What is your background? Have you always been interested in food?
I am a Registered Dietitian and mom (and, yes, I now feel that is part of my credentials). I received my undergraduate degree in Biology from Duke University and my Master’s in Nutrition from NYU. My mom and I started DinDins homemade, organic food for toddlers in February of this year. I also have a private nutrition counseling practice, Citrition, and co-authored a book The Little Black Apron: A Single Girl’s Guide to Cooking with Style and Grace.I love everything about food – from the grocery shopping to cooking it and especially eating it!
Where do your best ideas/recipes come from? When you are feeling a little “stuck” what helps you get back to being creative?
Any time I’m feeling stuck or like I’m in a rut, watching the Food Network does wonders! Just watching people cook makes me excited to make something. I also love flipping through cookbooks, especially ones with good pictures. That also gets me really motivated and inspired.
My best ideas and recipes come from Bon Appetit – I modify many recipes to make them healthier – and my book The Little Black Apron
What are must-have top 5 tools or ingredients?
It’s so hard to limit to five, but if I had to, I would say:
Canned tomatoes
Good olive oil
Sea salt
Cinnamon
Chocolate chips
good chef’s knife
cutting board
baking sheet
whisk
heat resistant spatula
What is your favorite thing to cook?
Any produce that’s in season. I love a dish that highlights a fruit or vegetable that’s in season. And, I love baking everything, especially if it has chocolate!
What are your favorite shops/online destinations for supplies or food?
I have so many….as I said, I like to grocery shop
Arthur Avenue – the best cheese, breads (especially olive bread), meats/poultry
Fairway – I could get lost in there, but love the selection of grains, beans, homemade nut butters, produce…
FreshDirect – a must with a young child
Whole Foods – needs no explanation…
Trader Joe’s – for dried fruits, nuts, hummus and other spreads, breads, pastas
Citarella – amazing seafood and butcher
Behind the Burner – great deals on specialty foods
What is your most favorite recipe and why?
I’d have to say Pumpkin Raisin Bread. I love pumpkin in anything and the smell of the cinnamon permeating my apartment is amazing.
Other than yours, whose recipes or food tips do you love?
My mom’s!!
Bon Appetit
Barefoot Contessa
Ellie Krieger
Eating Well magazine
Any tips for getting your kids or family to eat healthier?
Eat together at the table. Many people don’t realize the importance of this. Clients often tell me that their kids eat well when they are in a restaurant, but not at home. Usually it’s because everyone is eating together when you’re in a restaurant. Kids need to see and learn about the whole eating experience by watching and participating in a meal.
Get kids involved in food preparation. Let your child help out in the kitchen. Pick age appropriate tasks – even toddlers can help out (see my recipes below). Kids are much more likely to eat something if they’ve had a hand in making it. Take a trip to a farm like Blue Hill. Exposing children to all the different aspects of food such as where it grows, how it’s picked etc makes children want to try new foods.
