cooking 101

Has hunger ever gotten the best of you midflight and led you to eat those things that the airlines pass off as cookies? I set off on a project recently to create a portable snack that I could take on a plane. I had a few prerequisites: it had to be nutritious and treat-like, meaning it had to feel like some kind of reward for getting myself through airport security and onto the plane with my sanity intact.  The result? Blissful energy bites, the sweetish cashew based snacks pictured above.

Chili oil is great on everything. Pizzas, noodles, soups, eggs, and even for dipping bread, chili oil elevates the flavor of any meal. There is just something about the kick from the chili flakes along with the smooth, fatty mouthful of olive oil that is the perfect accompaniment.

Cooking with whole spices can be intimidating. For most of us, the furthest we've ventured in the whole spice world is cracked pepper. Desired for its fresh kick, cracked pepper elevates a dish. And just like cracked pepper, so can whole spices.

As a gluten-free vegan, let’s just say eating out can pose quite the challenge. So, in order to spare restaurant employees from all of my chaotic food questions, I’ve learned to love (and actually prefer) cooking meals at home. Preparing your own meals is a superb way to fine-tune your cooking skills, save money, and eat properly sized, more nutritious portions, while consuming less calories, sodium, fat, and sugar.