Grana Padano

For as long as I can remember I've heard that Parmigiano Reggiano was the king of cheeses. It's the cheese I ate in Italy and cooked with as well. It's the cheese I always buy. I knew about Grana Padano , but believed it was inferior to Parmigiano. A substitute. Poor man's Parmigiano. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. First of all, technically you could say Parmigiano is a type of Grana. Grana means grain and refers to the grainy texture of the cheese, and Padano refers to the region where it is produced. Parmigiano is produced in Parma, Reggio Emilia, and Modena. Grana is produced in Piedmont, Lombardy, Piacenza, Veneto, and Trentino. Both cheeses are lactose free and a good source of protein and calcium. Grana * Produced in a large region * Less expensive than Parmigiano * Made from raw, skim milk * Cows fed grass, cereal & silage * Cows can be treated with antibiotics * Aged from 9 to 24 months and up * Natural preservative, lysozyme Parmigiano * Produced in a......

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Sardine, Chickpea & Celery Salad

I created a "brain healthy" recipe for Posit Science that features canned sardines, an excellent choice for brain health, as they're rich in Omega-3 fatty acids but very low in mercury. I can't reprint it here just yet, so if you'd like to see if for free, sign up for the Posit Science newsletter. You'll get a new recipe each week and can browse the full collection created by food bloggers around the country. The recipe is easy as can be, it only has 4 ingredients plus a simple dressing of lemon juice, olive oil, cumin, salt and pepper. It's perfect for hot weather, I hope you'll love it! cheers, Amy...

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Americano Restaurant Review

I've eaten at Americano three times in the past couple of months, and each time it was better than the last. Located on the ground floor of the Hotel Vitale , it's main architectural feature is a large patio that runs the length of the restaurant and faces the bay. With heat lamps, plenty of tables, chairs and even couches, it's one of my favorite outdoor dining spaces in San Francisco (Foreign Cinema is the other). The menu has something for everybody, with plenty of appetizers for sharing or light meals, pasta, Italian entrees and even a hamburger. While I've enjoyed the fish and hearty steak entrees, it's been the pizza, pasta and appetizers that have made me a fan. Their take on the Margherita pizza, the pizza fresca, $15 is puffy and crisp and not overburdened with toppings. It has that melting quality I love when sauce, cheese and crust all meld together. My favorite dishes are the appetizers, $7 each or 3 for $18. The luscious tonno conserva is so r......

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Zucchini Salad with Feta Recipe

Everyone I know is looking for a good recipe that uses zucchini. Enormous zucchini appear from behind large green leaves surprising even the most vigilant gardeners. It seems there is always too much of it. No one complains about too many peaches or too many tomatoes. Too much zucchini? It's likely to be left on a neighbors doorstep as a "present." This salad is one of my favorite ways to cook and eat zucchini. It's based on a salad in Claudia Roden's The Book of Middle Eastern Food , a book I turn to again and again. I like it seasoned with toasted cumin instead of coriander and caraway and a little bit of scallion to add texture and oniony flavor. It's called a salad but it's soft, like a dip. The sweetness of the zucchini is balanced by the saltiness of the feta, the sourness of the lemon. If you want to make even the blandest vegetable taste good, I recommend dousing it in olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and topping it with feta! For a light Summer......

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