Dana Jacobi

Make Mojo Your Marinade

The Cuban sauce called mojo criollo serves easily as both a great marinade and as an accompaniment to seafood, chicken, and lean pork.

Salty, Sweet, Sour, Bitter and Umami?

The four basic tastes – salty, sweet, sour and bitter – are familiar to us, but so is umami, the Japanese name for ‘the fifth taste’ that doesn’t have a name in the West.

Since soy is, arguably, the most versatile food in the world, eating it is simpler and more appealing than you may expect. Soy has gone from geeky health food to a mainstream choice for healthy eating in appealing ways, including this recipe for Cream of Asparagus Soup.

Take-Out, Mediterranean-Style

Take-out has many definitions. To us, it usually means pizza or fast food like burgers and fries. But despite the globalization of our culture across the Atlantic, Europeans still enjoy takeout that includes local dishes as well as American fast food.

Enjoying Red Peppers and Homemade Pepperonata

The first time I ate a sweet red bell pepper, it was part of an antipasto at an Italian restaurant. The tender roasted pepper, glistening with olive oil, seemed completely unrelated to the grassy, almost bitter tasting green pepper in the salad that always accompanied dinner.

Winter Tabbouleh Helps Fit in Five-A-Day

If you have tried to achieve Five-a-Day, then you know that eating “the minimum recommended amount of fruit is easy. It’s fitting in the vegetables that can be the hard part.

More Spice Is Nice

Through eating in ethnic restaurants and travelling broadly, Americans have become more aware of how much seasonings can enrich a meal, and we keep a well-stocked spice rack. However, we tend to use only some of its contents regularly. Feature includes recipe for Mediterranean Chickpea Stew with Toasted Noodles.

Enjoy Dishes With Less Meat

Apart from the fact that health experts say most Americans eat more animal protein than their bodies need, there are many reasons to eat less. Includes recipe for Asian Frittata with Shrimp and Broccoli.

Translating a Tuscan Treat

Even Tuscans enjoy grapes for more than wine, as I discovered my first time in Florence. Includes recipe for Grape and Red Onion Pizza.

Italian Pickled Zucchini

The summertime glut of green squash, or zucchini, is quickly dwindling, and it’s time to take advantage of what’s left in farmers markets before it disappears completely. Includes recipe for Italian Pickled Zucchini.

All About Shrimp

Expensive as they are, shrimp are by far the most popular seafood. Considering the cost, it is surprising how little Americans know about how to get the best quality and cook them easily at home. Includes recipe for Spinach and Shrimp Salad with Citrus Dressing.

Tricks for Making Kale a Treat

Kale is one of my favorite vegetables. Growing up, I thought it was delightfully sweet, mainly because of the melted butter my mother poured over it. Once I knew changing the type of fat and reducing the amount was essential, I began trying other ways to prepare kale.

Try It – You’ll Like It

On a simmering hot day, nothing beats the bracing chill of a glass of cold buttermilk, but let’s not even go there. Rather, think of buttermilk as a versatile and appealing ingredient. Includes recipe for Cold Beet Soup.

Ratatouille, American-Style

Ratatouille is an unsurpassed bit of culinary magic, perfectly timed for the height of summer’s harvest. This side dish transforms sun-ripened tomatoes, zucchini, peppers and eggplant into a sparkling reminder of its native Provence, France.