Five on Friday: Elusive spring produce and how to look good on Mother's Day
Each Friday, we share five things that are getting buzz around the Cooking Light offices—from what we’re reading around the Web, to what’s hot on Instagram, or even our latest favorite ingredient.
Struggling to cook healthy? We'll help you prep.
1. We're still elated over the two James Beard Foundation Awards Cooking Light won last Friday night. The first award was for our cookbook, The New Way to Cook Light. We wrote this book in order to capture what we call "the golden age of healthy cooking in America." In it, we explore the easy concepts that guide Cooking Light today: great ingredients, reliable recipes, and, when possible, smart shortcuts that can open up a world of healthy cooking for both weeknights and weekends. The second award went to Executive Editor Ann Taylor Pittman for her touching piece, "Mississippi Chinese Lady Goes Home to Korea." The article chronicled her journey to Korea for the first time to meet her relatives and cook with them. (Have the tissues ready when you read it.)
2. We think food should be both beautiful and delicious, but when it's just beautiful, well, that's great too. NBC News has a lovely slideshow of edible artwork created by Malaysian artist Hong Yi. An owl made entirely from a red onion? Color us amazed!
3. Clothes come in many sizes -- why not food? Leave it to hip foodies in the heart of London's Soho district to bring the idea of one-size-does-not-fit-all to a restaurant. Size Matters Soho, a pop-up restaurant by Criterion Restaurant, offers their mini hot dog selections, starters, main courses, sides, and desserts all in Small, Medium, or Large. That's a strategy we'd like to see restaurants stateside adopt.
4. Ramps are elusive -- only available for a short window each spring -- but they pack a punch. These garlicky, earthy onion cousins are at their peak right about now, and they're worth the hassle of a hunt. However, their popularity might have a high price: Ramps may quickly become endangered. NPR shares a story of how the ramp's increasing popularity could be putting it at risk.
5. Mother's Day is this Sunday, and we've got plenty of ideas to help you celebrate your mom. From champagne cocktails to bunches of breakfast ideas, we'll have you spoiling mom on her special day in delicious fashion.