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Posts By Dana Velden

New Year's Cure: Nettle Tisane

2010_01_04-nettletea.jpgAfter all the (so delicious!) holiday indulgences, my body naturally craves clean, green and simple foods to bring me back to center. Here in San Francisco, we're fortunate that nettles are showing up at the farmers' markets, just in time to for a new year's cure: a simple nettle tea that is healthy, balanced and comforting. Oh, and it tastes good, too. Perfect!

Paper Towel Alternative: The Skoy Cloth

2009-09-28-Skoy.jpg

I'm happy to report that my household is almost completely paper towel-free! I keep a roll tucked in the back of a cupboard for those rare, really awful situations, a roll which (luckily) I haven't needed for months. How did this happen? The Skoy Cloth, an impulse buy I have never regretted. Read on for the review...

Weekend Meditation: Enough

2009_01_25-peasEd.jpgEnough to eat, enough to give some away, enough to relax a little. Enough to throw some away. Enough to forget about it. Enough to share. Enough to keep it going. Enough to get distracted. Enough to put some aside for later. Enough to pick and choose. Enough to complain. Enough to roll around in it. Enough to scatter the seeds.

Survey: How Are You Cutting Back in the Kitchen?

2009_04_08-kitchen.jpgWell, are you even cutting back? Some are speculating that people are saving money by cutting restaurant and to-go dining and actually doing more home cooking. But even in our home kitchens, many of us our feeling the pinch. Are you giving anything up to balance a shrinking budget? Has this been difficult, or perhaps liberating? Is there something in particular that you won't give up, no matter what? Tell us in the comments.

Interweb Cookery: Take Your Break with Dan Barber's 'Goose Whisperer'

Do you have a 20 minute break today? Then you may want to spend it viewing this thought-provoking talk on foie gras by chef Dan Barber. I was privileged to hear this talk back in July 2008 when I attended the Taste3 conference at the now defunct Copia in Napa Valley. Of all the presentations, this one created the most buzz in the corridors during the breaks and was, for me, the most memorable.

posted originally from: TheKitchn

Wrap Your Gifts in a Dishtowel, Furoshiki-Style
Un-Gift Guide 2008

2008_12_15-furoshikione.jpgFuroshiki are Japanese cloths that are used to wrap gifts and other items such as bento boxes. They can be used as book bags, grocery bags or to wrap any small items for transportation. They’re also handy when used to wrap picnic supplies, providing an instant napkin when unpacked.

I’ve discovered that a dishtowel can be used furoshiki-style instead of wasteful wrapping paper. It's especially sweet when wrapping kitchen-related gifts. Read on for some fun furoshiki gift combinations.

posted originally from: TheKitchn

Recipe: Kale Chips

2008_11_03-kalechips.jpgHere's yet another simple yet fabulous thing to do with kale: make kale chips! We have to thank regular Kitchn reader Art for the suggestion, which simply involves tossing torn pieces of kale with olive oil and salt, and baking them in the oven. The result is a crispy, salty 'chip' that's quite addictive. Read on for the recipe.

posted originally from: AT:Kitchen