Eat. Drink. Better.

Okay. This recipe may not be the healthiest most sustainable, seasonal, vegan dessert or even what most people would consider traditional holiday fare. However, it has become a regular christmas staple in our household and like most traditions, it has a story attached to it.

Nothing dramatic really, but about 15 years ago, I was experiencing one of those ‘blue’ christmases that Elvis sang about - all lonely and weepy and not much fun. My friends took turns trying to keep me from total despair and I found myself slumped on a stool in my dear friend Roberta’s kitchen a couple of days before christmas. I was a bit like a dry sack of flour so she put me to work as she was busily preparing her family’s favorite holiday dessert, strawberry squares.

Keep reading to get this delicious recipe . . .

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Want to eat well but while keeping an eye on your budget? Not to worry—you don’t have to empty your wallet at Whole Paycheck Whole Foods in order to do so. Here are some tips on how to parlay your greenbacks into more affordable green eating.

Prioritize your purchases. Buying organic makes for healthier, tastier food, but it can come at a steep price. However, The Daily Green has published two helpful guides to navigating this dilemma: a list of 12 key foods to buy organic, as well as of the 10 safest non-organic grocery purchases.

Know which aisles to shop. The bulk section of health-food stores is a goldmine of good buys: grains, cereals, dried beans, nuts, flour, sugar, and herbs and spices. Buying in bulk is less expensive than buying packaged goods and allows you to get just the right amount.

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The Portland Tribune reports that the city of Portland, Oregon plans to declare an “official city doughnut” this week. Mayor Tom Potter will introduce his official doughnut resolution, declaring Voodoo Doughnuts’ Portland Creme, a raised doughnut filled with cream and covered in chocolate with “two eyes”, during the City Council’s Christmas Eve day meeting.

Potter’s resolution, will express Portlanders’ deepest gratitude to Voodoo Doughnut management for its dedication in the face of these stringent economic times in providing employment opportunities . . . and above all, creating and naming a doughnut after our beloved city that leaves a lasting taste and fond memories on its customers near and far away.”

Now, this is a great sentiment, at least on the surface. Voodoo Doughnuts is a Portland institution and rightfully deserves every single accolade that has been bestowed upon them.

If one goes beyond the surface, this magnanimous gestures seems to conjure up be a few dilemmas.

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When I was growing up, the silky sounds of Nat King Cole crooning, ‘chestnuts roasting on an open fire…’ was the hallmark of the holidays for me.  Every time I would hear it, I’d get that rush of childlike exuberance that encapsulates the magic of the season, and makes you feel like anything is possible.  

Yet, despite the fact that inordinate amounts of food were also synonymous with the holidays in my family (6 courses and 3 hours worth of dishes to be exact, by hand), we never had one dish with a chestnut in it.  Not a one.  For shame.

So, as I got older, and began to nurture my inner chef, I decided to remedy that travesty by starting a new tradition of savory chestnut soup to begin the descent into our annual colossal feast, much to my Grandmother’s chagrin who quite religiously served Italian Escarole soup.  (And by religiously, I mean had served Escarole for 30+ years prior to my first course usurping; or usouping, as it were. OK, bad joke.)

But my soup was a big hit, and each year I’d add or change the ingredients, perfecting my chestnut prowess with new and interesting pairings.  Needless to say, some years were better than others.  The addition of raisins, for example.  Disaster.  Cranberries, however.  Surprisingly delicious.  And those tart little buggers are still the perfect complement to the soup.  The cranberries, that is — not my family!

And now for the first time ever outside the hallowed halls of the Snowfield residence, I am sharing my coveted recipe for you to share, which now includes honey glazed grilled salmon, making it a hearty first — or even second — course for your own foray into holiday gorging and merriment.

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Tea is one of those things that unites people.  The experience of sharing a cup with friends, or that momentary feeling of steamy relief with the sip of a chamomile blend when you’re sick or a bedtime ritual that soothingly lulls you into slumber.

It also comes with other healing and beauty benefits that Tracy Stern, founder of Salon Tea, has harnessed in her commitment to making green living fashionable through tea.

As part of our Behind the Burner series, I got the amazing chance to chat with this fabulous lady whose sense of style is instantly captivating from her Vogue-worthy wardrobe to her recyclable tea tins.

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As the economy tanks, tips on saving money this holiday season are on the rise. But here’s the most frugal, green holiday tip of them all: recycled food.

No, we’re not talking about gifting your mother-in-law with the half-empty jar of mayo. But do think about scouring the back of your pantry for those ingredients you may have been stockpiling that would make a great food gift or holiday dish. Consider this the ultimate form of recycling: creatively using up ingredients that would otherwise be composted — or landfilled.

That’s my inspiration behind this recipe for Peppermint Biscotti. You know those red and white peppermints you can pick up for free as you exit a restaurant? Apparently I can’t say no to these as I had accumulated a jar of them over the course of a year. I realize, these mints are hardly a blip on the nutritional radar, but I still didn’t want to see them wasted — considering I was the culprit who collected them in the first place. In crushed form, these peppermints add a seasonal mint twist to biscotti. And I’ve never met anyone who didn’t love these cookies as a holiday gift. So much so actually that friends now gift me with their collection of peppermints for my annual biscotti-baking marathon.

Recipe after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

All Champagne is sparkling wine made through the “Methode Champenoise.” But not all sparkling wine is Champagne.

Wine writer Alan Richman in the December 2005 issue of Bon Appetit magazine bombastically wrote:

Say what you will about California Sparklers - which are to French Champagne what paddlefish eggs are to beluga caviar - they will not transport you to a fantasy world, unless you are enthralled by the Napa Valley wine train. Sparkling wines that are not Champagne structurally lack finesse, enologically they lack bouquet, and sentimentally they lack ostentation.

I hate to disagree with a James Beard award winning writer, but Alan, YOU ARE WRONG.

Domestic bubbly has reached amazing heights and achieved complex flavors and textures. These wines are world-class while still somehow maintaining their own sense of terroir. Some are even fantastic values.

Here are my Top 9 sparkling wine suggestions for your 2009 New Year’s Eve celebration.

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Today the Obama transition team announced the President Elect’s newest addition to his Cabinet: Tom Vilsack will be the Secretary of Agriculture.

Selecting the former governor of Iowa, one of the nation’s top agriculture-based economies, seems natural. As the economic crisis has exacerbated the tumult that had already begun plaguing the American farming industry, Vilsack is in a unique position to understand the related issues that will no doubt influence Obama’s new economic stimulus package. Moreover, Vilsack is a vocal supporter of combating global warming, finding alternative energy sources, and investing in biofuels—issues that must take center stage in the reshaping of agricultural policy.

However, Vilsack’s appointment could be a mixed bag. Read the rest of this entry »

Winter veggies usually get short shrift, but there are many reasons to savor them. They add loads of vitamins and nutrients to our diets, do wonders for our immunity, and are wonderfully versatile. Plus, eating seasonally is eating green: as it takes us back to the old days of eating only the freshest available products, it’s a more sustainable eating model and it’s better for reducing our carbon footprints.

Here’s my guide to making the most of these five fabulous winter veggies:

1. Play Squash

I actually look forward to winter just for its squash varieties. Acorn, banana, butternut, spaghetti, delicata, hubbard, sweet dumpling, buttercup, and turban squashes—not to mention pumpkin—add a colorful and sweet accent to your plate. Plus, they are among the healthiest types of complex carbohydrates (the best kind of carbs), with high fiber, vitamin A, and vitamin C content. Roast ‘em, mash ‘em, or slow cook ‘em into a heaping bowl of soupy goodness for the perfect warm winter meal. Read the rest of this entry »

British celebrity Timmy Mallet found himself booted off of the UK reality show I’m a Celebrity…Get Me out of Here! after the producers organized a challenge where they had to eat kangaroo penis and testicles blended into a variety of drinks and he refused.

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