Oprah did a pretty big thing for the vegan community last week. She had a Vegan Challenge where she and 378 Harpo staffers went vegan for a week, followed by a show on veganism, American eating habits, factory farming, and industrial agriculture. Guests Kathy Freston, Michael Pollan, and Lisa Ling joined. There have been mixed emotions about the show: Was it sugar-coated? Should Michael Pollan have even been there? Did the footage of a Cargill slaughterhouse correctly represent the true horror of animal agriculture (Hint: No. But a new and concise video called Farm to Fridge by Mercy for Animals does. So does Earthlings.)? There was a sense of tip-toeing around the issues, which I’m sure was at least in part due to the infamous Texas Cattlemen vs. Oprah Winfrey and Howard Lyman lawsuit of 1998. Lisa Ling mentioned that they were not allowed to shoot everything at the slaughterhouse, and Oprah even says in one segment “Let’s try not to get sued.”

Oprah Goes Vegan

That’s not to say that good things didn’t come out of the show. One thing most vegans can probably agree upon is that it was huge exposure for the vegan lifestyle. Ten—hell, five—years ago, this wouldn’t have happened. Ellen is awesome, Martha has been great—but really, you can’t get bigger than Oprah in terms of reaching an audience. She opened a dialogue which few media personalities have dared to open.

Not only did Oprah convince her staff to go vegan with her (who collectively lost 444 pounds and gained 84 pounds), but she also instituted Meatless Mondays at the Harpo café and created a Vegan Starter Kit that now lives on her website. It features a grocery list, a 3-week meal plan, a list of simple substitutions, a vegan FAQ, and some Vegan 101 from Kathy Freston (whose new book, The Veganist, was the number one best-selling book on Amazon after the show aired).

Kathy Freston on Being a Veganist

While the kit is pretty good for basic info, it does include a lot of processed foods, and TONS of Kashi (who seems to be a sponsor, owned by Kellogg Company). PETA has had a Vegetarian/Vegan Starter Kit on their site for years. Believe it or not, not all vegans agree with all of PETA’s tactics, but for all the controversial things they’ve done, they’ve also done a lot of good. One of those good things is their kit. It’s interactive and approachable, with traveler tips, recipes, and a shopping guide of what’s vegan at your regular, everyday supermarket (note: They are not all healthy—just vegan!). The shopping list is very handy for vegans just starting out or living in areas that are not vegan-friendly.

I referenced kits like these when I first became vegan, but as the years have gone by, I’ve grown a lot in my knowledge of what makes my life easier, healthier, and tastier and I’ve naturally moved beyond the basics. With the help of blogs, cookbooks, videos, and yes, even celebrities, I’ve compiled, not only a great pantry and fridge, but also a strong library of resources. What better way to append the efforts of Oprah’s starter kit and online “resource center,” than to add what I know? New and exciting vegan information, products and places pop up everyday, so please feel free to comment and add resources that should be included. For those either committed to or just flirting with the idea of going vegan, I hope that this list proves useful.

In My Vegan Pantry/Fridge:
These are not your standard tofu/veggie dog/beans suggestions that most beginner vegan guides list. But they are essential for me and for most vegans I know. There is a whole world beyond what most people consider "typical vegan ingredients."

1. Cashews: For nut cheeses, milks, sour cream, cream cheese, pumpkin pies, cream soups, the list goes on...
2. Nutritional Yeast: To create cheesy sauces, add savory flavors, and as an alternative to parmesan. It's also a source of B-12.
3. So Delicious Coconut Milk Creamer: For coffee and to add something creamier to dessert recipes than your standard soy/coconut/hemp/almond/rice milk.
4. Seitenbacher Vegetable Broth and Seasoning: It doesn't have crap for ingredients and adds tons of savory flavor to sauces and broths. You can get it at Whole Foods.
5. Wine: Get a vegan variety and use to deglaze pans, pump up sauces, or add more flavor to veggies.
6. EatPastry cookies: I always have tubs of this dough in the fridge to eat raw (you can do that when it's vegan!) or baked. The gluten-free variety is amazing.
7. Coconut Oil: For frosting. Extra virgin if you don't mind the scent or prefer something unrefined. Otherwise you can get unscented.
8. Ener-G Egg Replacer, flax seeds, and/or applesauce: All can be used as egg replacements in baked goods.
9. Vegenaise: As good as non-vegan mayo. Stay away from Nayonaise.
10. Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread: A great butter replacement for cooking, baking, and just on toast. I prefer the soy-free variety.

Best Local Places to Shop for Unique and Standard Vegan Groceries:
Rainbow Grocery (San Francisco)
Berkeley Bowl Marketplace (Berkeley)
Whole Foods (Everywhere)
Farmer Joe's Marketplace (Oakland)
The Food Mill (Oakland)
New Leaf Community Markets (Santa Cruz area)
Veg Food Finder for Stores in the Bay Area

Vegan videos and cooking shows (because Food Network STILL refuses to produce a vegetarian cooking show):
Miyoko’s Kitchen (with Bay Area native and vegan cheese aficionado, Miyoko Schinner)
The Post Punk Kitchen with Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero

Vegan Blogs/Websites:
The Kind Life: Alicia Silverstone’s blog is just as approachable, smart, and, well, kind, as her book, The Kind Diet.
The Spunky Coconut: A cooking blog that often features gluten-free, casein-free, and sugar-free vegan recipes.
Vegan Good Things
Crazy Sexy Life
My Face is on Fire
What the Hell Does a Vegan Eat Anyways?
I Eat Trees
Vegan.org
Vegan.com: Check out their Ultimate Vegan Guide.
VegWeb : They have over 13,000 recipes and anyone can submit one!

Bay Area Vegan Resources:
vegansaurus
The San Francisco Vegetarian Society
SF Vegan Drinks
VegNews
Bay Area Vegetarians: Veg Food Finder
The Vegan Restaurant Guide to San Francisco & The Bay Area (pdf) by Friends of Animals

Cookbooks (Oh my goodness, there are SO many, but here’s a good variety):
Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero
The Urban Vegan: 250 Simple, Sumptuous Recipes from Street Cart Favorites to Haute Cuisine by Dynise Balcavage
The Gluten-Free Vegan: 150 Delicious Gluten-Free, Animal-Free Recipes by Susan O'Brien
Vegan Soul Kitchen: Fresh, Healthy, and Creative African-American Cuisine by Bryant Terry
The Conscious Cook: Delicious Meatless Recipes That Will Change the Way You Eat by Tal Ronnen

For Parents:
Vegan Lunchbox
Vegan Dad
That's Why We Don't Eat Animals: A Book About Vegans, Vegetarians, and All Living Things (children’s book)

Meet the Animals:
Farm Sanctuary in Orland, CA
Animal Place Sanctuary in Grass Valley, CA near Vacaville

iPhone apps:
VegOut (powered by the HappyCow Compassionate Eating Guide)
VegWeb Recipe Finder
Vegan is Easy (based on Barnivore’s database)
Animal Free

Worth the Splurge:
Vitamix
It’s not just for smoothies. It’s a must for nut-based cheeses, sour cream and milks, as well as homemade vegan ice cream, pureed soups, and sauces. This is seriously the best purchase I have made in years and it has opened up doors for me in my culinary adventures at home.

Curried Quinoa Salad

In a world where rice and wheat reign supreme, sometimes you want something more. Maybe you have a food allergy, maybe you have special health needs that your regular diet just isn't meeting, or maybe you just wanting more exciting than the status quo. Regardless of your reasons for upgrading your grain options, you've got an entire rainbow of whole grains to choose from besides rice and wheat.

Take, for example, the humble millet. Often thought of as only bird seed, millet is actually very much edible by humans. Mentioned in the Bible, people have been eating millet for many thousands of years in countries such as China, India, and Africa. What's so great about millet? Well, first of all, it's not acid-forming and is known for being easy to digest, so those who deal with any number of digestive ailments can usually enjoy millet without aggravating their GI. Taste-wise, Millet is mildly sweet with a nutty flavor and contains many beneficial nutrients, such as protein, fiber, B-vitamins, iron, magnesium, potassium, and more.

Another alternative grain you might consider is quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah). Another old-world grain, quinoa has also been cultivated for thousands of years in South America. The Inca revered quinoa as a very important part of their culture, and used it to make breads, cereals, and other dishes. Not technically a grain, quinoa is actually a grass seed, much like buckwheat.

Quinoa has a nutty, hearty flavor that makes it ideal for both savory dishes and sweet breakfast recipes. It is high in protein, calcium, iron, vitamin B, and vitamin E. The protein in quinoa a "complete protein" due to the presence of all eight essential amino acids, something that's not often seen in cereals or grains. Note: Before being eaten, quinoa grains must be rinsed to remove its bitter coating, called saponin. When rinsing quinoa, be sure to keep the water flowing until there are so soap-like suds when you agitate the seeds with your hands. Once the water runs clear, the saponin is gone.

Where can you buy millet and quinoa? You'll be happy to hear that both grains are readily available at health food stores, and if you like, you can even buy them online. While you can buy boxed millet and quinoa, you'll usually find them cheaper by shopping in the bulk section of your local natural foods store.

You can buy millet and quinoa in several different forms, as well:

• Puffed Millet Cereal
• Quinoa Pasta
• Quinoa Flakes for Hot Cereal
• Millet Flour for Making Bread

To get you started, here are a few recipes for these awesome grains. Once you give them a try, they might just become your new favorite carb!

Nutty Millet Porridge

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 cup raw millet
5 cups water
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
4 teaspoons butter
6 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup fresh blueberries or dried cranberries

Directions:
1. Heat a medium pot over medium heat. Add millet, stirring grains until they become fragrant. Add water and salt, and bring to a boil.

2. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until millet if soft like oatmeal. Add butter and honey, stirring well. Serve hot, topped with fruit.

Curried Quinoa Salad

Serves 6 as a side or 4 for lunch

Ingredients:
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lime juice
2 teaspoons yellow curry powder
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/3 cups uncooked quinoa
4 cups water
2 mangoes, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch chunks
1 fresh serrano chile, seeded and minced
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
1/2 cup salted roasted cashews or peanuts, chopped

Preparation:
1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together yogurt, lime juice, curry powder, ginger, salt, and pepper. Slowly drizzle in oil, whisking until fully combined.

2. Rinse quinoa in a bowl for 5 minutes, using fingers to agitate grains and the water runs through it. Agitating while rinsing will help remove the bitter saponin.

3. In a large pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil with a few pinches of salt. Add quinoa to boiling water and cook for 15 minutes, until grains are almost completely cooked through but still just a little crunchy. Strain and rinse with cold water. Let sit to drain for 15 minutes.

4. Mix quinoa with curried yogurt and stir well. Stir in mango, bell pepper, Serrano chili, mint, and nuts. Serve at room temperature.

If you like these grain recipes, check out these other healthy, protein-rich posts:

• Peanut Butter Quinoa Cookies
• Quinoa Salmon Burgers
• Perfect Coconut Millet
• Millet Flatbread Tortilla
• Chickpea Spinach Curry Recipe
• How to Cook Dried Beans When You Don't Have Time to Cook Dried Beans

Achooo! Is that you? Yes, despite the last few days' balmy temperatures, the winter sniffles, sneezes, and sore throats are here, and with them come the homemade remedies to cure them. First up, of course, is a daily shot of Fire Cider, if you took my advice and made a batch back in October just for this very moment. I must say, having taking my first dose last week during my own star turns as Sneezey and Dopey, that it's is not for the faint of palate. (Whiskey chaser: a very good idea.)

What you need next is something hot and steamy to warm you up, inside and out. Got a backyard Meyer lemon hookup? Then hot lemonade will soothe you. Squeeze the juice of a couple of lemons into a mug. Stir in a couple tablespoons of honey and add a cinnamon stick. Slice up another lemon and drop the slices into the mug. Top with hot water, stir, and sip, adding more honey if needed. (Plus, perhaps, a tot of rum to help you sleep.)

And then, bring out the big guns. Steph's Spicy Soup, as it's known around these parts, is inspired by tom yum goong, the clear, spicy-sour soup found on every Thai menu (no, not tom kai gai, the coconutty one everyone but me loves, but the other one). It started out based on the tom yum goong recipe in The Original Thai Cookbook by Jennifer Brennan, but has since evolved into a freewheeling kind of broth whose only constant characteristic is that it's very spicy and very sour, and will absolutely clear your sinuses and make you feel magically better.

Thai red chile paste, available in little glass jars in the Asian section of most supermarkets, is a fabulous condiment that lasts forever and zings up just about anything. I use it for this soup more than anything, but it's an excellent thing to have on hand.

As Laurie Colwin writes in More Home Cooking, "I do not recommend this to anyone who does not like things hot. This stuff is fire. It is also delicious and a surefire cure for colds, flu, and general weakness." She then goes on to say she only uses it one way, adding a tablespoonful to a quart of chicken stock, the juice of 2 lemons, some jasmine rice and scallions. As she writes, "You need to drink large quantities of water with this, but it is good for you, I swear."

Also, even if you're feeling rotten, it's worth tracking down the lemongrass here. It adds a certain herbaceous lemon-limeyness that can't be achieved by mere lime zest alone. Oh, and any kind of lime will do--regular Persian limes, our local Bearss limes, even small key (or Mexican) limes.

Adjust the hotness and sourness to your taste, but definitely make it as spicy and tart as you can. And don't forget the tissue box. If it doesn't make your nose run, it's not doing its job.

Thai-Inspired Soup for Sniffles
This soup can be changed to suit your taste in many ways. Love coconut milk? Add 1/2 cup of coconut milk at the end for creaminess. Adding shrimp, tofu, light or dark-meat chicken makes it more of a meal. I like a big spoonful of cooked rice in my soup, but you could also add some thin rice noodles or bean-thread noodles.

Ingredients
4 cups vegetable stock or chicken broth
1 stalk of lemongrass, trimmed and roughly chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp Thai red chile paste, or to taste
2 tsp Thai fish sauce, or to taste (optional)
2 limes
1/2 lb shrimp OR tofu OR skinless chicken breast OR chicken thigh
1 cup thinly sliced bok choy
1 cup spinach leaves
2 fresh green or red serrano chiles, sliced
6 scallions, trimmed and chopped
handful of cilantro, stems removed
2 cups cooked jasmine rice or cooked rice noodles

Preparation
1. In a large pot, combine broth, lemongrass, garlic, ginger, chile paste, and peel of 1 lime (in large strips). Bring to a simmer, cover, and let simmer gently over medium-low heat.

2. If using chicken, chop into bite-sized pieces. Add to soup and poach, stirring frequently, until cooked through and opaque, about 5 minutes.

3. Add bok choy, spinach, and shrimp or tofu, if using. Cook, stirring, until shrimp is opaque and bok choy is tender (2-3 minutes).

4. Add 4 chopped scallions, sliced peppers, and juice of 2 limes. Stir and taste for seasoning. Add cooked noodles to pot, if using.

5. Ladle into bowls. Add a scoop of jasmine rice to each bowl, if using. Top each bowl with scallions and a shower of cilantro leaves.

With the December holidays behind me, I'm trying to be a little more heart healthy. This doesn't mean I'm dieting -- as I'm a miserable failure at all diets. Tell me I can't eat butter and I'll day dream incessantly about buttered toast. No, in my world, being healthier means trying to eat more whole grains and vegetables, which usually isn't a problem as I love both.

So to start off my new year, I vowed to make and eat more steel-cut oats. Steel-cut oats are the actual oat grain buds (or groats) that have been cut into two or three pieces by steel blades. Unlike their flat rolled oat cousins, they plump up when you cook them, much like rice or wheat berries. And although they can take 30-40 minutes to cook, the earthy nutty flavors and satisfying chewy texture are worth the wait. But waiting a half hour or more for your breakfast to cook can cramp your weekday morning routine. This is why I try to make a large batch of steel-cut oats on the weekend. You can also purchase precooked steel-cut oats at Trader Joe's (in the freezer section).

So what do you do with the oats once they're cooked? Eating them with brown sugar or honey plus a handful of nuts and/or dried fruit is a great and simple breakfast. If you're avoiding sugar, just use cooked apples or pears, which add deep fruity undertones. But if you want something really special, try baking with your precooked steel-cut oats. For years I've made Nut and Fruit Oatcakes and Strawberry Oat Squares. This week, however, I tried something slightly different and loved it.

In the mood for something a little lighter and airier, I decided to make steel-cut oat muffins. Much like my oatcakes and oat squares, I started with a base of steel-cut oats, flour and butter. Yet unlike those baked treats, I used a little less butter and instead added in some buttermilk (which is naturally lowfat) for added tangy flavor and to moisten things up a bit. For a burst of sweetness, I nestled some cherry jam into each muffin (being sure to include at least one cherry in each). Hot out of the oven, the muffins smelled and tasted a bit like cherry pie.

So if you're looking for a heart-healthy breakfast that tastes like an indulgence, or simply another way to use your leftover steel cut oats, try some jammy oat muffins. Served warm, they are the ultimate morning treat.

Note: these muffins taste best when warm, so be sure to either eat them all soon after baking, or just reheat in the microwave the next day.

Low-fat Steel-Cut Oat Muffins with Cherry Jam Inside

Makes: 1 dozen muffins

Ingredients:

1 cup flour
½ cup bran or oat flour
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup cooked steel cut oats
1 egg
¼ cup brown or regular sugar
4 Tbsp cold butter cut into small pieces
½ tsp salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
½ cup cherry jam (or another fruit preserve)
½ cup dried cherries (optional)
¼ cup slivered or chopped almonds (optional)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, mix flour, bran or oat flour, cinnamon, sugar and salt.

3. Cut in your butter (you can do this in a food processor, with a pastry cutter, or just squeeze the butter between your fingers and into the flour until you have something resembling small floury butter pebbles).

4. Mix in your steel-cut oat (do not do this in the food processor) with either a wooden spoon or using your fingers, mixing until fully incorporated.

5. In a separate bowl, beat your egg into your buttermilk and then add to the flour and oat mixture, stirring until combined. If adding dried cherries and nuts, mix in now.

6. In a prepared muffin pan (either sprayed with oil or with muffin liners inserted) divide your batter evenly for 12 muffins.

7. Using a teaspoon, indent a hole into the middle of each muffin and then spoon in about 1 tsp of jam plus at least one or two cherries.

8. Set in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until you can insert a toothpick and it comes out clean.

9. Serve warm and enjoy.

Almonds

Choice. We love it. And these days, there seems to be an abundance of it in the dairy case. Now, in addition to your standard cow's milk choices (organic, low fat, fat-free, lactose–free), there is a slew of alternatives that aren't even dairy at all: soy milk, almond milk, rice milk, oat milk, coconut milk, even hemp milk. (Really, people? Hemp milk? Maybe I need to open up my chakras a little, but the idea of dunking my Oreos in a tall glass of hemp milk is about as appealing as chewing on some hippie's patchouli-scented dreadlocks.)

I like my vanilla soy latte as much as the next girl, but I'd never use soy milk as an everyday milk substitute. Too much aftertaste, not enough creaminess. Almond milk, though, the new darling of health foods, is another story. It has a pleasant neutral milky taste to it, with just a hint of nuttiness. And, the texture is full and thick, mimicking the feel of whole milk pretty well.

Almond Breeze almond milk

Almond milk is made from ground almonds that are mixed with water, plus vitamins, stabilizers, and in some cases, a sweetener like evaporated cane juice. You can make your own homemade almond milk by soaking almonds overnight, then blending with water and straining the solids, but that can get expensive and probably isn't worth all the effort.

Before converting, I decided to do a little research to see what the fuss was all about. Is almond milk really that much better for you? What are the problems with it that no one is talking about? Here's the DL on almond milk:

The Health Benefits
• It's full of nutrients and good stuff. Almonds are a rich source of protein, Vitamin E, magnesium, potassium, selenium, manganese, and iron. This means strong bones and muscles, antioxidant protection, healthy skin, high energy levels, good metabolism, and other health benefits. Also, commercially made almond milk is often fortified with calcium (A good tip: give the carton a good shake before drinking, because calcium can settle at the bottom). Almond milk contains no cholesterol, and has actually been shown to lower levels of LDL cholesterol (due to good monounsaturated fats in almonds) as well as protect against heart disease (almond skins contain flavonoids which help to protect the heart).

• It's low in calories. Based on a recent comparison published in The Wall Street Journal, a one-cup serving of almond milk comes in at 60 calories, compared to coconut milk (80 calories), soy milk (90 calories), rice milk (120 calories), and 2% cow's milk (130 calories).

• It's lactose free. An estimated 30 to 50 million Americans (about 25% of the United States population) are affected by lactose intolerance, meaning they have difficulty digesting the sugar found in cow's milk.

• It's antibiotic and growth hormone free. While many dairy farmers have made strides to ensure that their cows are rBGH-free, the practice of injecting dairy cows with growth hormones and antibiotics has not been completely eradicated.

• It's an alternate alternative. Soy milk got some bad PR not long ago thanks to Jeremy Piven's man boobs. Unless you're consuming a gallon of soy milk a day though, studies have shown that soy-induced man boobs aren't a real concern. However, there is an ongoing debate on the effect of soy foods on women. Soy foods are rich in isoflavones/phytoestrogens, which can mimic the effects of estrogen. It is currently unclear whether soy foods affect breast cancer risk or recovery…reading the studies and articles on this topic can easily spin you around with all the seemingly contradictory findings. It appears that the conclusion most widely agreed upon is to consume soy in moderation, along with a healthy and balanced diet. Thanks, Captain Obvious.

The Concerns
• It can cause problems for those at risk for low thyroid function. Almonds are a goitrogenic food, meaning, when consumed in large quantities, they can suppress the function of the thyroid gland by interfering with iodine uptake, causing an enlargement of the thyroid. While goitrogenic foods (such as soy, cabbage, kale, flax, broccoli, and almonds) can be harmful for those with thyroid problems, they are beneficial for people who have healthy thyroid function. So, if you have a thyroid problem, avoid almond milk. Otherwise, your almond milk mustache is good to go.

• It has added sugar. Flavored almond milk like Vanilla and Chocolate can have 15-22 grams of sugar per cup. To avoid all that extra sugar, opt for Original (7 grams sugar) or Unsweetened (0 grams sugar) flavors, both offered by Almond Breeze and Silk PureAlmond.

Now, don't get me wrong, almond milk will never replace real dairy for me. I love my cheese and butter and ice cream too much. For goodness sake, I was happily raised on bottles of fresh whole milk from our local dairy farm. But, as a healthy alternative, I can get behind using almond milk in my morning smoothies, eating my granola with it, even making some sauces and soups with it. What's your take on almond milk? Friend or Foe?

Ingredients for Vanilla-Date Smoothie

Vanilla-Date Smoothie
Adapted from the Bon Appétit Test Kitchen

This sweet and creamy smoothie taste too good to be good for you…but it is! Love the hit of fragrant vanilla, the bits of caramelly dates, and the blended ice with the almond milk makes a great icy milky consistency.

Serves: 2

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups almond milk (Original flavor)
4 pitted Medjool dates
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
10-12 ice cubes (a few big handfuls)
Sprinkle of cinnamon (optional)

Preparation:
Blend everything together until smooth.

This time of year is all about soup, what with cold season in full swing. You know how it is... you drag yourself home from work, head full of cement, and all you want is something warm and comforting to eat that will make you feel better. If you're looking for lighter soup that's nourishing and easy to digest -- as opposed to a thick, rich stew -- you might consider having a big bowl of miso soup. More interesting that your plain old chicken soup, miso is comfort food with a little international flair.

For those uninitiated in the ways of Japanese cuisine, miso is made from fermented soybeans and other grains, which are made into thick paste that is rich in protein and nutrients. While there are many different kinds of miso, the two you're most likely to find at your local grocery store are red miso and white miso. Red miso is saltier, having been fermented longer, and white miso is a little lighter in flavor. For making miso soup, you want to pick up a tub of white miso, also known as shiro miso. Note: This stuff lasts forever in the fridge. Seriously. I think my tub of miso is over a year old and it still tastes the exact same. Also, a little goes a long way, so don't buy a huge vat of miso unless you plan on willing it to your grandkids.

Another important ingredient in miso soup is dashi, or Japanese soup stock. Dashi is the base of many Japanese soups and sauces. While you can just buy dashi mix from the grocery store, I highly recommend making your own dashi -- just like chicken stock, it's way better when made from scratch! Dashi isn't vegetarian by default, but you can find veg dashi at Asian grocery stores.

Miso soup is a particularly good soup to eat when you're sick, due to its ample protein and high electrolyte content. Plus, fermented foods are easier to digest if your gut is sluggish from the virus du jour at your kid's school, so if you're just generally feeling the ick, a bowl of miso soup might be the one thing that will make you feel better.

There are several places in the Bay Area to get an incredible bowl of miso soup:

Cha-Ya Vegetarian Japanese Restaurant
1686 Shattuck Ave
Berkeley, CA 94709
(510) 981-1213
-and-
762 Valencia St
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 252-7825

Okoze Sushi
1207 Union St
San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 567-3397

Kahoo Ramen
4330 Moorpark Ave
San Jose, CA 95129
(408) 255-8244

Gombei Japanese Restaurant
193 Jackson St
San Jose, CA 95112
(408) 279-4311

Norikonoko Japanese Restaurant
2556 Telegraph Ave
Berkeley, CA 94704
(510) 548-1274

O Chamé
1830 4th St
Berkeley, CA 94710
(510) 841-8783

Some Japanese restaurants still use a packaged dry mix, so if you're going somewhere else, I'd call ahead to make sure you're getting a quality bowl of soup made with fresh ingredients. Pre-fab miso soup is ok, but once you've had the real thing, you'll never go back.

Speaking of the real thing, why don't you try making miso soup yourself at home? It's super easy, and will be leagues better than most of the stuff you'll find in restaurants.

Homemade Miso Soup Recipe
Makes: 2 bowls of soup

Ingredients:
1 6x6-inch piece of kombu, soaked 30-minutes to overnight in 5 cups of water

3 tablespoons bonito flakes

1/2 pound silken tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

3 tablespoons white miso paste

1 spring onion, sliced, for garnish

Method:
1. After the kombu has soaked overnight, bring the seaweed and its soak water into a medium-sized pot. Bring to a boil over a medium heat, then allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Add bonito flakes and remove from heat.
2. Allow soup to steep for another 10 minutes, then strain the broth into another pot. Bring to boil over a medium-low heat. Add tofu and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat.
3. Ladle out about 1/2 cup of broth into a small bowl and mix in miso paste until it is completely dissolved and there are no lumps. Pour the miso into the rest of the broth and stir well. Place over medium heat just until the soup begins to simmer, then remove from heat and ladle into bowls. Top with sliced onion for garnish.

Still feeling sluggish? Here are a few other soups that will make you feel better. They're great if you're perfectly healthy, too:

• Homemade Chicken Soup
• Mom's Turkey Soup
• Tortilla Soup
• Vegetarian Split Pea Soup
• Gluten-Free Matzoh Ball Soup

It's almost New Years Eve, and you know what that means -- a lot of folks will be getting their drink on. If you have a gluten sensitivity, it doesn't mean you need to miss the revelry. A lot of hard alcohol is naturally gluten-free, and for those not into hitting the hard stuff, there are quite a lot of companies making gluten-free beer and cider.

Gluten-Free Liquor Selection
Most hard alcohols don't contain gluten, so if you prefer to make mixed drinks, you're in luck! Here is a list of alcohols that are generally gluten-free and safe to consume if you have a gluten sensitivity. Note: Product recipes can and do change, and some brands may add caramel coloring to their liquors, which may contain gluten. Be sure to check the label before imbibing! Only you can be responsible for your gluten intake.

• Absinthe
• Bourbon
• Brandy
• Cognac
• Gin
• Grand Marnier
• Grenadine
• Jägermeister
• Kahlua
• Mead
• Ouzo
• Rum
• Sherry
• Southern Comfort
• Tequila
• Triple Sec
• Vermouth
• Vodka
• Whisky

Gluten-Free Champagne
The traditional drink of the evening for New Years Eve is Champagne or sparkling white wine, but is it gluten-free? Traditionally, sparkling wines are not made with any gluten-y ingredients, so it is usually safe to consume. As with any food or beverage, you should still check with a manufacturer before buying a bottle to double-check that they haven't added any non-standard ingredients to their product.

Gluten-Free Beer
A great default drink if you're just looking to have a mellow night is beer. Anyone with a gluten sensitivity will tell you that beer is a sore point -- until recently, gluten-free beer options were few and far between. These days, there are almost too many varieties to count! Here are a few of the best gluten-free beers, at least a few of which you should be able to find in most large natural grocery stores:

• Green's
• New Grist
• Redbridge
• O'Brien
• Glutaner
• Bard's
• Rampano Valley
• Mission Amber

Gluten-Free Cider
Cider is a lot of people's drink of choice, since it's sweet and relatively low alcohol. Standard ciders often contain caramel coloring or other gluten-y additives, so it's important to check the label before drinking cider. The following brands are know to contain no gluten products, and have proven safe to drink in the past:

• Ace Cider
• Blackthorn
• Blue Mountain
• Cider Jack
• Fox Barrel
• Magner's
• Newton's Folly
• Original Sin
• Spire Mountain
• Strongbow
• Woodchuck Granny Smith
• Wyder's

Where Can You Buy Gluten-Free Beer and Cider?
Here in the Bay Area, we're lucky enough to be surrounded by shops that provide a huge selection of gluten-free products. Here are a handful of places you'll find a variety of gluten-free alcohol beverages. When you shop, be sure to let the manager know you appreciate the fact that they stock gluten-free products!

The Wine Mine
5427 Telegraph Ave, Ste D1
Oakland, CA 94609
(510) 547-9463

Mollie Stone's Market
Mollie Stone's supermarket has eight locations around the bay, and each location carries a good selection of gluten-free beer and cider.

Whole Foods Market
With locations all around the Bay Area, there is probably a Whole Foods near you.

Take Care!
No matter what you're drinking, don't forget to take care of yourself by eating a big meal early in the evening and drinking lots of water throughout the night. And if you wake up with the obligatory hangover on New Years Day, there are always hangover cures to help through.

Happy New Year!

Preparing Christmas dinner is already stressful, especially if you're cooking for a houseful of hungry holiday guests. If you add a gluten allergy to an already intimidating situation, it's enough to put a well-meaning home cook over the edge!

Take heart, dear reader. Cooking a gluten-free Christmas dinner is not difficult at all. With a few recipes and cooking tips in your arsenal, you can easily feed everyone at the table an impressive meal without sending your gluten-y guests running for the door.

Hors D'oeuvres
Gluten-free hors d'oeuvres are probably the easiest part of the meal. A platter full of fresh veggies with ranch dressing is always a hit, as is a plate with sliced cheese and Kalamata olives. Traditional baguettes with olive oil and balsamic are out, but your local gluten-free bakery may carry gluten-free French bread -- call to find out.

While veggies and cheese are great, what if you want to spruce up your early dishes with something special? Here are a few recipes that will liven up your pre-meal game.

• Smoked Paprika Almonds
• Fig Tapenade with Walnut Crackers
• Butter-toasted Hazelnut
• Crab Spread
• Turkey Meatballs with Cranberry Sauce
• Baked Brie

Sides
Side dishes are another easy part of a gluten-free holiday dinner. Stick to vegetable-based recipes and you'll find a lot of dishes that are gluten-free by default, requiring no doctoring or wheat analogues. If you really want to make something that involves bread crumbs or a crust, your local natural foods store will carry a selection of gluten-free options. For something more original, check out these wonderful sides by some of the internet's best gluten-free cooks.

• Green Bean Casserole
• Tassajara Warm Red Cabbage Salad
• Broccolini with Brown Butter and Cashews
• Pumpkin Potato Gratin & Mushroom Swiss Chard
• Wild Rice and Mushroom Bake Recipe
• And what's dinner without gluten-free dinner rolls?

Entrees
Christmas foods in the United States are much more free-form than traditional Thanksgiving fare, but a lot of folks still love their turkey or ham for dinner. Try thinking outside of the box when planning your holiday entree, taking a cue from these recipes.

• Make-Ahead Gravy
• Roasting the Perfect Turkey
• Corn and Bean Casserole
• Apricot Turkey
• Gluten-Free Coconut Chicken with Sunbutter Sauce
• Tiny Turkey Meatballs Atop Penne and Escarole
• CrockPot Maple Ham Recipe
• Are you a Honeybaked Ham lover? Then you're in luck, because the company's signature sweetened, cured ham is now gluten-free!

Dessert
For many, the best part of dinner comes after all the savory plates have been cleared. Many folks get tripped up when it comes to preparing gluten-free desserts, since baking with wheat flour is what we've all come to accept as the norm for American sweets. The following recipes are all gluten-free, but more importantly, they're incredible desserts that everyone at your table will love.

• Buy goodies from a gluten-free bakery
• Salted Caramel Hot Cocoa
• Gluten-Free Toffee Pecan Apple Streusel
• Make gluten-free gingerbread cookies
• Down Under Pavlova
• Pumpkin Pie
• Double Chocolate Mocha Cookies

Merry Christmas, everyone! I wish you all a drama and stress-free holiday dinner.

Gingerbread cookies are one of my favorite parts of the holiday season. I haven't made Christmas cookies since discovering I had a gluten sensitivity, a sad, sad situation that many gluten-free folks experience. Learning a new kind of baking is scary, and all it takes is one flop to make sure you never make another attempt.

For me, I just never tried. I figured I could never compete with my grandma's gingerbread recipe that I grew up with, and the idea of duplicating her perfectly tender recipe without using wheat flour threw me for a loop. This year, I got over myself. And guess what? The gingerbread cookies I made were nothing short of incredible.

There's a trick to working with gluten-free dough, since it's much stickier than doughs made with wheat flour. It needs to be kept chilled, and once it's been cut with cookie cutters, moving it from one place to another is nearly impossible because it likes to hang onto to everything it touches. The best way to work with gluten-free cookie doughs is to roll it out between two pieces of parchment and then stick it in the fridge for 30 minutes. Once it's chilled, you can cut out your shapes with cookie cutters.

At this point I recommend removing the excess dough to be re-rolled, and then cutting the parchment around the cookies with a pair of scissors. The cookies can then be moved without contorting into ridiculous shapes, and since they're on parchment, they won't stick to the cookie sheet after they're done baking. Once they're done, I move the baked cookies while they're still secured to the parchment, leaving them on the paper until they're completely cooled and not likely to break into pieces.

Also, I found the funniest cookie cutters I've seen in a long time: Fred & Friends Ninjabread Men Cookie Cutters. While you can buy them online, I got my ninjabread men at a local East Bay gift shop called Nathan & Co. This little shop carries a huge array of culinary gifts, and if you're looking for some last minute presents for the foodie in your life, I can't recommend this place enough. Another place to shop for gifts for the chef in your family is Urban Indigo, in Oakland.

Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies

Makes: About 2 dozen 3-inch cookies

Ingredients:
1/2 cup non-hydrogenated shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/8 teaspoon guar gum
2 egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup blackstrap molasses
1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour mix
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons sweet rice flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
Icing and sprinkles for decorating

Recipe method:

1. With a stand mixer or electric hand beater, beat shortening, sugar, xanthan gum, and guar gum until well mixed. Add in egg yolks and beat for 1 minute, then add vanilla and molasses and mix until well incorporated.

2. Add gluten-free flour mix, sweet rice flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice, and salt. Beat until you've got a smooth dough. Roll dough out between two pieces of parchment until it is 1/2-inch thick and refrigerate for 1 hour.

3. Remove dough from fridge and cut with cookie cutters. Remove the excess dough from between the shapes and cut the parchment around the cookies with a pair of scissors. Gently move the cookies with their attached parchment to a cookie sheet and place the baking sheet in the refrigerator to keep the cookies chilled. Repeat until you've used up all the dough.

4. Once all the dough has been cut with cookie cutters and the shapes are arranged on a baking sheet, place the baking sheets in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350° while they are chilling.

5. Bake cookies for 7 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool on pan for 5 minutes before moving the cookies, with their attached piece of parchment, to a cooling rack. Allow to cool fully before decorating.

6. Decorate cookies by piping with your favorite decorating icing and then sprinkling with colorful sprinkles. The sky's the limit!

Looking for more gluten-free holiday cookies?
Gluten-Free Linzer Cookies
Gluten Free Gingerbread House
Gluten-Free Christmas Stars
Last-Minute Christmas Treats – Toffee and Ginger Chip Teff Cookies

Elmo and kids have a great time enjoying fruits and vegetables as part of Sesame Street’s Food For Thought initiative. Copyright 2010 Sesame Workshop. Photo by: Gil Vaknin.

"Elmo loves wasabi," said an unmistakable voice over the phone. "Do you know what wasabi is?"

Taking an invisible squeegee to the brain, we realized that this conversation was actually taking place. Elmo was on the other end of the line, explaining the difference between sometime foods and anytime foods, one of the big lessons of Sesame Street’s new initiative Food For Thought: Eating Well on a Budget.

“Wasabi?” we asked, still stunned.

“Do you like sushi?” asked the iconic red monster, who has been three-and-a-half-years-old since the mid-Eighties. Of course, we said.

“Well, Elmo loves it,” he replied, “but it’s a sometime food. An anytime food is like broccoli or any kind of really good fruits and vegetables and stuff.”

Even poor Cookie Monster has gotten the message about sometime versus anytime foods and is now just as likely to be spotted with a fresh avocado than a box of Chips Ahoy, thanks to this bilingual (English and Spanish) multimedia program aimed at educating struggling families with kids aged two through eight on healthier food choices. A free kit sponsored by Merck and United Healthcare includes recipe cards with low-cost and well-balanced meal ideas, tips on broaching difficult topics regarding financial difficulties and healthy eating with children (such as what to say when food is hard to come by), and a DVD packed with songs and educational adventures with Elmo, Super Grover, and the charming new Super Foods (whole grain bread, broccoli, banana, and cheese).

Elmo and Super Grover pose with the four healthy food groups (Fruits, Vegetables, Dairy, and Grains) as part of Sesame Street’s Food For Thought initiative. © 2010 Sesame Workshop. Photo by: Richard Termine.

“We’ve always been involved with [healthy eating], but now we’re trying to get out there in a more major way to help families not only eat healthy but to find ways where it’s affordable for them also,” said Kevin Clash, executive producer of the DVD and author of My Life as a Furry Red Monster: What Being Elmo Has Taught Me About Life, Love and Laughing Out Loud. “What’s exciting for us is that we get to send these out and it’s no charge, it’s free. We get send them to everybody who really needs it without them incurring a cost to get it. There are wonderful recipes in the kit and of course there’s the Muppet story — we always try to entertain at the same time that we educate.

“It’s such a major challenge for this country,” lamented Clash. “There are so many children under the age of four who are not eating healthy for a number of reasons. It’s the economy, unfortunately. I think all of us have to be more clever about how we get healthy food on the table for our kids because we don’t want them to go to school hungry.”

Elmo personally likes to start the day with a breakfast of oatmeal with orange slices or yogurt and orange juice.

“Elmo loves breakfast!” he declares. “Elmo’s mommy and daddy say it is the most important meal of the day. Elmo can’t wait to go outside and play with his friends after a really good breakfast.”

Elmo cooks with his mom all the time, which he loves, and his favorite recipe is a healthy take on the perennial kid favorite chicken fingers.

“We get to crunch up my favorite cereal and put the cereal all over it, and then we put it in the oven! It’s really good. My mom likes to use egg whites instead of the whole egg. We dip the chicken into the egg and then we put it in Elmo’s favorite cereal.

“It doesn’t have any sugar on it,” he giggled.

One of the DVD’s many highlights is “Try It,” a musical number that encourages children to take chances on new foods. In the song, Elmo discovers that he likes kiwi after trying it a second time. This is a key concept when food needs to stretch over thin budgets.

“What Elmo’s mommy and daddy does is that if Elmo doesn’t like it the first time then they try to prepare it a different way,” observed Elmo. “One time they chopped up Brussels sprouts and they put it in Elmo’s potato soup. And it was really good! Elmo didn’t know until after Elmo finished that it was in there, but Elmo got to love Brussels sprouts that way.”

Just as important is showing how economical preparing fresh and healthy meals at home can be.

“Elmo has a really good friend named chef Art Smith,” explained Elmo, “and he taught Elmo’s mom and dad that you could take a chicken and you could make four meals out of it! You can have four days worth of chicken but prepared different ways. So he grilled it, that’s one way. Then he took some of the chicken and he put it in salad, that’s number two. Then he took the chicken and he made a pasta dish with the chicken, that’s number three. And then he made a really cool soup with some of the chicken. And that was four meals! Elmo’s mommy and daddy say you have to be creative sometimes because food can be expensive. But you have to figure out ways of using it more than once.”

Elmo is no stranger to the world of culinary celebrity. In his short three-and-a-half years, he has collaborated with chef Emeril Lagasse on the Food Network special Emeril and Elmo’s Healthy Start (in, um, 2005), made eggnog on Emeril Live, and loosened up Martha Stewart on two of her shows. Now he’s revealed that he’ll be appearing on an upcoming episode of Top Chef.

“We don’t know what we’re going to do yet, but we can’t wait to spend some time with them,” said Elmo. “They’re really cool. And the chefs are so talented. We love watching it. Elmo watches it with his mom.”

Wait, isn’t Top Chef on a bit late at night for a young monster?

“We TiVo everything!”