Tomato
Seems like a lot of people love organic food shopping, but they love deals at organic supermarkets even more! My insider guide to snagging great discounts at Whole Foods was quite popular among readers, which is one of the reasons why the Whole Foods tips are the Best of 2010. So if you're planning on getting your money's worth at Whole Foods for some holiday food shopping, remember to take note of some of these suggestions. Happy savvy and organic shopping!
If you liked the unexpected pairing of butternut squash and panettone in a rustic Italian bread salad, then you'll love this unpredictable combination of squash with tart, bright green apples.
Skip the heavier, savory squash bread pudding or butternut-blended mac and cheese for a hearty meatless dish that also happens to be light.
Top the Winter produce pairing with pecans for added protein and a generous topping of bread crumbs to achieve a crisp crust. Want the recipe? Then read more.
Don't call panettone fruitcake: The fruit-studded Italian dessert bread is also a hallmark of the Christmas season, but it's much fluffier and less cloying than its dense and ridiculed American counterpart. Panettone is wonderful alone or with butter, but it can also be incorporated into a weeknight meal. This creative recipe calls for the eggy, voluptuous bread in lieu of sourdough in a late-Fall panzanella. This bread salad's packed with nutrient-dense butternut squash, spinach, and apple cider.
To add a holiday touch to a healthy meal, read more.
