Usually when we think of malnutrition our thoughts drift to impoverished areas of the United States or overseas to Third World countries. Rarely do we think about New York City much less a neighbor in your building. But the reality is New York City is home to nearly 1.3 million senior citizens age 60 years and older. Many of them are hungry…for food and for companionship. The same goes for other cities, not just New York. It could be your elderly neighbor down the street who has mobility issues or weakened memory for whom cooking is difficult and eating is
Read more →When people ask me what I like to make for dinner I usually answer “Reservations.” This stems from my childhood. I had a busy mother who worked full time, earned her Masters Degree at night and volunteered for numerous civic and charitable organizations. She loved to food shop but was usually to occupied to cook. We had a lot of wasted food in our refrigerator! Dinner was usually something rapidly prepared or heated from a bag, box or can. Dining out was where the adventure started. Mom was happy. Dad was happy. I was happy. The meals tasted different and it was a
Read more →Getting wasted is growing in popularity. I don’t mean drinking yourself silly and getting trashed. These days getting wasted means becoming more grounded and conscious about the food we eat and utilizing every part of it rather than throwing it out. In other words: Don’t trash your dinner. The United States is an agricultural wonder abundant in food. Stores stock hundreds of products both farm-raised and man-made. Restaurants and food shops are on every block in cities and towns. Yet, we waste more food than we ingest, and more than 46 million Americans are living with food insecurity (lack of food).
Read more →In the world of cooking and gustatory pleasure, the sensation of taste can be categorized into five basic categories: sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami. The latter is a Japanese term for a savory, stimulating sensation that is meaty but not in the “red meat” meaning of the word. Umami fills your mouth with pleasure. I like to experience all five senses when I eat and I hope to convey them as I improve my cooking ability. But I think I have identified a sixth sense. It’s why homemade dishes you remember as a child tasted so good and why I can’t seem to
Read more →As a lifelong foodist and longtime food professional, I have always taken a keen interest in what I put in my body and share at the table with others. Lately that table has become a matter of dining diplomacy as more people are concerned less about what to eat and more about what not to eat. I am thrilled that communities and the media are focusing more on diet, health and sustainability. I read the Health Section of The New York Times with as much focus as the Food Section, seeking out morsels of news about the latest scientific research
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