Rigatoni with Eggplant and Buffalo Mozzarella
Organic Produce and Sustainable Farms are Celebrated at by Myra Goodman at Earthbound Farms
Excerpted from The Earthbound Cook
I discovered this amazingly simple but intensely flavorful pasta dish when our family traveled to Italy a few summers ago. It was so memorable that it made the top of my list of recipes to try to replicate. Chunks of succulent eggplant get a quick sauté to set their flavor, then are simmered in a light marinara sauce until tender. At the last minute, cubes of mozzarella di bufalo are added, quickly becoming soft and creamy as they melt into the sauce. This dish goes together in no time, especially if you have marinara sauce on hand. If you don’t have time to make my Heirloom Tomato Sauce or the Quick Tomato Sauce, you can fast-track the recipe by using a store-bought version. A word about the eggplant, which is at the heart of this dish: Salting is not required, but it’s important to sauté the eggplant over high heat in the amount of oil specified. You need very high heat to force the eggplant to brown and develop flavor. In the absence of high heat, the vegetable will simply soak up the oil, become soggy, and taste fl at. I serve this dish with a warmed baguette to sop up the extra sauce, and with a light salad of lettuce and endive dressed only with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper.
Vegan Presidents and Action Heroes?
By Sahar Ghaffari, LuxEco Living Editorial Assistant
In a recent interview with Wolf Blitzer on CNN, former president Bill Clinton announced that his recent 24 pound weight loss was thanks to a vegan diet. The 64 year old Clinton went on an “essentially plant-based diet” living primarily on vegetables, legumes, fruit, and protein supplements mixed in with almond milk in the mornings.
Organic Topsy Turvy Strawberry Panna Cotta
A very special recipe from Nancy's Organic Kitchen
by Nancy Chuda, Founder of LuxEco Living
Ingredients:
1/2 packet (1 teaspoon) unflavored gelatin powder
1 1/2 tablespoons cold water
1...
The Fess Parker Wine Country Inn and Spa in Los Olivos California is the...
By Nancy and James Chuda founders of LuxEcoLiving and co-founder of Healthy Child Healthy World
Step into paradise. Once you enter the Fess Parker Inn...
Take Control Of Your Body
By Alanna Brown, LuxEco Editorial Assistant
Taking control of your body may entail more than exercise and monitoring caloric intake. While those two things are essential, the missing key component that many overlook is the hormonal balance within the body. Hormones, chemical messengers within the bloodstream, are secreted by the endocrine glands, which are found virtually from top to toe. According to an episode of the Emmy Award-winning daytime talk show, The Doctors, “[These] glands are collectively known as the endocrine system, which influences a person’s metabolism, mood, growth, development, immune system, and sexual function.” The main three secretions to beware of, which the site calls the “Hormone Trifecta,” are cortisol, estrogen, and thyroid.
Anna Getty Gives Tips For Enjoying A Green Christmas
The Christmas season is upon us, and people everywhere are gearing up for the holiday. In her book, I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas; Gifts, Decorations, and Recipes That Use Less and Mean More, author and LuxEco Advocate, Anna Getty shares with us her ideas on how to create memorable traditions while taking small steps to reduce our carbon footprints, minimize waste, and creatively use what we already have.
Retaking our Green Wedding Vows at the Hotel Bel-Air
By Nancy Chuda founder and Editor-in-Chief of LuxEcoLiving and co-founder of Healthy Child Healthy World
In a historic setting which rekindles Hollywoods Golden but now...
The Joy of Cooking (in a College Apartment)
Although friendship might not be included in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, I think we can all agree that a lot of our survival requisites could not be met without the help of our dearest friends, if only because we would be too sad to roll out of bed and get that vital glass of water. Food on the other hand is necessary by anyone’s standards. Just a few hours without eating, and I quickly regress from a twenty-one year old human into something more closely resembling an ogre. However, when we take the wonders of food and add that very special additive called best friends, the result is longer lasting than any typical meal.
Chemicals May Be Sabotaging Your Diet
By Alanna Brown, LuxEco Editorial Assistant
The old diet and exercise routine just doesn’t seem to be working anymore. You eat your fruits and veggies, avoid carbohydrates (well, you try to), and are physically active at least 3 times per week. Yet, when you step on the scale it won’t budge past your old plop-down-on-the-couch-with-a-bag-of-chips weight. What is it going to take to drop the next 10 to 15 pounds? Scientists have discovered that it’s not your diet or exercise routine to blame, it’s a little endocrine-disrupting chemical known as EDC’s or “obesogens” making it impossible to shed the extra fat.
Meet the Finger Lime, That Strange Fruit That Looks Like Caviar
Finger limes, or caviar limes, as they are often called, have appeared on the menus of innovative chefs and mixologists slowly but surely over the past few years. The finger lime plant, native to Australia and only recently commercially available in the U.S., produces small oval fruits about the size of a finger.
Victory For Organic Dairy Standards
New USDA regulations for organic milk have just been adopted earlier this month on February 12, 2010. Family farmers, animal rights activists and organic...
What to Eat for Spring: My Top 3 Quinoa Recipes
Are you wondering what to eat this spring so you can be bikini ready by summer? Try these light quinoa recipes to stay healthy and trim down.
By: Lauren O'Neill, LuxEco Editorial Assistant
With summer quickly approaching, the thought of baring it all and playing beach volleyball in a bikini can quickly become daunting. However, by learning what to eat this spring to shed the pounds and get fit, there will be no reason to feel mortified in your bathing suit. Quinoa is my absolute favorite ingredient to cook with and a staple in my daily diet. It is versatile, delicious, and loaded with nutrients that will keep you healthy, happy, and slim. Not only is it a complete protein, containing all nine essential amino acids, but it is also gluten-free and easy to digest. From improving cardiovascular health to reducing migraines, quinoa has a number of health benefits. It's incredibly easy to incorporate into your diet. When cooked, its light and fluffy texture makes it the perfect healthy substitute for rice or couscous. Below, I have shared my top three personal quinoa recipes that will make you feel great.
Quick and Refreshing Strawberry Basil Lemonade for Spring
By Hannah Canvasser, LuxEco Editorial Assistant
Take a break this spring with a refreshing strawberry basil lemonade. With the first strawberries of the season, and a few simple ingredients straight from your farmers market, this extravagant looking beverage will have your friends wondering where you've hidden your bartender. The trick is with the effortless simple syrup, which not only dilutes the fresh squeezed lemon juice, but gives the lemonade its sweetness as well as it's basil background flavor.
Community Gardening With Common Ground
By Alanna Brown, LuxEco Editorial Assistant
“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” In the 1970s, several senators began to recognize a literal truth behind this Chinese proverb. They realized the importance of teaching the man how to provide his own food source. When the government grasped the self-sufficiency and power of being able to fish, or in this case garden, they began granting $100,000 per year to gardening programs. This evolved to $100,000 to each of 20 metro areas around the United States, one of them being Los Angeles.
Antonelli’s Cheese Shop in Austin Texas is a real love story
By Nancy Chuda founder and Editor in Chief of LuxEcoLiving and co-founder of Healthy Child Healthy World
"We've been asked many times, "Why a Cheese...
To Own a Piece of History: The Old St. Angela Bed & Breakfast Monterey...
By Nancy Chuda founder and Editor in Chief of LuxEcoLiving and Healthy Child Healthy World
You don't want to miss the breakfast or the bed...
For Colette:Burgundy4U is my dream come true
Part two:Burgundy4U
It was a hot and muggy summer day late in the month of August. The white wine was on ice. The defrosted shrimp...
South Congress trailers in Austin!
By Grace Robertson, LuxEco Advocate
Keeping Austin Weird With…South Congress Trailers!
Austin is a great place to live because of its’ fun people, great music, and uniqueness. Its’ motto is Keep Austin Weird, which is a perfect name for this individualistic place. In my opinion, walking in downtown Austin is a whole different experience from walking in any other city.
The Hotel Plaza Athenee in New York is one of the Best Hotels in...
"New York is the quintessential city for every imaginable pleasure "
Step inside the chic Hotel Plaza Athenee and your first impression is a perfunctory,...
A Review: The Four Seasons Biltmore in Santa Barbara is in a class all...
By Nancy Chuda founder and Editor-in-Chief of LuxEcoLiving and co-founder of Healthy Child Healthy World
To B or not to B at the Four Seasons...
History reveals orchids are orchidellic
By Nancy Chuda founder and Editor-in-Chief LuxEcoLiving and co-founder of Healthy Child Healthy World
Orchids can be orchidellic
Santa Barbara International Orchid Show
And...
Trainspotting in Paris at Le Train Bleu: Buffet at de la Gare Lyon before...
Le Train Bleu is a best kept secret. Even most parisien's won't share.
Dine surrounded by beautiful Belle Epoque artistry, savor the food and wine...
The New Waldorf Astoria Welcomes Travels with Journey: 8 Paws and Counting
If you think Beverly Hills has lost it's elegance and classic history step into the lobby of the new Waldorf Astoria and dream again. This remarkable hotel has brought new meaning to "life at the top". It is A-listed beyond a doubt. And best dog-friendly hotel in the world.
Meet Adam Moskowitz one of the worlds greatest cheesmongers
By Nancy Chuda founder and editor-in-chief of LuxEcoLiving and co-founder of Healthy Child Healthy World
The Worlds Greatest Cheese and Cheesemongers
Before Adam Moskowitz found his...
Strawberry Crumble Fresh From The Farmer’s Market
Hit your nearest farmer's market for some farm fresh strawberries and get baking!
By Brooke Rewa, LuxEco Editorial Assistant
It's strawberry season here in Southern California and were baking our way into spring. This homemade crumble filled with locally grown strawberries will have you sprinting to your local farmer's market for supplies.
Amy Dixon Bakes the Very Best at The Baker’s Table
By Nancy and James Chuda founders of LuxEcoLiving and Healthy Child Healthy World
Santa Ynez California breakfast at The Baker's Table 3563 Numancia Street
COME HUNGRY!
You...
Pure Perfection:From Farm to Table Los Olivos Cafe Dishes it Up
By Nancy Chuda founder and Editor-in-Chief LuxEcoLiving and co-founder of Healthy Child Healthy World
The french may think they know it all or even have...
LuxEcoLiving4U: Roblar Winery’s Posh Private Affair
By Nancy Chuda founder and Editor-in-Chief of LuxEcoLiving and co-founder of Healthy Child Healthy World
"You step into the main greeting room and you know...
Seasonal Cooking with Kerin: Roasted Butternut Squash Mac ‘N’ Cheese
By Kerin Van Hoosear, LuxEco Editorial Assistant and author of Seasonal Cooking with Kerin
Perfect for autumnal cooking, try your hand at Roasted Butternut Squash Mac ‘N’ Cheese (and don't forget to buy your ingredients local and organic!)
First, to roast the butternut squash you'll need:
one hot oven
1 butternut squash (medium sized), peeled and cubed (about 1/2" x 1/2")
1/2 tsp of nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp sage
salt and pepper
olive oil
The Knightsbridge Hotel London: LuxEcoLiving’s Best Pick Close To Harrods
Kit Kemp's masterfully designed Knightsbridge London is one of a kind. She pays extra attention to detail in bringing joy to every experience.
Hats off to history on Derby Day
By Nancy Chuda founder and Editor-in-Chief of LuxEcoLiving and co-founder of Healthy Child Healthy World
What's a hat got to do with it?
The Kentucky...
In The Spice Cabinet: Healing Through Home Remedies
By F.R.E.E. Will, LuxEco Editorial Assistant, Author of In The Spice Cabinet series
The purpose of this article and the series as a whole is to examine the ingredients that go into some of your favorite dishes, particularly the benefits some of the more familiar (and some not so familiar) herbs and spices contain.
Bion Rice Shines Heartfelt Light on Sunstone Winery’s History: With Grace and Gratitude
By Nancy and James Chuda founders of LuxEcoLiving and Healthy Child Healthy World
Sunstone Winery Santa Ynez California
Life happens! Even in the best laid plans...
Simple and Tangy Avocado Grapefruit Salad for Spring
By Hannah Canvasser LuxEco Editorial Assistant
This light and tangy salad will get your taste buds in shape for spring. Grab a few simple and healthy ingredients from your local farmers market and enjoy a lunch that will leave you full, but won't weigh you down.
Kimberly Jones purveys the best affordable wines from France
By Nancy Chuda founder and Editor-in Chief LuxEcoLiving and co-founder Healthy Child Healthy World
Queribus Castle and the Cru overlooking Maury France
If you had to...