Healthy and Delicious Cooking

Stuffing a leaf, be it a cabbage, grape leaf, lettuce leaf, or any other type of green leafy vegetable, is  universal comfort food. The Greeks have their Dolmas, the Thais wrap their Laab, a spicy ground meat, the Vietnamese fill noodles, shrimp and pork in lettuce, and the Eastern Europeans wrap meat and rice mixtures in blanched cabbage leaves. My brother' fiance, Lucia, is Romanian, and she blanches the entire cabbage head and pickles it, like sauerkraut. Though her version is time consuming, the lovingly prepared creation, is sublime. However, it does not need to be an arduous preparation. A stuffed leafy vegetable is a satisfying and healthy entree. Just blanch the leaves, or the entire head, for a few minutes, and peel as many leaves as you require. The stuffing can be any mixture of meat, grains and vegetables, or just grains and vegetables, pleasing both vegetarians and carnivores alike. Braise it for an hour in a simple tomato sauce and the result is warm, succulent bund...

What a fun evening! My friend Rudy, my daughter Layla, hubby and I, discussing domestic and foreign policy (rather heatedly at times), and trying to solve the woes of the world. All the while, we were creating a beautiful pot of reddish-golden rice, chocked full of chorizo, smoked sausages, shrimps and mussels, glistening with roasted red and poblano peppers, and summer squash. Paella, is historically, an East meets West creation. In coastal Valencia Spain, the Moors brought the rice and Roman irrigation made treasures from the land, bountiful. Originally rabbit, snails, seafood, artichokes and small navy beans were added to the saffron flavored rice, but today, there are many variations. Though Valencians frown upon this practice, the rest of Spain has claimed Paella as their national dish. The night commenced with lively conversation while simmering a seafood stock, sauteing vegetables and meats, washing and debearding mussels, and shelling shrimp. All culminated in a fabulous meal...

What is comfort food? For a Japanese it may be a bowl of noodles, for a South Indian (like me), perhaps some rice and Sambar, (a lentil stew), and for my daughter, Layla, it is, unquestionably, my Mothers grilled cheese sandwich. When I was growing up, comfort food in my family meant Spanish or Mexican Rice, even though neither culture has any bearing on my familys' origin. Nevertheless, it made us happy and gave us comfort. I prepared this dish the other day, for my family and my daughter, Sarinas', friends. My Mother always served it with a Cucumber Salad with Yoghurt and Dill, and so did I. As the "Mmmmmmmmmmms" buzzed through the room, I am happy to report that my Moms' comfort food continues on to the next generation. Try it and Enjoy! We called it Spanish Rice, but the recipe say Mexican. I dont think it is either! RECIPE (6servings) 3 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 cup raw rice 1 onion, thinly sliced 3 clove garlic, minced 1 lb ground beef 1 ta...