: Food

Everyday Food

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:48 CST

Hash browns, in every supermarket freezer case, can quickly become an essential in your kitchen. They take all the work out of peeling and shredding potatoes at home.

For maximum versatility, look for ones without added fat or seasonings. You can season them how you like and cook up classic hash browns in oil for breakfast.

Everyday Food magazine offers quick, healthy solutions for everyday meals -- from the kitchens of Martha Stewart Living. For more recipes and additional tips, visit www.marthastewart.com/everydayfood.

Pork and potato meatloaf

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine 1 1/2 pounds ground pork; 2 cups frozen hash browns (1/2 pound), thawed; 1 large carrot, shredded; 1 small yellow onion, shredded; 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley; 2 large egg whites; 2 teaspoons coarse salt; 3/4 teaspoon ground pepper; and 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning. Using your hands, mix until ingredients are well combined.

2. Transfer mixture to a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet; form into a 5-by-9-inch loaf. Bake until meatloaf is golden brown on top and cooked through (an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center should read 160 degrees), about 1 hour. Let rest, about 10 minutes, before slicing.

Nutritional information per serving: 255 calories, 13 grams fat (5 grams saturated fat), 16 grams carbohydrates, 19 grams protein, 3 grams fiber and 46 percent of calories from fat.

Potato pancakes

1. In an 8-inch nonstick skillet, melt 2 1/2 teaspoons unsalted butter over medium-high heat. Add 4 cups frozen hash browns (1 pound), thawed, and press evenly into skillet with a rubber spatula. Season with coarse salt and ground pepper.

2. Cook, pressing on potatoes and tucking in edge occasionally with spatula, until crisp and deep golden brown, about 10 minutes to 15 minutes. (Adjust heat if necessary to prevent cake from overbrowning.)

3. Flip pancake and repeat, adding 2 1/2 teaspoons butter to skillet. To serve, cut pancake into quarters.

Nutritional information per serving: 123 calories, 5 grams fat (3 grams saturated fat), 18 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams protein, 3 grams fiber and 36 percent of calories from fat.

Denver omelet cups

In place of ham steak, you can use crumbled sausage or diced turkey breast.

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Coat 6 nonstick jumbo muffin cups with 1/2 teaspoon unsalted butter. In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt 4 teaspoons butter. Add 4 cups frozen hash browns (1 pound), thawed, and 2 egg whites; season with coarse salt and ground pepper and mix thoroughly. Place 1/2 cup mixture into each muffin cup, firmly pressing into bottom and up side of each cup. Bake 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a small nonstick skillet, melt 1/2 teaspoon butter over medium heat. Add 1/2 small red onion, diced small; 1 small red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and diced small; and 4 ounces ham steak, diced small. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Divide vegetable mixture evenly among cups and top with 3 ounces cheddar, grated (3/4 cup). Bake 2 minutes.

3. Remove from oven and crack 1 large egg into each cup. Season with salt and pepper and bake until whites are set but yolks are still runny, about 8 minutes to 10 minutes. With a small offset spatula, remove cups from pan and serve immediately.

Nutritional information per serving: 247 calories, 14 grams fat (8 grams saturated fat), 14 grams carbohydrates, 17 grams protein, 2 grams fiber and 51 percent of calories from fat.

Personal chef Callie Salls hosts feasts with foodie friends

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:13 CST

By June Naylor

Editor's note: This is the first in an occasional series in which we go into the kitchen and around the table with local people who cook from the heart with their friends and family.

When the weekend draws to a close, Callie Salls likes to gather her nearest and dearest around to celebrate another week well-lived. When she does this, the personal chef also toasts the week ahead, during which she will be sure that plenty of clients are well-fed, too.

But it's specifically at Sunday supper that Salls knows she can blend her favorite activities with like-minded souls.

"I've always been a social butterfly. So incorporating my passions of food, drink and entertaining into a night in with good friends is a match made in heaven," says Salls, who continues a tradition that started when she was growing up.

"My dad traveled a lot when I was a kid, so we would have a big Sunday meal together," Salls says. "It was good food, too, like grilled steaks or chicken, veggies, rice and salad."

A passion for food that resonates with balance inspires her cooking today, whether she's celebrating with her gourmet-driven girlfriends or putting together meals for clients.

"I tend to balance simple and familiar dishes with seasonal ingredients and a hint of luxury," she says. "Like fried chicken with pink peppercorn gravy and champagne, or espresso balsamic tiramisu with rosemary chantilly cream. I like for clients and diners to question my flavor combinations that I pair together before they actually take their first bite."

And so, her contemporary gatherings -- whether it's the anticipated Sunday feast or just an impromptu Tuesday-evening dinner -- star dishes like roasted winter vegetables; lasagna packed with rainbow chard, bacon and fresh mozzarella; and risotto studded with spring peas and leeks, meals she likes to finish with dessert elements you don't find frequently.

"When tart rhubarb is in season, I'm brainstorming, thinking that a free-form rhubarb tart would be good but perhaps too heavy to go with rich risotto. So I edit my rhubarb concept into a lighter buttermilk panna cotta with rhubarb jam. I then prepare a quick salad with bitter greens to round out the springtime menu," she says.

Though Salls, an Austin native who is only 26, found her way to a life in cuisine quickly, she was first inspired by conscientious cooking in her childhood home. Her mom avoided processed and fast foods, as well as sugary drinks. Meals were built around nutrition, focusing on freshness and simplicity.

As a student at TCU, Salls found herself dreaming about food and cooking, even as she earned her degree in journalism, advertising and public relations. Working in graphic design for a little while, Salls realized that her devotion to great food couldn't be ignored and that she had no choice but to change course. She enrolled in night classes at the Culinary School of Fort Worth, earning a degree and going right into restaurant work.

"I felt like if I didn't take the leap during such an obvious life transition -- soon after graduating college -- that I would never get the opportunity. I made the right decision."

She worked in the kitchen at Lili's Bistro on Magnolia Avenue for a year while tending to her blog, Linguine and Dirty Martinis. But the call to cook for private clients and teach cooking was too strong, and she branched out on her own.

Putting together meals and events for clients and teaching at the culinary school fill her busy days, but she finds time to also write for Fort Worth Foodie, a quarterly magazine published by Crystal Willars Vastine.

Vastine is one of a close group of food-loving friends who find time to gather as often as possible, not just to eat but to talk about food. It's not unusual, Vastine and Salls agree, for them to discuss the next meal even before they've finished the one in front of them.

"We will ask about each other's jobs and families, but then we're right into food -- what we're having for dinner, what we had at a restaurant," says Vastine, who loves sitting down to one of Salls' suppers. "Any chance to dig into Callie's food is good with me."

Because Salls' schedule stays packed with work, she finds herself able to cook for fun just a couple of times a month. She let us have a peek at the table she set a few nights ago with Vastine and two other foodie pals, Josie Villa-Singleton, who runs the blog Eat This Fort Worth, and Kari Crowe, a food (and wedding) photographer who runs Fork Meat Spoon.

For Sunday supper with friends, Salls made four easy goodies that anyone can do pretty quickly.

Toasted bread with almond-thyme pesto served as the appetizer and side dish. Rainbow chard and bacon lasagna with fresh mozzarella (a client favorite) was the entree that each of the friends vowed to make at home, soon. Roasted winter vegetable salad brought loads of color and nutrition to the table, and layered Nutella brownies with toasted hazelnuts drew happy sighs.

To make this Sunday supper with little fuss, Salls recommends doing as many things ahead as possible, such as the pesto, vegetable prep, lasagna assembly and brownie baking. That way, you have ample time to revel in your chill evening with family and friends, and you have a Sunday to savor.

Layered Nutella brownies with toasted hazelnuts

1 cup hazelnuts

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter

7 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 eggs, room temperature

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup Nutella chocolate hazelnut spread

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line hazelnuts evenly on a baking sheet and toast for about 5 minutes, until golden brown. Set aside to cool and coarsely chop. Reduce oven to 325 degrees while preparing brownie batter.

2. Line 13-by-9-by-2-inch metal baking pan with foil, leaving a long overhang. Place butter in a large, heavy saucepan. Add both chocolates and stir over low heat until smooth. Remove from heat. Whisk in sugar, vanilla and salt, then eggs, 1 at a time. Fold in flour until just combined. Spread in prepared pan.

3. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 25 minutes. Place pan on rack and cool completely.

4. After brownies have cooled, spread Nutella evenly on brownies, spreading to edges, and top with chopped hazelnuts. Refrigerate 2-3 hours until Nutella glaze has hardened. Using the foil as an aid, transfer the brownie cake to a work surface and cut it into squares.

Nutritional analysis per brownie: 335 calories, 21 grams fat, 36 grams carbohydrates, 5 grams protein, 61 milligrams cholesterol, 55 milligrams sodium, 2 grams dietary fiber, 54 percent of calories from fat.

-- Callie Salls

Rainbow chard and bacon lasagna with fresh mozzarella

6 slices hickory-smoked bacon

1/2 cup shallots, sliced thin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 bunches rainbow chard, trimmed and cut crosswise in 1/2-inch pieces

2 cups jarred marinara sauce

1 pound whole-milk ricotta

Juice and zest of 1 large lemon

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced

Salt and fresh-cracked pepper, to taste

6 no-boil lasagna sheets

8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut in 1/4-inch-wide slices

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease an 8-by-8-inch casserole dish. In a large saute pan, cook bacon over medium-high heat until crisp. Set aside on paper towels to cool and reserve bacon grease in pan.

2. While grease is still hot, add shallots, salt and crushed red pepper flakes. Saute about 3-5 minutes, until softened and lightly caramelized. Add rainbow chard in two additions, and saute until wilted down, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in marinara sauce and let mixture cool.

3. Meanwhile, combine ricotta, lemon, rosemary, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Coarsely chop reserved bacon.

4. To assemble lasagna, coat bottom of pan with a small amount of rainbow chard mixture. Add two lasagna sheets to evenly cover mixture. Layer a third of the rainbow chard mixture followed by half of the ricotta mixture, then crumbled bacon, mozzarella slices, 2 more lasagna sheets, the next third of the rainbow chard mixture, the remaining ricotta, remaining lasagna sheets and the remaining rainbow chard mixture. Finish with shredded mozzarella.

5. Bake on a lipped sheet pan to prevent spillover for about 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbling. Let cool 30 minutes before slicing and serving.

Nutritional analysis per serving, based on 6: 892 calories, 35 grams fat, 99 grams carbohydrates, 43 grams protein, 111 milligrams cholesterol, 1,031 milligrams sodium, 4 grams dietary fiber, 36 percent of calories from fat.

Toasted Italian bread with almond-thyme pesto

1/2 cup blanched almonds

8 sprigs fresh thyme

1/4 cup Italian parsley

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Fresh-cracked pepper, to taste

1 loaf toasted Italian bread

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line almonds evenly on a baking sheet and toast for 5-7 minutes, until golden brown. Set aside to cool.

2. Combine herbs, Parmesan, honey and salt in a food processor and pulse evenly. Slowly stream in oil until a bright green paste develops. Season with fresh-cracked pepper, and serve spooned atop slices of bread.

Nutritional analysis per 2 tablespoons pesto: 129 calories, 13 grams fat, 1 gram carbohydrates, 2 grams protein, 1 milligram cholesterol, 118 milligrams sodium, trace dietary fiber, 90 percent of calories from fat.

Senior menus for Tarrant, Johnson counties

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:30 CST

For week of Feb. 13-17

Tarrant County

Monday: Western baked beef, Ranch whipped potatoes, broccoli, whole-wheat bread, cranapplesauce

Tuesday: Turkey breast with gravy, cornbread dressing, green beans with onions, dinner roll, cherry cake, diet: cake

Wednesday: Turkey rice casserole, glazed carrots, green beans, whole-wheat bread, creamsicle pudding, diet: chocolate pudding

Thursday: BBQ chicken, lima beans, spinach, cornbread, fresh banana

Friday: Home-style beef casserole, tossed salad, mixed vegetables, Texas bread, peach cobbler, diet: peach crisp

Johnson County

Monday: Western baked beef, Ranch whipped potatoes, broccoli, whole-wheat bread, cranapplesauce

Tuesday: Turkey breast with gravy, cornbread dressing, green beans with onions, dinner roll, cherry cake, diet: cake

Wednesday: Turkey rice casserole, glazed carrots, green beans, whole-wheat bread, creamsicle pudding, diet: chocolate pudding

Thursday: BBQ chicken, lima beans, spinach, cornbread, fresh banana

Friday: Home-style beef casserole, tossed salad, mixed vegetables, Texas bread, peach cobbler, diet: peach crisp

Meals are provided at senior centers throughout Tarrant and Johnson counties. For more information in Tarrant County, call 817-338-4433; in Johnson County, call 817-558-2840.

Note: Menus subject to change.

Frost bite: Caribbean Food Delights Jamaican Style Vegetable Patties

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 18:10 CST

Caribbean Food Delights Jamaican Style Vegetable Patties

Serving size: 1 patty (2 per package)

Calories: 350

Fat: 16 grams (7 grams saturated)

Cholesterol: 0 milligrams

Sodium: 530 milligrams

Carb count: 44 grams

Fiber: 4 grams

Sugars: 8 grams

Protein: 8 grams

Prep time: 2 minutes

Found it: At Albertsons, $3.99

The dish: These empanada-style patties are filled with vegetables and spices, and we like that the first six ingredients listed are actually the vegetables. While the filling has plenty of flavor, the outer crust was far too doughy for our liking. Each patty contains a whole meal's worth of calories and fat, but not enough stick-to-your-ribs satisfaction for lunch.

Will I keep it in my freezer? No

Rating: 2 (out of 5)

-- Stephanie Allmon

Cook for healthy appetites

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:03 CST

By June Naylor

Taking care of your heart means paying special attention to your eating habits, there's no doubt about that. But that means more than shunning fried foods and choosing oatmeal instead of pancakes for breakfast.

To help you treat your heart right with your own cooking practices, we consulted three local food experts who know their way around a nutritious kitchen. They offer recipes with ingredients known to combat cholesterol and promote heart health. Best of all, these tried-and-true preparations pack plenty of flavor.

For more helpful information on the best diet choices for your heart, check out the American Heart Association's nutrition center at www.heart

.org (click on "getting healthy," then on "nutrition center").

Deb Cantrell's grilled salmon

Deb Cantrell, a personal chef whose company is called Savory Culinary Services (www.thesavorchef.com), teaches healthy cooking at the Culinary Business Academy in Arlington. She frequently teaches healthy cooking classes at Market Street in Colleyville and gives the occasional healthy food tour at Whole Foods in Arlington, too.

Her heart-friendly dish includes salmon, rich in omega-3 fatty acids essential for a good heart, as well as almonds, olive oil and arugula, all especially nutritious, too.

"This sauce recipe works well for flank steak, served over chicken or served as a dip with vegetables," Cantrell says.

GRILLED SALMON WITH ROASTED RED BELL ALMOND SAUCE OVER ARUGULA

Serves 4

4 (8-ounce) salmon fillets

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

4 tablespoons sliced almonds (see note)

1 (7.5-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained (or 3/4 cup)

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 medium cloves garlic

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika or plain sweet paprika

2-3 cups fresh arugula leaves

1. Season the salmon with salt and pepper; set aside.

2. In a food processor, process the almonds until coarsely ground. Add the remaining ingredients except arugula and process until the mixture is fairly smooth, about 1 minute. Set aside.

3. To grill the salmon on your gas grill, preheat grill to medium-high heat. Oil the grates. Place the salmon, skin side up, on the grill and cook until marked, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn salmon and cook another 3 to 4 minutes, brushing with a little olive oil. Remove from heat. (If using a grill pan on your stove top, treat the pan with just a little olive oil. Follow the same instructions.)

4. While salmon cooks, arrange fresh arugula leaves on four plates. Place grilled salmon fillets atop arugula. Top with the sauce. If you like, you can drizzle a little balsamic vinegar on top. Serve warm. Note: If you’d like more flavor, toast the almonds in a 350-degree oven in an ungreased pan for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden.

Robin Plotkin's kale salad

Robin Plotkin, a registered dietitian in Dallas, taught herself to cook years ago and teaches clients how to cook healthy meals. She urges them to choose 100 percent pure juices, satisfy cravings for salt with heart-healthy nuts and fill up on fiber, like whole grains, beans and legumes.

One fiber-rich green she loves is kale, which, like so many dark-colored greens, has recently become exceedingly popular. Best of all, it's a super-food, packed with nutrients that researchers believe will stave off cancer and reduce the risk of heart disease.

Plotkin says her recipe "is a great way to get people over their fear of kale." You'll want to add the dressing to the salad about 15 to 20 minutes before eating to soften the naturally stiff kale leaves. (Keep up with her food and nutrition blogging at www.robinsbite.com.)

SIMPLE KALE SALAD

Serves 1

Dressing

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

3/4 cup olive oil

1. Place all dressing ingredients in a screw top jar and shake vigorously to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Salad

1 small bunch kale, washed, trimmed and torn into small pieces

1 cup red, yellow and orange tomatoes, sliced into halves or quarters, depending on the size

1/4 cup pistachio nuts

2 tablespoons balsamic dressing

2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese

1. Mound kale pieces in the center of a bowl or plate. Add chopped tomatoes and pistachios around the top of the mound. Add the dressing 15-20 minutes ahead of time to allow the kale to break down.

2. Add cheese and serve.

Janet Capua's vegetarian bellissima

Chef Janet Capua, whose family is Italian, learned to cook as a little girl for parents who loved to eat but weren't accomplished in the kitchen. Although she worked as a dental hygienist for 40 years, Janet made time to travel the world and take cooking classes from Napa Valley to Tuscany.

With son Carlo Capua, she opened the first Z's Cafe in 2009 at the Fort Worth Community Arts Center, and the pair launched a second location in the medical district in January (www.zscafe.com). On top of building a reputation for excellent chicken salad, the two generate several dishes geared specifically for health benefits. Each week, the cafe prepares 140 meals for Cuisine for Healing, a Fort Worth-based nonprofit that provides nutritious meals for people undergoing specific medical treatments.

Here's a vegetarian option that Janet Capua calls bellissima, the Italian word for stupendous. It stars healthy goodies like mushroom, spinach, pumpkin seeds and garlic, along with the protein-rich grain quinoa. She uses feta cheese from Latte Da Dairy, a local producer.

BELLISSIMA

Serves 8

3 cups vegetable or chicken stock

1 cup quinoa

3/4 cup olive oil, divided use

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

8 green onions, chopped

5 cups baby spinach leaves

2 cups arugula leaves

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped

8 large portobello mushrooms, stems removed and wiped clean.

1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

1. Bring stock to boil in a medium pan over medium heat. Cook quinoa in the boiling stock for about 15 minutes; you’ll know it’s done when the grains shoot out what look like tiny tails. Set aside to cool.

2. In a large pan, heat 1/2 cup virgin olive oil over medium-high heat and add garlic and green onions, stirring until softened a bit. Stir well and add spinach and arugula, dusting with garlic salt. Cook about 3 to 4 minutes until leaves are wilted.

3. Transfer to a large bowl and mix with the cooked quinoa, pumpkin seeds and cranberries. Set aside.

4. In the same large pan, heat the remaining olive oil and cook the portobello mushrooms, cap side down, for about 4 minutes. Turn over and cook another 4 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer caps to a paper towel to drain. Fill the cavity of each mushroom with the spinach-quinoa mixture and top with feta. Serve warm. (If you like, you can warm the caps in a 400-degree oven for 5 minutes to melt the cheese and soften the mushrooms more.)

Sparkling-wine options for your Valentine's Day party of two

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:04 CST

By Courtney Ortega

Toast to your love this Valentine's Day with two flutes of sparkling wine. Whether rosé or white, sweet or brut, a bubbly wine is guaranteed to put a spark in your V-Day celebration.

To sweeten the deal, here are five budget-friendly bubblies.

Rosé outlook

Made from a unique blend of Spanish grapes, this rosé cava by Segura Viudas has a strawberry aroma and features citrus and nectarine flavors.

Details: Segura Viudas Brut Rosé, $8.99, Whole Foods Market, 801 E. Lamar Blvd., Arlington, 817-461-9362; wholefoodsmarket.com.

The real deal

Made according to the traditional method, this Champagne from N.V. Henri de Villamont is produced in the Burgundy region of France and features aromas of floral and citrus.

Details: N.V. Henri de Villamont Crémant De Bourgogne Blanc de Blancs, $16.95, Central Market, 4651 West Freeway, Fort Worth, 817-989-4700, and 1425 E. Southlake Blvd., Southlake, 817-310-5600; www.centralmarket.com.

Blu valentine

This dry sparkling wine -- an aromatic mixture of fresh citrus, pear and pineapple -- comes "pale straw" in color, with hints of zesty citrus and pear.

Details: Blu Giovello Prosecco, $17.95, Tivoli Wines, 62 Main St., Colleyville, 817-581-9463; www.tivoliwines.com.

Have a cava

This Spanish cava features a bright aroma and a combination of refreshing citrus notes.

Details: 2008 Sumarroca Brut Reserva Cava, $17, WineStyles, Montgomery Plaza, 2600 W. Seventh St., Fort Worth, 817-332-9463; www.winestyles.net.

A little sparkle

A vibrant mixture of golden apple, honeysuckle and white peach, this Italian-made sparkling wine has a fresh taste and a light, crisp finish.

Details: La Marca Prosecco Sparkling Wine, $17.95, Bear Creek Spirits & Wines, 7101 Colleyville Blvd., Colleyville, 817-251-8789; www.bearcreekspirits.com.

The Cowgirl Chef cooks for her Valentine

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 07:27 CST

By Ellise Pierce

PARIS -- With its own "Lover's Bridge," a museum of romance (the Musée de la Vie Romantique) and even a book that chronicles the best places around the city to kiss, Paris would seem to be an endless honeymoon for its residents. Which, of course, it isn't.

But there is something magical that happens every time I return to France from my real home in Texas. As the plane makes its descent north of Paris into Charles de Gaulle, slicing through the gray and onto the tarmac below, my heart thumps a bit faster and I smile as I think to myself, "Woohoo, I'm in Paris!"

Every time, it's like this. After all these years.

I first fell under Paris' spell decades ago, walking hand-in-hand one evening along the quay of the Seine with my then-boyfriend after a dinner of sole meunière in a dimly lit Right Bank bistro. There was a light mist clinging to the air -- bruine, I now know it's called -- and the Eiffel Tower was illuminated with thousands of tiny white lights. He asked me to marry him, and I said yes. Afterward, we found a late-night brasserie on the Champs-Élysées, ordered Champagne and ate crêpes suzette, and drank and ate ourselves silly. A few months later, we returned to France and got hitched in a cathedral called Notre Dame in the tiny town of Senlis, just north of Paris, canonized in Hemingway's A Movable Feast.

As storybook as it sounds, our marriage didn't last. When it ended, I severed ties with Paris, too, because I couldn't think of one without the other. Then, seven years ago, I met a Frenchman who wooed me back to his city.

And I'm so glad he did.

I am in complete, crazy love with this place. Despite its tarnish and grit, cranky Parisians, persistent gray skies, inconvenient hours (nothing is ever open when you really need it to be) and frequent transportation strikes, there is hardly a day that goes by that I don't look up and see something new -- an architectural detail on a building that I have passed a hundred times already -- or at the market, a new cheese to try, a new type of fish, or a new something that I've never tasted before. It is all this that I love, and I love it every day, even when I absolutely hate it and can't take it for one more minute.

Like any relationship, we have had our difficulties, Paris and I. But at this point, I'm in it for the long haul. After all of these years, like my favorite cashmere sweater (or Hermès scarf -- I mean, come on!), it feels comfortable. It feels like home.

Which, to me, is the most romantic idea of all. There's nothing better than finding someone -- or someplace -- that makes you feel like you belong.

So this Valentine's Day, I've written a dinner menu that is French-inspired and easy to make, from my adopted home to yours. Valentine's Day falls in the middle of the week this year, so a teensy bit of advance planning is required; to wit, I've come up with a foolproof, make-ahead menu to ensure maximum fun on the night of, with almost no dishes to wash the next day.

And to stack the deck in the romance department, this dinner is loaded with all sorts of ingredients thought to be aphrodisiacs -- arugula, pears, pomegranate and honey in the salad; red wine in the chicken; and a creamy dessert topped with the sexiest berry of all. And for a little extra something, chocolate-chile meringue kisses, a Franco-Texan treat to nibble on later or send home as a gift. They're perfect for Valentine's Day, because they are a little bit sweet and a little bit spicy ... and that's all I'm going to say about that.

On whatever side of the pond you may find yourself, I hope that your Valentine's Day -- and night -- is filled with lots of kisses.

Ellise Pierce is the Cowgirl Chef. Read her blog and watch her cooking videos on www.cowgirlchef.com. You can also follow her on Twitter: twitter.com/cowgirlchef

Arugula, pear and pomegranate salad

1/2 of 1 small pear, such as d'Anjou, cut into thin slices

A few pomegranate seeds

About 1/4 cup walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped

2 big handfuls arugula

"I love you, honey!" vinaigrette, recipe follows

1. Toss the pear slices, pomegranate seeds, walnuts, arugula and vinaigrette. Serve immediately.

Nutritional analysis per serving, without vinaigrette: 127 calories, 9 grams fat, 10 grams carbohydrates, 5 grams protein, no cholesterol, 6 milligrams sodium, 2 grams dietary fiber, 59 percent of calories from fat.

Nutritional analysis per serving, with vinaigrette: 344 calories, 30 grams fat, 19 grams carbohydrates, 5 grams protein, no cholesterol, 96 milligrams sodium, 2 grams dietary fiber, 74 percent of calories from fat.

Chocolate-chile meringue kisses

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

4 egg whites, at room temperature

A pinch sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees and line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.

2. Sift together the powdered sugar, unsweetened cocoa and cayenne. Set this aside.

3. Whip egg whites with the pinch of salt on medium-high speed and when they begin to hold their shape, add the sugar/cocoa/cayenne mixture about a spoonful at a time -- I usually increase the speed to high at this stage. Don't overdo; turn the mixer off when the dry ingredients are incorporated.

4. Spoon out your meringue cookies onto the parchment, leaving an inch or two between each one, and pop them into the oven. Let bake for 10 minutes at 300 degrees, then reduce the temperature to 200 degrees for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the meringues are firm. Turn off the heat, and let the meringues cool completely in the oven. Store them in an airtight container.

Nutritional analysis per kiss: 9 calories, trace fat, 1 gram carbohydrates, 1 gram protein, no cholesterol, 14 milligrams sodium, trace dietary fiber, 4 percent of calories from fat.

"I love you, honey!" vinaigrette

1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon honey

About 1/4 teaspoon of fresh rosemary, finely chopped

A pinch sea salt and pepper

3 to 4 tablespoons of canola, grapeseed or another neutral oil

1. Put everything but the oil in an old jam jar and give it a shake.

2. Let it rest for 10 minutes; then add the oil and shake again. Taste for seasonings.

Nutritional analysis per 1/6-cup serving: 217 calories, 21 grams fat, 10 grams carbohydrates, trace protein, no cholesterol, 91 milligrams sodium, trace dietary fiber, 83 percent of calories from fat.

Coffee pots de creme

1 1/2 cups cream

1/4 cup dark roast coffee beans, crushed (see Cowgirl tip)

6 large egg yolks

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup whole milk

1 1/4 cups sugar

4 ounces fresh raspberries, for serving

1. Put the cream and crushed coffee beans in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. When it reaches a simmer, turn the heat off and let the coffee/cream mixture steep for about a half-hour. After the mixture cools, pour the mixture through a fine mesh colander or cheesecloth set over a colander to catch the coffee pieces. Set the coffee-infused cream aside.

2. Beat the egg yolks with the salt and set aside.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and put 6 half-cup (4-ounce) ramekins in a large roasting pan.

4. Warm the milk over medium heat. When tiny bubbles appear on the side, pour it slowly into the egg yolks, whisking at the same time. Mix in the sugar. Pour this mixture through a colander to catch any eggy bits, then add the coffee-infused cream and whisk to combine. Divide this among the ramekins and fill the pan three-quarters full with water and slide into the oven. Bake until the custard is set at the edges but slightly jiggly in the center, about 1 hour to an 1 hour and 15 minutes. Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours, and serve with fresh raspberries on top.

Cowgirl tip: To crush coffee beans, toss them in a heavy plastic bag and whack them a couple of times with a cast-iron skillet.

Nutritional analysis per serving: 450 calories, 23 grams fat, 58 grams carbohydrates, 6 grams protein, 268 milligrams cholesterol, 451 milligrams sodium, 1 gram dietary fiber, 45 percent of calories from fat.

Eats beat: Valentine's Day brings chance for new love

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 07:28 CST

By Bud Kennedy

Valentine's Day has changed.

Sardines and Ruffino's are gone, and the Candlelite Inn in Arlington is being remodeled. So couples are searching for new traditions.

But we also have new choices: Ristorante La Piazza in its new home, the reborn Aventino's, new Ray's Prime Steak & Seafood and cowboy chef Grady Spears' Line Camp Steakhouse in Hood County.

One day soon -- maybe by Valentine's -- we'll also have Monty's Corner.

Former Dallas chef Shawn Horne hopes to open Monty's next week, replacing Mac's on 7th in Montgomery Plaza.

The menu will hold nothing back: bone-in rib-eyes, pork chops, chicken marsala, salmon, pastas and side dishes such as dirty rice or jalapeño bread pudding.

Horne said he chose Fort Worth because he is friends with the owners of Sushi Axiom next door, and also for the city's emerging dining scene.

"This is a great location," he said. "People love coming to this area. The key is to have something for everyone."

Monty's Corner is in the rear at 2600 W. Seventh St. The phone number wasn't connected at midweek, but will be 817-878-0087.

As for the new options for Valentine's dining this weekend and Tuesday:

La Piazza serves its same near-perfect Italian menu in a new setting at 2930 Bledsoe St., one block from the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth; 817-334-0000, lapiazzafw.com.

The old Aventino's has moved and will serve its regular menu; 5800 Lovell Ave., 817-570-7940, aventinos.com.

Ray's Prime Steak & Seafood is a traditional steakhouse; 3206 Winthrop Ave., 817-732-1614.

Grady's Line Camp Steakhouse is now open Wednesday through Saturday nights plus Valentine's; 4610 Shaw Road, Tolar, 254-835-4459.

If you're not in a Valentine's mood, the Fort Worth Zoo has a party for you Friday.

It's called the Bitter Dinner, an event for young singles and casual daters who would rather have fun and meet zoo animals.

The menu includes pomegranate mimosas, a garlic-onion filet or roasted salmon, side dishes and something called "red velvet whoopee pie"; $55, reservations due by Wednesday at fortworthzoo.org/bitter; 817-759-7332.

Bud Kennedy's Eats Beat appears Wednesdays in Life & Arts and Fridays in DFW.com Weekend. 817-390-7538

Facebook: Bud Kennedy's Eats Beat

Twitter: @budkennedy

Heart health and you

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:20 CST

By Anne Underwood

With heart disease the No. 1 killer of men and women in this country, you would think a cure that could dramatically reduce these deaths would be big news. And yet the most effective remedy is so simple that most people can't seem to believe it works.

"In traditional societies, where people don't eat processed foods, heart disease is rare," says cardiologist Dr. Arthur Agatston, author of The South Beach Wake-Up Call. "If you start with a healthy diet in childhood, heart attacks are almost completely preventable."

But even if you have downed a small army's worth of french fries, cleaning up your diet as an adult can still have a profound effect. Studies have shown that up to 70 percent of heart disease can be averted with the right regimen, according to Dr. Walter Willett, chair of nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health. But is diet alone as powerful as drugs? "Oh, no, it's much more powerful," says Willett. "Statins, the most effective single medications for reducing heart disease, only cut risk by 25 to 30 percent."

In fact, you would need a cabinet full of prescription drugs to bestow all the benefits of a serious heart-healthy meal plan. There's nothing a drug can do that foods can't do, too -- lower our blood pressure (like ACE inhibitors), slash "bad" LDL cholesterol (like statins), reduce harmful triglycerides (like fibrates), raise "good" HDL (like niacin tablets), and prevent the unwanted clotting that causes heart attacks and strokes (like aspirin).

Diet can be so effective that the British Medical Journal published a paper suggesting that doctors shelve the idea of developing a combination drug with multiple heart meds in it--the Polypill, as it has come to be known. Instead it recommended a Polymeal--a "tastier and safer alternative" that would include wine, fish, dark chocolate, garlic, almonds and heaping servings of fruits and vegetables. "But the longer you wait, the more likely you'll need drugs," warns Agatston.

In that spirit, here are nine top foods for the heart. But this list is only a beginning. A healthy diet features a broad range of fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes. So while you're shopping for kale, don't neglect Swiss chard, arugula, spinach and romaine. An orange is great, but so are strawberries, apples, bananas and kiwifruit.

Hippocrates understood the concept more than 2,000 years ago: "Let your food be your medicine, and your medicine be your food."

Oranges

Rx effect: Reduce blood pressure, cholesterol and heart failure

The evidence: Oranges contain a pharmacy's worth of salves for the heart. The soluble fiber pectin acts like a giant sponge, sopping up cholesterol in food and blocking its absorption -- just like a class of drugs known as bile acid sequestrants. And the potassium in oranges helps counterbalance salt, keeping blood pressure under control.

But new research shows something even more startling: Citrus pectin helps neutralize a protein called galectin-3 that causes scarring of heart tissue, leading to congestive heart failure -- a condition that is often difficult to treat with drugs. "Twenty percent of Americans over 50 have high galectin-3," says Dr. Pieter Muntendam, CEO of BG Medicine in Waltham, Md. "A 2009 study showed that a diet high in fruits and vegetables decreased the risk of heart failure by 37 percent."

Try: Pectin is contained in the pulp and pith. You'll get more of it in juice with pulp. Or better yet, eat your oranges.

Kale

Rx effect: Prevents atherosclerosis

The evidence: Your mom was right: You need to consume your dark leafy greens. "Kale has everything you would want in a superfood," says Dr. Joel Fuhrman, the author of the bestseller Eat to Live, who uses diet and exercise to help patients reverse their cardiovascular disease. For starters, kale boasts a bumper crop of heart-healthy antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, folate, potassium and vitamin E. It's also rich in lutein, which correlated in the Los Angeles Atherosclerosis Study with protection against early atherosclerosis. Kale even contains an unusual compound, glucoraphanin, that activates a special protective protein called Nrf2. "It creates a sort of Teflon coating in your arteries to keep plaque from adhering," says Fuhrman.

Try: For a snack, try Brad's Raw Leafy Kale -- actual kale that is dehydrated, then coated with ground cashews, sunflower seeds, lemon juice and garlic.

Garlic

Rx effect: Reduces blood pressure and plaque

The evidence: Research suggests that, much like the ACE inhibitor drugs that fight high blood pressure, garlic ratchets down an enzyme called angiotensin, which constricts blood vessels. Though the effect is modest compared with medications, garlic seems to have a significant impact on the buildup of plaque. In three randomized trials, Dr. Matthew Budoff, professor of medicine at UCLA, found that plaque progression slowed by more than 50 percent in people taking garlic extract, compared with the nonvampire slayers-- "and the nongarlic group was on standard drugs," he says.

Try: The trials used 250-milligram tablets of Kyolic aged garlic extract to standardize the dose. "But it's always better to eat the real food," says Gayl Canfield, director of nutrition at Pritikin Longevity Center in Miami.

Red wine

Rx effect: Boosts HDL, reduces unwanted clotting

The evidence: Any alcohol nudges up HDL, the "good" cholesterol that helps prevent plaque. But red wine may offer additional benefits, says John Folts, professor emeritus of cardiovascular medicine and nutrition at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. "The key is not resveratrol -- you would need 16 bottles a day," he says. Instead, compounds called polyphenols help keep blood vessels flexible and reduce the risk of unwanted clotting. "They're nearly as effective as aspirin," he says. But note: More than one glass of vino a day ups the risk of breast cancer for women, and chronic heavy drinking damages the heart, so this is a case where more is not better.

Try: Dark beer such as Guinness stout delivers many of the same beneficial polyphenols.

Dark chocolate

Rx effect: Reduces blood pressure

The evidence: The Kuna Indians off the coast of Panama have enviably low blood pressure -- and unlike the rest of us, they don't develop hypertension as they age. When a Harvard cardiologist, Dr. Norman Hollenberg, set out to unravel their secret, he assumed they carried some rare genetic trait. Instead he found they drink enormous quantities of minimally processed cocoa. It's rich in compounds called flavanols, which improve blood vessel flexibility. We can all get them from chocolate -- a few squares a day. Dark chocolate is likely to have more, because it starts with a higher cocoa content -- but that's no guarantee, since different processing methods can destroy them.

Try: Dove Dark has been shown to have high levels of flavanols.

Sardines

Rx effect: Lower triglycerides, raise HDL

The evidence: The omega-3 fatty acids in cold-water fish are crucial for heart health, and sardines have among the highest levels. These "good fats" lower harmful triglycerides, raise protective HDL, reduce potentially fatal heart arrhythmias and tamp down inflammation. It is inflammation that ultimately destabilizes plaque, causing it to rupture and produce a heart-attack-inducing clot. Though you can get omega-3s from plant sources such as flaxseed, the "long chain" omega-3s in fish are far more powerful. A large Danish study last year in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found a 38 percent reduction in ischemic heart disease among women who consumed the most.

Try: Wild Planet sells wild sardines in extra-virgin olive oil with lemon.

Lentils

Rx effect: Reduce blood pressure

The evidence: One international study followed 12,763 people in the United States, Japan and six European countries for 25 years. When the results were tallied, legumes -- such as lentils -- were associated with an 82 percent reduction in the risk of death from heart disease. The reasons include not only lean vegetable protein and fiber but also folate, magnesium and potassium. George Mateljan, the author of The World's Healthiest Foods, calls magnesium "nature's own calcium channel blocker" -- a type of drug that fights hypertension. And by counterbalancing salt, potassium is crucial for keeping blood pressure under control.

Try: TruRoots's new Sprouted Lentil Trio cooks in just 5 to 7 minutes.

Almonds

Rx effect: Reduce LDL and fatal arrhythmias

The evidence: "You don't have to be miserable to bring your cholesterol down," says Dr. David Jenkins, professor of medicine and nutritional sciences at the University of Toronto. The plant sterols in almonds reduce the absorption of cholesterol from the diet, while the unsaturated oils encourage the liver to make less LDL and more "good" HDL. When Jenkins gave patients a vegetarian diet including almonds (along with other cholesterol-lowering foods, such as lentils, eggplant and soy) for a month, he found LDL reductions of 28.6 percent -- comparable to those on 20 milligrams of lovastatin (Mevacor). Just 22 almonds a day will do. Another study found major declines in fatal arrhythmias with two servings of nuts a week.

Try: Don't limit yourself to almonds. Walnuts, pistachios and peanuts are also great.

Pomegranates

Rx effect: Reduce atherosclerosis

The evidence: Bringing down LDL is important, but so is preventing the oxidation of that cholesterol. When LDL is oxidized, it tends to get stuck in arterial walls, initiating the formation of plaque. But Michael Aviram, professor of biochemistry at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, found that pomegranate juice, with its unique antioxidants, not only blocked the progression of plaque, but actually reversed some of the buildup when patients drank 8 ounces a day for a year. How does it do this? In later studies, Aviram learned that pomegranates activate an enzyme that breaks down oxidized cholesterol.

Try: For those who love pomegranates but not the messy job of cracking them open, Pom Wonderful does the work for you. Look for the fruit-covered seeds (or "arils") in clear plastic cups under the brand name Pom Poms.

Senior menus for Tarrant, Johnson counties

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:39 CST

For week of Feb. 6-10

Tarrant County

Monday: Grilled chicken strips, chicken gravy, macaroni and cheese, green beans, whole-wheat bread, fresh fruit

Tuesday: Chili with beans, whole kernel corn, Capri vegetables, saltine crackers, banana pudding, diet: vanilla pudding

Wednesday: Turkey ham with white beans, stewed tomatoes, collard greens, cornbread, fresh fruit

Thursday: Country fried steak, country gravy, whipped potatoes, broccoli, Texas bread, cherry gelatin with fruit, diet: fruited gelatin

Friday: Potato-crusted fish, lettuce and tomato, black-eyed peas, hamburger bun, peach cobbler, diet: peach crisp

Johnson County

Monday: Grilled chicken strips, chicken gravy, macaroni and cheese, green beans, whole-wheat bread, fresh fruit

Tuesday: Chili with beans, whole kernel corn, Capri vegetables, saltine crackers, banana pudding, diet: vanilla pudding

Wednesday: Turkey ham with white beans, stewed tomatoes, collard greens, cornbread, fresh fruit

Thursday: Country fried steak, country gravy, whipped potatoes, broccoli, Texas bread, cherry gelatin with fruit, diet: fruited gelatin

Friday: Potato-crusted fish, lettuce and tomato, black-eyed peas, hamburger bun, peach cobbler, diet: peach crisp

Meals are provided at senior centers throughout Tarrant and Johnson counties. For more information in Tarrant County, call 817-338-4433; in Johnson County, call 817-558-2840.

Note: Menus subject to change.