Vietnamese Pho Soup

Skip to recipe.Skip to nutritional information.In our household, we are on the constant hunt for foods that are delicious and healthy. If it is also easy to prepare, then it is more or less the perfect food. Such "trifectas" of taste, health and ease are likely to make it into frequent rotation in our home. This healthy and super flavorful broth-based soup has recently become one of our favorite

Five-Spice Sesame Crusted Pork Chops with Asparagus a l'Orange

I recently discovered that the fun thing about having your friends randomly stock your kitchen is that it simulates a sort of Iron Chef competition: what delicious food can I make by combining what is on hand? Inspired by what we found, this afternoon for lunch my husband and I put together five-spice sesame crusted pork chops with asparagus in spicy orange sauce on the side. Not only was this a

Bucktown's Riverside Cafe: A neighborhood spot worth skipping

Riverside Cafe Deli*Bucktown1656 W Cortland StChicago, IL 60622(773) 278-3354*(not to be confused with the Riverside Cafe in downtown that serves low carb and is located in a hotel)Atmosphere: Adorable (perhaps a bit too adorable)Service: RudeFood: MediocreOkay, now that I've given away the punch line, let me tell you about the unfulfilled promise of an adorable little cafe discovery in Chicago's

Basic Beans Recipe

Beans are a bit of a quandary. They are an excellent source of fiber and protein, both of which are a powerful way to keep hunger at bay. But they can be sort of a pain to cook. I first learned to cook beans while living in rural Costa Rica. I lived in Manuel Antonio, and in that area "Gallo Pinto" is the national dish (rice and beans). Twice a week I made a huge batch of red beans. Although I

Beans, beans the wonderful...

Many cultures around the world use beans as part of their culinary repertoire. They are a wonderful vegetarian source of protein. In Ghanaian food beans are used in two very popular dishes: Red-Red (fried plantains with spicy bean stew) and Waakye (pronounced "waa-chay" a mixture of beans and rice). I recently realized that I have taken beans for granted, more or less assuming that one bean was

Happy Independence Day!

Today is the 51st Independence Day celebration for Ghana, the first former colony in sub-Saharan Africa to gain independence. The newspapers are also calling this an historic celebration. It is historic not because of the number of years (that was the big Ghana @ 50 celebration from last year). It is historic because this is only the second time a democratically elected President will have served

MacGyver Banana Breakfast Bars

It all started with the desire to bake. Someone once told me you are either a baker or a cook, but no one is both. This moment somehow marks the end of my innocence in the kitchen, like the moment the older you forever becomes separated from the grade schooler who knew confidently that she was good at everything. But the question perplexed me. I loved both tasks. I love cooking because there is