If you’ve ever eaten sushi, then you’ve eaten nori. Nori is a sea vegetable most commonly sold in packages of square sheets and used to hold together the rice and fish in a sushi roll, but it’s a delicious and useful ingredient that can be cooked in lots of other ways. Hmm, what’s that? You don’t like the idea of eating so-called “seaweed” on its own, because it’s weird and tastes fishy? Not nori. It’s dry and toasty, with a rich taste of umami, the flavor often called “the fifth taste,” of which monosodium glutamate or MSG is...

It’s hard to believe that it’s been almost a year since I began writing this blog for RachaelRay.com and sharing my ideas and tips about fun, eco-friendly cooking and food shopping. As we come up on my first anniversary here at RR central, we’ve decided to take that spirit of sharing one step further by giving away five autographed copies of my brand new book, Lucid Food: cooking for an Eco-Conscious Life, just released by Ten Speed Press. Entering to win couldn’t be easier-and it won’t waste paper! Just fill out the sweepstakes form, which you can find...

Let’s face it; Valentine’s Day is kind of goofy. It’s an occasion when everyone from the Greeting Card Consortium to the Lingerie Council to the Chocolate Society urges us to show our love for someone special by buying stuff. Acting out this annual consumer ritual can seem forced, but since everyone does it, you might come across as a killjoy if you choose to opt out. So, if you’re going to participate, why not put your money toward something that has a meaningful impact? Here are three places to spend this year’s candy allowance where it will have a lasting...

Mardi Gras is fast approaching, and I want to get in on the fun. Although this holiday is celebrated in Catholic countries throughout the world, here in the U.S., Mardi Gras headquarters is New Orleans, Louisiana, the home of Cajun culture and Cajun cuisine. Being a chef, the best way for me to tap into the spirit of the occasion is through the food, so here’s a creation made up North in New York that’s heated up with a dash of Southern soul. The dish? A healthy, seasonal version of the famed Cajun dish known as Dirty...

Last Thursday, I spent the day at Philadelphia’s Reading Terminal Market, the old train depot turned food hall that’s been a destination for eating and shopping since 1893. I was in my hometown to teach a cooking class, and excited to be back at my old stomping grounds. As a kid, I would go shopping there on Saturdays with my mom, as did she with her mom when she was a young girl. These days, whenever I am back to visit, the Reading Terminal is one of my favorite destinations. Many cities have food halls, but this one...

In search of local fruit for my catering events this winter, I went to the farmer’s market expecting the same old apples and pears. Well, I did find apples and pears, but in addition to the regular large varieties, I found these beautiful miniature versions with delicious flavor and natural sweetness. Since then, these tiny beauties, Lady apples and Seckel pears, have been adorning everything from my lunch plate to gift baskets, and they’re a big hit. The taste of Lady apples reminds me of pears, and Seckel pears taste just like large Bosc or D’Anjou pears, sweet...

In my blog, my cookbook, and in the cooking classes I teach, I talk a lot about cooking with local ingredients. I encourage people to seek out whole grains, unprocessed food, and to buy fresh, high quality ingredients from local farmers. Inevitably, when I make these recommendations, someone asks me whether my dietary ideals are unrealistic, unaffordable, or even elitist. While I’d argue that they are not, the question does touch on an inescapable fact: unless you’re growing your own food, it is more expensive to get fresh, whole, chemical-free foods than it is to buy what’s available...

Eggnog seems to be making a comeback this holiday season, what with the recession bringing old-fashioned traditions back in vogue both in and out of the kitchen. Eggnog is a solid recipe, with straightforward ingredients like eggs, milk, sugar, cream, and booze. Take a sip and you could almost be back on the prairie at the turn of the last century, gathered near the fireplace while sister Sally plays merry tunes on the old piano, and the animals huddle quietly in the barn…Ahem, excuse me, such is the power of eggnog that I was whisked away into...

Here’s an edible gift that’s decadent yet sugar-free, and easy and inexpensive to make. At first glance, you might not think that chai, a drink from India, has anything to do with the holiday season, but think of the ingredients: ginger, cinnamon, orange zest, and nutmeg. These are the key flavors in pumpkin pie, eggnog, and mulled wine. And as we all know, chocolate is appropriate at any time of year! Chocolate chai mix is a great gift because it lasts for a year at room temperature, so there’s no pressure to use it right away. More importantly,...