Thanksgiving-- Happy Belly, Healthy Body

  Traditionally the holidays are a time for kicking back and gaining a few pounds.  But there IS an easy way to feast without the fat.  You can find a ton of tasty meals that will leave you craving for more in the many cook books available here in the Library.
  Try something a little different this year, something delicious that won't leave you feeling guilty.
You might not be able to give up Grandma's baked Macaroni and Cheese or deep fried turkey, but it's a good idea to add one or two dishes to give yourself some variety, and maybe to start a few traditions of your own.
  If you're not looking to add any recipes of your own, there are also a few easy substitutions you can add to your cooking to reduce fat, cholesterol, and maybe even sneak in some vitamins. :)

•   Instead of white or powdered sugar, try using honey, brown sugar, applesauce, or molases.
•   Use whole wheat all-purpose flour instead of white.
•   Substitute brown rice for white.
•   Try a variety of beans instead of just one type, like kidney, white, and black.
•   Olive oil for cooking instead of butter.
•   Find some whole wheat pasta to replace regular pasta.
•   Ground turkey is a tasty substitute for beef, or go half and half for real flavor.

  You can find all kinds of cook books in the 640 section of the UCC library, from healthy to international cooking.  Here are just a few featuring delicious and nutritious recipes.


If you're looking for something traditional without all the calories...

 

Healthy Homestyle Cooking, by Evelyn Tribole, M.S.  (641.5638 T)

Here you can find all kinds of hearty soups, like Cream of Broccoli pg. 158, Cheesy Potato Soup pg. 161, Split Pea Soup pg. 163, and many other recipes from Twice Baked Potatoes to pasta...you're bound to find something you'll love.

Techniques of Healthy Cooking:

The Culinary Institutes of America

(641.563 T)

Featuring a few more out-of-the-box ideas, this one contains some delicious vegetable dishes like Grilled Chicken and Pecan Salad pg. 219, Warm Potato Salad pg. 255, Brussels Sprouts with Mustard Glaze pg. 367, Roasted Corn and Black Beans pg. 368, and Artichokes and Mushrooms in White Wine Sauce pg. 372.

  There's no need to sweat it on the more exotic ingredients either.  Always remember that in cooking, you can make substitutions and have a little fun while doing it.  Don't be afraid to experiment a little!

  The Food Matters Cook Book
              Mark Bittman
                  (641.5 B)

   This cook book features relatively simple recipes, and some great ones for baking like Spicy Carrot Cake pg. 558, Baked Pumpkin-Orange Custard pg. 574, and Apple Fritters pg. 581.  For all you sweet teeth.

Some more that may catch your eye...

More Vegetables, Please  by Janet Fletcher (641.65 F)

The New Moosewood Cookbook, by Mollie Katzen (641.5636 K)

Eating Well: One Pot Meals, by Jessie Price and the Eating Well Kitchen (641.82 P)

Happy Thanksgiving from the UCC Library!

Dinner and a Movie

The next time that you are trying to decide what to do on a Friday night, try pairing a movie with dinner. You can explore another culture through a movie, and you'll get to learn about foreign cuisine by cooking an ethnic dish. The UCC library has many options for dvds and cookbooks to help you plan your evening. Here are some ideas to help you get started.

If the idea of French cuisine and film strikes your fancy, you could rent Amelie, An American in Paris, or Bonjour Tristesse. For dinner ideas, browse through "The Cooking of Provincial France" by M. F. K. Fisher for some savoury French recipes.

If Asian food sounds more appealing to you, you could watch The Blue Kite and check out "Simple Chinese Cooking" by Kylie Kwong or "The Chinese Kitchen" by Ken Hom. You could also try watching Lost in Translation and preparing a meal from Kimiko Barber's "Sushi" or John Belleme's "Japanese Foods that Heal."

If cooking Indian food is something that you would like to try, you could find plenty of ideas in "1,000 Indian Recipes" by Neelam Batra or "India's Vegetarian Cooking" by Monisha Bharadwaj. A film that could be paired with your Indian dinner would be Bombay Talkie, a great Bollywood film from 1970. If you're feeling like eating in a more serious setting, the inspirational Ghandi could be a more appropriate selection.

The classic film Roman Holiday starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck is always a pleasant film to watch, especially when accompanied with a tasty dinner prepared from "Cookery and Dining in Imperial Rome" by Apicius.

Other, perhaps more obvious, pairings could include the film Into the Wild with "Wilderness Cookery" by Bradford Angier, Julie and Julia with "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" by Julia Child, and Marie Antoinette with "The Cake Book" by Tish Boyle.

These are just a few ideas to help you get started. The shelves of the UCC library are full of materials to help you and your friends have a fun night in this weekend!