Struggling with what to get an elderly loved one this holiday season? As people age, they often have more than enough sweaters and wool scarves and too little space for knickknacks or trinkets —and food gifts, like fruitcake and chocolates, may not work with dietary restrictions. Here, some alternatives that the seniors in your life may appreciate a bit more:

Subscriptions.
Think beyond newspapers or magazines. Netflix gives homebound movie buffs, or caregivers who can’t get to the theater as often as they’d like, movies on demand. If tickets to professional events—sports games,…

I live in the Hudson Valley. We lose power during most big storms, often for several days. Over the years I’ve thrown out thousands of dollars in spoiled food. I’ve figured out a few ways to tell if stuff really needs to be tossed, and I’ve learned ways to minimize the loss.

How to minimize the damage

Photo: Milad Mosapoor

Listen to the forecast. Before a storm hits, my meals are all designed to clear out the perishables. In the days before Sandy struck, I ate several frozen dinners; I left the carrots…

When my son was little, we’d have conversations that went like this:

“Which would you rather eat, black beans and rice or candy?”

“Black beans and rice.”

“How about black beans and rice or ice cream?”

“Black beans.”

“How about black beans and rice or apples?”

“Um….. both?”

As a result, we ate a lot of black beans and rice (my secret recipe: heat up a can of beans and dump over rice that’s been cooked in chicken broth), and we ate a lot of apples.

This, as you might suspect, is one of his favorite meals. I…

Roasted bell peppers, cherry tomatoes and mushrooms.

You know you “should” eat more vegetables. Maybe you don’t make them because you (or your spouse or kids) don’t like them or because they’re just so boring and you have to add so much butter or sauce to make them taste good that what’s the point—whatever your reason, you may not eat anywhere near the recommended number or servings.

The question, then, is: How do you cook your vegetables? Are you still steaming them? I’d like to propose you try a different technique. Toss…

August is National Sandwich Month. Whether you’re looking for fresh ideas for school lunches or your own brown bag, here are some ideas to reduce fat, boost the vitamins and minerals or just make a sandwich more healthful—but still delicious.

1. Spread pumpernickel with apple butter and grainy Dijon or German-style mustard. Layer with thin slices of leftover pork tenderloin.

2. Spread sourdough or toasted ciabatta with Sun-Dried Tomato Dip. Layer with strips of grilled chicken and avocado slices.

3. Boost the nutrients in your BLT: Bake the bacon on a rack so…

If you aren’t familiar with a galette, think of it as an open-faced pie that’s baked flat, not in a pie plate.

I don’t have air conditioning, so when I decide to bake something, I usually do it early in the day, before the sun gets too high and starts shining into my kitchen. The bonus: I get to eat pie for breakfast.

This might sound decadent, but nutritionally, there’s not much difference between an apple pie and an apple turnover, and muffins are pretty close to unfrosted cupcakes. By only using…

Going to a Fourth of July barbecue? When it’s too hot to cook, don’t offer to bring brownies or potato salad. You can mix up a bowl of coleslaw in about 15 minutes (less time if you have a food processor) without breaking a sweat.

I don’t use a lot of appliances when I cook. I’m much more likely to reach for a chef’s knife than I am my food processor—except when I make coleslaw. Shredding a head of cabbage takes about five seconds with a food processor, and I never…

For a Father’s Day cookout or a casual supper, these burgers are a delicious change of pace from the traditional.

I’m an unrepentant carnivore, and few things are as wonderful as a cheeseburger, medium-rare. Lately, though, I’ve been reconsidering ground beef.

Part of it is the cost. Part of it is a desire to limit saturated fat. But a big part of it is in response to the news. Headlines and stories of food-borne illness traced to improperly handled ground beef are horrifying, tragic—and becoming far too common.

You can take steps to…

A healthier potato salad without mayonnaise so it’s safer for a picnic.

Few things inspire terror in a mother like being served breakfast in bed by the kids—who knows what the kitchen will look like when your little angels are done? Pass on pancakes, ban the bacon, and have a slice of quiche with some fruit on the side. Your Mother’s Day gift to yourself: No batter on the ceiling.