It’s been one of those weeks. I’ve spent most of my time in an office, fighting the good fight and dodging obstacles with a deftness that comes only with years of bureaucracy-battling experience. You’d think I’d be used to it by now, after decades spent being a professional problem solver; but finding and implementing solutions isn’t always graceful, and after a while it wears on you.

So at the end of the day, I’ve been grabbing whatever edibles aren’t going to take a lot of time or energy to procure. Some night it’s a healthy choice, but most evenings it’s just a quick shot of easy calories. I might make some pasta and homemade tomato sauce from the freezer, but I’m more likely to get Chinese takeout, a sandwich from the deli, or an expensive box of glop from the Whole Foods hot section. As a result, both my health and wallet are suffering.

I can’t help being super busy. I’m balancing life, love, work, freelancing, the book, and a few minor health snags. When life ramps up like this – or maybe it’s always like this and I just can’t admit it to myself – the first thing to suffer is my diet. Lately I’ve been stuffing myself with pastries, take-out, and a myriad of other non-healthy foods. No bueno, especially at a time when my body needs healthy food to cope with the day’s mega-stress du jour.

That’s where The Parchment Paper Cookbook comes in. This little book, packed with 180 recipes, is ideal for those of us just can’t find the time to eat well, or those that have time to cook but hate the cleanup that usually comes with preparing your favorite dishes. What’s a tired, busy, hungry girl to do? Consider cooking in parchment packets, that’s what. ... Read the rest of The Parchment Paper Cookbook: 180 Healthy, Fast, Delicious Dishes! on The Culinary Life.

Permalink | Posted in Gluten Free, Grain Free, Meat, Parchment on Nov/Thu/2011
Post tags: cinnamon, clove, cookbook, cream, garlic, Gluten Free, onion, pork, pork chops, pumpkin, recipes, sage
© Stephanie Stiavetti for Wasabimon!, 2011.

The other night, my good friend Laura had a birthday party for a small group of family and friends. Her mom brought with her an incredible almond flour chocolate cake that had most of us bowing to her as the flour-free pastry goddess (don’t worry, I’m working on getting the recipe for you all!). While we gorged ourselves on luscious chocolatey goodness, the second dish she brought sat by the wayside, lonely and tucked away in a far corner of the table.

After everyone had left, I began sifting through all of the leftover food. My eyes brushed across a little plate full of soft, tender-looking brown peaks.

“What are these?” I asked Laura.
“Oh, those are my mom’s meringues,” she replied while piling dishes into the sink. “They’re really good. Try one.”

Fast forward to five minutes later, when I realized that I’d nearly cleared off the plate. “Hey!” Exclaimed Laura. “You ate them ALL? Those were for my birthday!”

Chagrinned, I apologized, then quickly asked her to call her mom for the recipe.

This baked meringue drops recipe produces little golden puffs of egg white goodness that are tender and moist, unlike their crunchy cousins, the standard baked meringue cookie. Gently sweet and light as air, one could easily destroy a plate of them in no time flat. They’re a perfect snack when you want something sweet but don’t really want to commit to a whole dessert; you can beat the whites in a matter of minutes, then pop them into the oven to brown. That’s it. And with no processed sugar, they’re about as healthy a sweet treat as you will ever find.

Sorry, Laura! ... Read the rest of Tender Baked Meringue Drops on The Culinary Life.

Permalink | Posted in Baking, Desserts, Gluten Free, Grain Free on Feb/Thu/2011
Post tags: baking recipes, cookies, dessert recipes, desserts, drop cookies, easy recipes, egg white, egg whites, eggs, food and drink, french cuisine, meringue, meringue recipe, quick recipes, recipes
© Stephanie Stiavetti for Wasabimon!, 2011.

This sweet potato chips recipe is a continuation of what appears to be an impromptu Sweet Potato Week. I didn’t plan it, I swear! I’m out in the middle of Cape Cod, where there’s a foot of snow on everything. The only thing there is to eat around here, besides cereal, is sweet potatoes. So that’s why I’m making them all the time right now.

After making my winter sweet potato gratin, and then baked sweet potato fries a few days later, I wanted something a little different. I thought, what else do I make with regular potatoes that could stand to be a little sweeter? Then, like a little bird chirping in my ear, I thought, potato chips! Perfect.

What do I love about this dish? Where to begin? This sweet potato chips recipe will yield some of the lightest, crunchiest chips you’ve ever had. They’re gently sweet with a touch of salt, and if you like, you can sprinkle them with a little cayenne or other spicy topping to create a bit of heat. I love these chips because they are so completely addicting — make a huge bowl because you’ll mow through them in short order. ... Read the rest of Sweet Potato Chips Recipe on The Culinary Life.

Permalink | Posted in American, Gluten Free, Grain Free on Feb/Mon/2011
Post tags: award winning recipes, baked sweet potato fries, british cuisine, chips, cuisine, fast food, food and drink, french fries, oil, plantain, potato, potato chip, potatoes, potatoes chips, root vegetables, snack foods, staple foods, sweet potato, sweet potato chip recipe, sweet potato chips, sweet potato gratin, sweet potatoes, sweets
© Stephanie Stiavetti for Wasabimon!, 2011.

I was shocked when I realized that I’d never posted my famous baked sweet potato fries recipe. What a snafu! I’m a serious sweet potato zealot, and I’ll eat them any which way. I love them mashed, baked, and au gratin’ed, but mostly I love them as French fries. An easy snack that you can eat with your finger, baked sweet potato French fries are the best thing ever. ... Read the rest of Baked Sweet Potato Fries Recipe on The Culinary Life.

Permalink | Posted in American, Gluten Free, Grain Free on Feb/Fri/2011
Post tags: american cuisine, baked sweet potato fries, baked sweet potato fries recipe, Baking, baking sweet potato, british cuisine, cuisine, deep fry, fast food, finger foods, food and drink, french fries, fry, oil, potato, potato chip, potato wedges, potatoes, recipe, root vegetables, staple foods, sweet potato, sweet potato fries, sweet potatoes
© Stephanie Stiavetti for Wasabimon!, 2011.

Today, I’m posting a deep fried sweet potato fries recipe. As I wrote my baked sweet potato fries post the other day, I tried as hard as I could to find a fried version to link to. Sure there were some out there, but it took some real digging to find one. There are billions of baked fries recipes, but the actual fried versions are getting harder to find. ... Read the rest of Sweet Potato Fries Recipe on The Culinary Life.

Permalink | Posted in American, Gluten Free, Grain Free on Feb/Wed/2011
Post tags: american cuisine, baked sweet potato fries, belgian cuisine, british cuisine, cuisine, deep fry, fast food, fish fry, food and drink, french fries, fries recipe, fry, little sweets, oil, potato, potato chip, recipes, staple foods, sweet potato fries, sweet potato fries recipe, sweet potatoes
© Stephanie Stiavetti for Wasabimon!, 2011.

This week I was surfing around The Kitchn and stumbled across a recipes for gratin dauphinois (pronounced dow-FEEN-wah). What is gratin dauphinois, you ask? Well it’s a very, very rich version of potatoes au gratin (or potatoes gratiné), despite the fact that it contains no cheese.

Gratin dauphinois gets it names from the Dauphiné region of France. This particular version of potatoes gratiné is cooked simply, with just butter and cream, and involves rubbing a cut clove of garlic throughout the baking dish to infuse the gratin with the flavor of garlic. Overall, this dish is creamy and gooshie and perfect for those cold winter days when nothing seems to keep you quite warm enough. It’s like a big bear hug. ... Read the rest of Gratin Dauphinois Recipe on The Culinary Life.

Permalink | Posted in European, Gluten Free, Grain Free on Jan/Wed/2011
Post tags: gratins, potato recipes, potatoes, potatoes au gratin, potatoes gratin
© Stephanie Stiavetti for Wasabimon!, 2011.