In the last couple of weeks, something I never thought would happen has happened: my boyfriend James has begun to enjoy shopping for food. And not only is he going to the farmer’s market with enthusiasm, he is going fully armed with an eco-friendly coterie of glass milk bottles to be refilled, compost to drop off, and reusable canvas bags to put food in. He has even gone so far as to carry produce in his knapsack in order to avoid taking an extra plastic bag. He returns home from the market with funny stories to tell...

I know what you’re thinking: What on earth are persimmons? These bright orange fruits-that look a bit like tomatoes-are a mystery to most people, mainly because so few people have ever tasted one. Although delicious and full of fiber, beta carotene, and vitamin B, persimmons aren’t very popular; you don’t see this late Fall fruit on restaurant menus very often, but they’re naturally sweet and require no preparation, except a bit of waiting; both for ripening, as we’ll see below, and for coming into season: after a year of waiting, I got my first persimmons of the...

Many readers have inquired about a recipe that was on Rachael’s show last week using pumpkin in a chocolate cake box mix; the recipe was simply one box of devil’s food cake mix which you made with one 15-ounce can of pure pumpkin puree, that’s it. Stir and bake at 400 degress in prepared muffin tins for 20 minutes. The puree replaced the eggs and oil. Yum. There are many healthy substitutions for higher fat ingredients like oil and butter in baking recipes. Applesauce, pumpkin, prune and other purees are great oil and butter substitutes in cake, quick bread and muffin...

Get Rach’s newest cookbook, featuring her favorite recipe collections in groups of ten. For more than a decade, Rachael Ray has wowed you with her flavorful dishes on TV. And she has written one incredible collection after collection of delicious 30-minute meals. Her latest cookbook includes her most-requested recipes from fans like you and her family faves. Rachael Ray’s Book of 10 is jam-packed with thirty top 10 lists of recipes in all your favorite categories. Leave it to Rachael to make a book that is easy to use and fun, too! Click the image below to buy from...

Quinoa (not pronounced how it is spelled - keen-wah) has been around since it was a staple of the ancient Incas diet, but just in the last few years has it been readily available in major supermarkets. Why? It is a complete vegetarian protein, gluten -free, has a low glycemic index, and is easily digested, making it a healthy and satisfying option for vegetarians, people with food allergies, and those looking for a meatless meal that delivers flavor and nutrition. Quinoa means “mother grain;” in addition to protein, it provides calcium and iron and is a great whole grain substitute...

I may have found the perfect base for a delicious smoothie-and it’s big, bright and orange! That’s right, a pumpkin. Pumpkins are seasonal in Fall, local, inexpensive, and full of beta-carotene, iron, and potassium. All you need to do to use them in a smoothie is to cut the pumpkin into large chunks, steam them until soft, then let them cool and plop them into a blender in much the same way you would a banana. Pumpkins work well because they are starchy and smooth and naturally sweet. You can steam a large amount of pumpkin and store...

If you have been to your local farmers market or even grocery store lately, you can’t help but notice that all varieties of winter squash in all their glory are abundant right now. Summer squash varieties include zucchini and yellow squash but winter squashes are their funny looking, oddly shaped, quirky cousins that are prevalent in the fall. Squash is delicious, healthy (chock full of vitamins A, C and E ) and versatile, but sometimes it’s hard to know which type is which, much less how to cook them. Delicious in soups, stews, pastas and purees, here’s the skinny on...

If you’ve been to your farmer’s market lately, you’ve probably seen green cardboard quart containers overflowing with purple-blue Concord grapes. The grapes look tempting and their perfumed smell draws you in, but try eating one and the powerful tartness is enough to make your jaws tingle. Plus, there is the chewy skin and big seeds to grapple with. Aside from making grape jelly, most of us don’t know what to do with these sensuous seasonal treats, but it’s worth figuring out how to eat Concords because of their remarkable health benefits. Concords are high in resveratrol; the heart-healthy...

My kids were juice hounds from the very beginning. I have to admit that one of my son’s first words was his version of “juice,” right behind “mama” and “dada.” I always made sure to buy 100% juice and would water it down but I began to wonder, what are the recommendations as far as how much juice babies, toddlers and kids should have each day? I looked into it and the answer is, not much! Babies under six months shouldn’t have any juice Babies 6 - 12 months, no more than 4 oz. per day (about 1/2 a drinking glass) Toddlers/Kids 1...