For the Love of Food

Welcome to Friday’s For The Love of Food, Summer Tomato’s weekly link roundup. 

This week the secret to self-control, saturated fat is good for you, and why you aren’t a “picky eater.”

Too busy to read them all? Try this awesome free speed reading app to read at 300+ wpm. So neat!

I also share links on Twitter @summertomato and the Summer Tomato Facebook page. I’m very active on all these sites and would love to connect with you.

Read the rest of this story »

Photo by qousqous

Happy holidays fellow foodists!

For me, holiday shopping is one of those things that sends me hyperventilating into a paper bag. I feel like no matter how much time I spend trying to find the perfect gift, it always just falls flat. It stresses me out so much that I don’t even like receiving gifts, since they just make me feel bad about my own failed purchases. Ugh.

What I’m great at though is knowing what I like. After all these years there are actually very few things that I regularly use to keep myself healthy, so I feel confident about all these gift ideas if you’re shopping for the foodist in your life. Better yet? You don’t have to fight the crowds to get them.

Best of luck and have a lovely holiday season.

xo

Darya

Read the rest of this story »

Thanksgiving is over and the time for holiday shopping has started for foodists everywhere. Each year I compile a list of my favorite foodist gadgets and obsessions.

This year I have been all about learning, and have spent an extraordinary amount of time reading, listening to audiobooks, and taking online courses. The stuff listed here is more food and health centric, but I’ve been reading a ton of psychology and self-help as well.

I’ve also discovered a few new favorite toys that would make excellent stocking stuffers. Plus there’s some old standbys that no foodist should live without.

Happy Holidays!

Read the rest of this story »

Photo by Bunches and Bits {Karina}

It’s official. Holiday season is here.

Starting this week health conscious people everywhere are bracing themselves for two solid months of parties, feasts and festivities.

To even the most dedicated foodists, it can be overwhelming.

Even though my #1 philosophy is that life should be awesome and you shouldn’t restrict yourself from things you enjoy, it can be helpful to enter the holidays with a plan to keep your healthstyle more or less on track.

These are the steps I personally take to make sure I don’t begin the New Year trying to make amends for the holidays.

Read the rest of this story »

Photo by rushdi13

For many newly minted foodists, the upcoming long holiday weekend will be the first real test of your new anti-dieting healthstyle that embraces real food and enjoyment.

Although it can be a little challenging to get started, switching from a dieter’s mindset to a foodist’s mindset is fairly straightforward when we’re in the comfort of our normal lives. But when confronted with a situation where we have multiple days of sun, fun and celebration, fear of sugar, fat and binges can easily seep in.

Can we really handle all this freedom?

Read the rest of this story »

Photo by jondoeforty1

Tis the season for holiday travel. For the next couple of weeks airports will be the fateful purgatory for all of us venturing home (or away) for the holidays.

Since calorie rich meals are almost certainly in your future, why waste perfectly good indulgences on crappy airport food?

Unhealthy food should be a treat, never a symptom of laziness. Just a little planning can get you through most flights without the need to eat things you’d prefer not to.

Even in suboptimal situations (75% of my flights back to SF are delayed due to weather), there are a few tricks you can use to minimize the damage.
Read the rest of this story »

Photo by wsilver

As my healthstyle has evolved over the years I’ve acquired an arsenal of tools that are indispensable for keeping me on track. This year’s wish list has all my latest and greatest obsessions, as well as a few old standbys I can’t live without.

Read the rest of this story »

Photo by apparena

For this year’s holiday wish list I focus on the gear that I cannot live without. Whether the foodist in your life is new in the kitchen or a seasoned chef, there’s almost certainly something here they’ll love. Happy shopping!

Summer Tomato Holiday Wish List 2012

1. Mercado farmer market bag $24.99

One of the things I’m most proud of this year is the launch of Mercado, the farmers market bag I helped design over at Quirky. I’ve been using mine religiously for over eight months, and don’t know how I ever shopped without it. On big shopping days (e.g. Saturdays at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market) I use two to get all my produce home safe and unblemished.

2. Fitbit One $99.95

I’ve been using the new Fitbit One for the past couple months and love it. The new design is sleek and much more durable than older models. The display is also much sharper and easier to read. The Fitbit is still the best simple pedometer I’ve found to ensure I get my daily 10,000 steps. Tracking your weight is one of the most effective ways to find trouble spots in your healthstyle.

3. Fitbit Aria scale $129.95

If weight control is one of your goals, monitoring your progress is essential. Now that Fitbit has created their own wireless digital scale you can have your activity and body weight data in the same convenient place, making it easier to stay on track.

4.  Scanpan cookeware $91.73

I know that non-stick cookware is controversial, but I’ve still always preferred it since it is so much easier to clean and I don’t like spending any more time in the kitchen than I have to. Earlier this year I discovered Scanpans, which are eco-friendly, non-toxic pans that are dishwasher safe—it’s like all my dreams have come true. They can be a bit pricey, but I think they’re an investment worth making. I originally planned to recommend the two pan set, but it is already back ordered. This 10 1/4 inch fry pan is a good place to start.

5. The 4-Hour Chef $21

I think this book by Tim Ferriss would make an excellent gift for anyone who has just moved out of the home or out of the dorms, and needs to learn to cook on their own. It’s a simple, easy to follow cooking lessons that can take anyone from clueless to proficient in the kitchen. I recently wrote a full review of this book if you’d like to know more.

6. Le Creuset French Oven $256.99

I got my Le Creuset French oven as a graduation gift back in 2010, and use it constantly. I’ve been reluctant to recommend a $350 pot, but I also know it’s an amazing gift to receive and is worth every penny. Also, I found it on Amazon for $100 less than mine was from the super fancy cookware store, so now is as good a time as any to splurge.

7. Yogourmet Electric Yogurt Maker $49.95

Another new hobby in my household this year is yogurt making. We got this electric yogurt maker and have been using it to create our own batches of creamy yogurt, that I now eat almost daily. It’s fun to play around with different kinds of milk and starter cultures. I learned that if I choose pasture-raised dairy (e.g. Straus Organic milk), my skin doesn’t break out like it does when I use more industrially produced organic milks. Cool, right?

8. Aeropress $25.95

Though we still drink lots of tea, coffee is also a big part of our lives. Since I was in high school I’ve experimented with drip, French press, stove top Bialetti, espresso makers, cold brews and more, but by far my favorite device is the Aeropress. Not only does it make the best tasting coffee, it’s also the easiest to clean. And for $25, you can’t beat it. For the ultimate coffee experience invest in the stainless steel filter ($16.50) as well.

9. Sous Vide Supreme $429

When we first got our sous vide machine, I honestly didn’t think we’d use it much. The grill and stove top had always worked perfectly fine for me, and sous vide seemed like an extra step that felt unnecessary. I was wrong. The food we make using the sous vide, including vegetables and eggs, but mostly fish and meat, inevitably turns out better when we use the sous vide. The machine uses a water bath to get to a uniform temperature throughout the food you’re cooking, so it always turns out exactly how you want it. If it’s meat, that means you can hit that perfect medium rare, then just finish it on the grill for flavor. It’s cooked perfectly, and the food spends less time at high heat, which is a known source of cancer causing compounds. We use ours constantly.

Happy holidays!

Darya Pino: Sharing Good Food at the Holidays from Moving Portraits on Vimeo.

My friends over at Moving Portraits asked if I would share one reason the holidays are special to me, so I sat down with them (and Toaster) last week.

The holidays are one of the few times in the year I get to visit my dad, whom I love more than anything. This is the story about how my trips home for the holidays helped him transform his diet, and save his life. This is the success story I’m most proud of at Summer Tomato by far.

Moving Portraits is a San Francisco based production company specializing in micro-documentaries for individuals, families, and small businesses. Moving Portraits transforms clients’ stories into vivid films, integrating intimate interviews, stunning visuals and personalized music.

Co-founders Simone and Haley Jude have more twenty years of filmmaking experience between them, and they love showcasing the beauty of stories on film. You can find them on Facebook at facebook.com/movingportraitssf and on Twitter @movingsf.

For The Love of Food

Welcome to Friday’s For The Love of Food, Summer Tomato’s weekly link roundup.

This week romantic meals help you eat less, why you should buy organic meat, and how to fight holiday weight gain.

Want to see all my favorite links? Be sure to follow me on on Delicious. I also share links on Twitter @summertomato,  Google+ and the Summer Tomato Facebook page. I’m very active on all these sites and would love to connect with you. (And yes, I took that pepper heart pic myself).

Links of the week

• CANDLELIGHT, TABLECLOTHS CAN HELP CUT FOOD INTAKE <<Want to eat less? Turn off the TV, light some candles, put on some pretty music and actually enjoy your meal. Seriously guys, you can do this. (Dr. Weil)
• 3 insidious reasons we gain weight during the holidays (and how to fight them) <<You’re likely to gain a small amount of weight over this holiday season and never lose it. Here’s some helpful tips to prevent the years from stacking up on your belly. (Weighthacker)
• Top 9 Most Important Foods to Buy Organic <<This goes beyond the popular “Dirty Dozen” lists of fruit and vegetables, and includes meat, dairy, eggs, etc. (Mark’s Daily Apple)
• Looking for antibiotic-resistant bacteria? Try raw pork <<Following up on the last article, I would add organic pork to Mark’s list. (Grist)
• The Hater’s Guide To The Williams-Sonoma Catalog <<This is beyond hilarious. Not for those with delicate sensibilities, but if you love crude humor as much as I do you’ll be in stitches. (DeadSpin)
• How to Overhaul Your Diet <<Some really solid advice, if you’re new to the whole healthy eating thing. (Nutrition Diva)
• Telomere Lengths Predict Life Expectancy in the Wild, Research Shows <<For those interested in the science of aging, this is really fascinating. (ScienceDaily)
• A Quick and Easy Way to Estimate Portion Size <<I’m not sure how accurate this is, but it doesn’t look too far off base. It also seems super convenient. (Livestrong)
• Active Lifestyle Boosts Brain Structure and Slows Alzheimer’s Disease <<A more thorough study than most. Get that exercise, kids! (ScienceDaily)
• spinach salad with warm bacon vinaigrette <<I was just this week thinking about how tasty those warm spinach and bacon salads are, and this pops up. This is a great way to shift back to greens from the turkey and stuffing of last week. (smitten kitchen)

What inspired you this week?