Cooking | thesofiamagazine

The Flavors of Autumn

by Laurie Richardone | Sep 27, 2021 | Asheville, Baked Pies, Cooking, Food

F. Scott Fitzgerald would say: “Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall”.

The colors are starting to change, the air feels crisp, and the aromatics of the fall harvest are intoxicating. I don’t know about you, but I start to think of the delicious varieties of pies and tarts that the season suggests. The crisp apples, sweet pumpkin, and fragrant pear, come to mind. One of my favorites is an apple tart. It’s very distinctive bouquet recreates some of those magical moments as a child when I was introduced to a new awareness of scent…

Ingredients that are connected to the season are more abundantly available, which almost always means they cost less. With seasonal eating, fresh fruits and produce picked when they are fully developed at the peak of the season, with optimal growing conditions, come higher levels of antioxidants, such as vitamin C, folate, and beta-Carotene!

I trust I have dispelled any doubt you had about the benefits of seasonal cooking. Another convenience is when we eat with the seasons, we don’t have to be that busy with cooking, unless you love it like I do.

Case in point: It could be as simple as sautéing autumn veggies in olive oil, and tossing them in your favorite pasta, then sprinkled with some fresh herbs. Tossing sliced apples in a pan with a dab of butter, and a dusting of cinnamon, creates a quick healthy warm dessert.

I think one of the biggest dilemmas of professional women is what am I going to eat? Ladies, if you cook with seasonal ingredients this will keep the menu simple, healthy, and delicious.

Staying true to the philosophy of eating with the seasons, this wholesome indulgence has the taste and feel of autumn.

To your good health…

If you are a curious cook, join me on my Radio Show ~ “A taste for All Seasons”

We explore the world of food, with the philosophy of eating with the seasons.

And… as always, l will be sharing cooking tips, seasonal shortcuts and kitchen essentials that will make your life easier in the kitchen.

Visit: A Taste for All Seasons Show Page @ WPVMFM.ORG. and listen to the October 30th show, for a delicious conversation with one of my favorite farmers. It airs on the last Saturday of every month at 11 am, on WPVM FM 103.7 in Asheville, NC.

Laurie Richardone is a seasonal gluten free chef and certified health coach.

For more information, visit LaurieRichardone.com

September Superfoods

by Laurie Richardone | Aug 30, 2021 | Asheville, Cooking, Lifestyle, Nutrition

We usually associate edibles with superfoods.

Of course,the ingredients we put in our body every day are essential in sustaining our well being. My definition of a superfood includes daily movement, and attention to the thoughts we think throughout the day.

Just taking five minutes away from your work desk to move and breathe deeply can recalibrate your mindset. That sounds like a superfood to me!

In September comes a wave of cool weather. The colors start to change, the air has a hint of crispness, and the aromatics of the fall harvest start to intoxicate our palate.

With the body’s divine intelligence we begin craving warmer foods. Eating with the seasons brings harmony to the body and the mind, and sustains us while we ease into autumn with our own natural flow.

With this, comes new delectable opportunities for us to keep moving toward good health with hope and excitement.

It’s the little things that help most of all. Every lifestyle choice, no matter how modest, gets noticed and celebrated by the body’s perceptiveness. If it feels hard to give up certain foods, start slowly, by adding in some nutrient rich whole foods like leafy greens, whole grains, and seasonal spices.

Consuming a colorful diversity of plant foods in your daily life, will promote a well functioning gut microbiota.This allows for a quicker and more effective response to disease-causing organisms. In turn this will create a strong immune system, to support a vibrant body.

In addition to the foods we eat, a beauty routine that leans on natural ingredients will help you look and feel good ~ without sacrificing your health.

With our skin being our largest organ, what we put on our body is paramount to our wellness.

In a culture of doing with less being, our health and the way we approach it, has become central to our way of life.

Simple Superfood Inspiration ~

Design your own superfood bowl with this savory dukkah recipe that is scrumptious on just about everything. ~ Keep it colorful, organic, when possible, flavorful, and incorporate texture by adding some crunchy bits like this delicious recipe with a superabundance of essential omega fatty acids.

To your good health…

If you are a curious cook, join me on my Radio Show ~ “A taste for All Seasons”

We explore the world of food, with the philosophy of eating with the seasons.

And… as always, l will be sharing cooking tips, seasonal shortcuts and kitchen essentials that will make your life easier in the kitchen.

Visit: A Taste for All Seasons Show Page @ WPVMFM.ORG. and listen to the August 28th show, at 11am, for a delicious conversation with Dairy Farmer Andrea Vangunst of Grassroots Farm.

It airs on the last Saturday of every month at 11 am, on WPVM FM 103.7 in Asheville, NC.

Laurie Richardone is a seasonal gluten free chef and certified health coach. For more information, visit LaurieRichardone.com

Dukkah Recipe

by Laurie Richardone | Aug 30, 2021 | Asheville, Cooking, Recipes

Makes 2 cups

2 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

3/4 cup white sesame seeds

1 cup hazelnuts, toasted

1/2 tsp salt, or to taste

1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper

In a dry saucepan over medium heat, toast the coriander seeds, cumin, and sesame seeds. Slightly shake the pan occasionally for 2-3 minutes, or until fragrant.

Set aside.

In the same pan, add the hazelnuts and toast for 4 minutes.

Add all the ingredients to a food processor and pulse several times. You want the nuts and seeds roughly chopped.

Can be stored in an airtight container for several weeks.

Cooks Note: You can add pistachios, or pine nuts, in addition to spices like paprika. Sprinkle on salads, hummus, grilled salmon, and vegetables…

Raw Blueberry Pie with Medjool Date Crust

by admin | Jul 27, 2021 | Asheville, Cooking, Recipes

This refreshing dessert is not only mouth watering, it is loaded with antioxidants that support healthy immune function.

Makes 1- 9″ springform pan, or 3 mini springform pans

Crust

2 cups almonds, raw

1 cup medjool dates

1/8 tsp. sea salt

2 tbsp. water, filtered

1 tsp. vanilla

Filling

1 cup fresh blueberries

1 cup blueberries, freeze dried

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

1/2 cup coconut milk, unsweetened

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tsp. vanilla

3/4 cup maple syrup

2 tbsp. arrowroot, mixed in 1 tsp. warm water, see cooks note

1 tsp. lemon zest

1/4 tsp. salt

Crust

Mix all ingredients in the food processor, except water. Pulse several times until fully incorporated. Add water and pulse a
few times more. Set aside. Crust done…

Filling

Add all the ingredients to the food processor and mix well.

Assembly

Line the bottom of the springform pan with parchment paper. Press crust ingredients into the bottom, making sure it is even. Should be about 1/4′ thick. You can freeze any extra crust ingredients for up to a month.

Pour blueberry mixture into the pan, or pans of choice. Cover well and place into the freezer overnight. Release the spring pan and place on a decorative plate. Add garnish of fresh flowers, blueberries, or cocoa nibs.

Cooks Note; I used the freeze dried blueberries as they soak up some of the moisture from the liquid. You can use one cup of frozen berries, just add another tsp. of arrowroot.

Buon Appetito

For scheduled Cooking Classes in Asheville, Visit:
LaurieRichardone.com

The Untethered Cook

by Laurie Richardone | Jul 27, 2021 | Asheville, Cooking, Food, Health, Recipes

I like to believe we all strive to stay true to ourselves, to our own path. It is very easy to get pulled by others’ opinions and the need for approval, even if it comes from our own striving for perfection. This applies to all paths, cooking as well.

My philosophy of cooking with the seasons allows for inspiration, rather than motivation. Where does inspiration come from? What does it mean to be motivated?

Inspiration is something that you feel on the inside, a sudden creative wonderful idea, while motivation is something from the outside, that compels us to take action. Inspiration is a driving force, while motivation
is a pulling force.

Inspiration is designed to help us get in touch with that inner knowing, and encourage us to celebrate the wondrous and precious gifts nature has given us. It’s a map, a guide, to help us along the way.

I keep this reminder on my kitchen vision board, to remind me of the place I am creating from. This allows for authenticity.

My inspiration comes from an ingredient grown in healthy soil that each season has to offer. Cooking in this way brings us what our bodies need, crave and deserve. It is the recipe for all the pleasures of the table.

Whether you are a serious artist, or a weekend amateur, remaining untethered to any expectation allows for a spontaneous, heartfelt expression of our own unique beauty.

We all deserve a treat now and again… My Raw Blueberry Pie is a summer healthy indulgence. Blueberries are in season in NC through August.

To your good health…

If you are a curious cook, join me on my Radio Show ~ “A taste for All Seasons”

We explore the world of food, with the philosophy of eating with the seasons.

And… as always, l will be sharing cooking tips, seasonal shortcuts and kitchen essentials that will make your life easier in the kitchen.

Visit: A Taste for All Seasons Show Page @ WPVMFM.ORG and listen to the July show, for a delicious conversation with farmer Gaelan Corizine of Green Toe Ground Farm.

It airs on the last Saturday of every month at 11 am, on WPVM FM 103.7 in Asheville, NC.

Laurie Richardone is a seasonal gluten free chef and certified health coach.

For more information, visit LaurieRichardone.com

For scheduled Cooking Classes in Asheville, Visit:
LaurieRichardone.com

Slow Food is Good Food

by Laurie Richardone | Jun 28, 2021 | Asheville, Cooking, Food, Nutrition, Recipes

What is the Slow Food philosophy?

It should please the senses and arrive on the plate in an environmentally responsible way. In addition, creating a connection between farmers and the community.

It is a way of eating and a way of living…

Alice Waters, founder of the legendary Chez Panisse Restaurant in Berkeley, California is the mother of slow food. She was also the creator of The Edible Schoolyard.

It teaches school children not only how to grow food, but how to appreciate food.

Children that were growing their own food were inspired not only to cook it, and eat it, but enjoy the taste of food grown in healthy soil by their own hands.

This is the heart of taste education.

Slow food is contagious. When you eat a perfectly ripe peach or tomato that was organically grown locally, picked at its peak, the difference in taste will be monumental.

It becomes pleasurable and meaningful when you know who’s food you are eating, along with the love that went into growing it. BTW… Pairing a tomato and peach will delight you.

Add some buffalo mozzarella, or sheep feta, drizzled with balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil, Viola… a delicious match made in heaven.

Another benefit of bringing this philosophy into our kitchens, is that it can spill over into living a less stressful life. When we give the ingredients we have gathered at our markets our attention, and their rightful due, we are in the present moment. Our minds will not go to the next thing we need to do, potentially creating stress.

Some of these things are easy to do – some not so easy. Perhaps the most challenging is to change our attitude and mindset about the food we eat.

We have to rethink our priorities and the way we approach life and all things in it!!

Like cooking our food slowly…

To your continued good health

If you are a curious cook, join me on my Radio Show ~ “A taste for All Seasons”

We explore the world of food, with the philosophy of eating with the seasons.

And… as always, l will be sharing cooking tips, seasonal shortcuts and kitchen essentials that will make your life easier in the kitchen.

Visit: wpvmfm.org/show/a-taste-for-all-seasons/ and listen to our June show as we cook our way through the seasons. Learn how to make an authentic Pesto, using traditional methods.

It airs on the last Saturday of every month at 11 am, on WPVM FM 103.7 in Asheville, NC.

Laurie Richardone is a seasonal gluten free chef and certified health coach.

For more information, visit LaurieRichardone.com

« Older Entries

Next Entries »