BOOK WE LOVE: Apron Anxiety

Apron Anxiety: My Messy Affairs In and Out of the Kitchen by Alyssa Shelasky (Three Rivers Press).

Alyssa Shelasky is the New York editor for Grub Street at New York magazine, and is the creator of the blog Apron Anxiety. She wrote this witty, heartwarming, and entertaining book about her tumultuous relationship with a famous chef, and how she conquered her kitchen fears. Shelasky writes, "Alas, I am sorry to admit that I have had many pleasures that far exceeded even the most celestial meal. It's just that those pleasures didn't change my life. Something else did-something sweet, savory, salty... and oftentimes unattractive, overcooked, and underseasoned. The truth is I was accidentally anchored by the apron" (2). Shelasky is a free spirit with a glamorous New York City lifestyle full of glitzy parties and hot sex when she meets Chef, a career-obsessed but charming man who she ends up following to Washington, D.C. In the move, Shelasky leaves her career, support network, and busy social life, and intense loneliness sets in as Chef spends much of his time at the restaurant or on the road. In her unexpected free time, she decides to boot her kitchen phobia with a scrumptious, homemade mac 'n' cheese and arugula salad. The book is part memoir, part cookbook, and beautifully written. It is an honest account of one woman's journey to finding herself and discovering happiness in an unexpected place: the kitchen.

Clearly, I like a delicious romance story with a sprinkling of recipes. I also recommend this book.

Food Inspiration

Poached egg with Hollandaise sauce on toast, roasted Parmesan garlic peppers and asparagus with caramelized onions ~ Strawberry, grapefruit and cumber salad (with balsamic vinegar and olive oil)

Homemade Pad Thai topped with fresh lime, bean sprouts and crushed peanuts

Fresh ingredients make the difference

Lobster with corn on the cob, butter sauce, baked potato and homemade coleslaw

Summer Food Lovin'

  (Above) June's local strawberries! (Below) Baby garlic, scapes, mint and basil from the garden

 Freshly shucked peas

 A delicious salad with pear vinegar, goat cheese, basil, mint, apples and spicy pecans.

Summery wine paired with a garden-fresh meal.

What have I been up to? Making the most of fresh summer produce! If you are trying to get back into shape for bikini season, there's nothing better than eating a diet low in processed junk. I am lucky to live in the mountains of Vermont with a large backyard garden and access to multiple farmers' markets within a 20-mile radius. The abundance of local produce is one of my favorite things about summer. I encourage you to grow your own food and to seek out the farmers markets near you. If you live in the city and don't have a backyard, plant container gardens. There's nothing better than an herb garden in your kitchen. When I lived in Prague, I made sure to have a couple potted herb plants handy. Being green is good for the Earth, your health, and your waistline!

To get started, here's a simple recipe using rainbow chard.

You'll Need:
1 bunch of rainbow chard, chopped
Bragg's Liquid Amino
1 Baby garlic bulb (milder than full-grown garlic)
2 Garlic scapes
1-2 handfuls of peanuts
1/2 tsp. fresh ginger (or to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil

Sautee garlic and peanuts in olive oil until golden. Add the garlic scapes, chopped chard and cook the chard down. Add fresh ginger and Bragg's Liquid Amino or soy sauce to taste. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and enjoy!

BOOK WE LOVE: Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights

Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights: Recipes for Every Season, Mood, and Appetite by Sophie Dahl (HarperCollins Books)

You may recognize Sophie Dahl's smiling face on the cover of her book. She is known for her big smile and sexy curves as a world-class model. What you may not be aware of is that this London-based model is a wonderful food writer (oxymoron no more!). The 276-page hardcover is part cookbook, part memoir, with gorgeous, full-color photography sprinkled throughout. Divided by season, the recipes are further categorized by meal, and brief anecdotes introduce each chapter. Dahl's recipes are generally simple and delicious, encouraging readers to use local seasonal produce as their stars. Begin an autumn day with "Poached Eggs on Portobello Mushrooms with Goat's Cheese," and finish with a "Flourless Chocolate Cake." Savor "Linguine with Tomatoes, Lemon, Chile and Crab" in the summer, and "Grilled Figs with Ricotta and Thyme Honey" in the spring. Some of the recipes sound indulgent, but all feature wholesome ingredients that can easily be found at your local farmers' market or supermarket. All in all, the stylish model makes one sensual cook!

BOOK WE LOVE: Fresh From the Farmers' Market

Fresh From the Farmers' Market: Year-Round Recipes for the Pick of the Crop by Janet Fletcher (Chronicle Books).

The farmers' market has become a vital social activity for many. It's a meeting place and community-strengthening tradition. The market is a wonderful place to buy the highest quality, freshest, local produce, free-range eggs and meat, and scrumptious baked goods.

Fresh from the Farmers' Market is a celebration of this important market. Fletcher shares what is available seasonally, and includes recipes for delectable dishes such as a blackberry macaroon torte, sweet pea and green garlic soup, turkey soup with root vegetables, and fresh fig galettes. Part market guidebook, part cookbook, it also includes food selection and storage tips, and spectacular photography. These recipes are generally quick and easy, and star vegetables and fruits (less of a focus on meat makes it great for vegetarians). A gem for anyone who wants to eat more fresh, local produce, but perhaps needs a little guidance while hopping on the locavore bandwagon.

BOOK WE LOVE: I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti

I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti by Giulia Melucci (Grand Central Publishing) is a memoir that blends mouth-watering recipes with tales of doomed love affairs. Giulia tells her experiences from over twenty years of dating in New York City with humor, sarcasm and disappointment. She writes, "For me, a new boyfriend is a tantalizing opportunity to show off the thing I'm most confident about: my cooking." The author shares her remembrances of dating an affectionate alcoholic and novelists with Peter Pan complexes, sprinkled with heavenly recipes inspired by her mother and the men in her life (or lack thereof, hence "No Nookie Gnocchi"). Turns out that the recipes are what made the greatest impression! Any reader who has spent a period of time in the complicated dating world will feel an affinity with Giulia's character. At times, she is overly needy, or just downright depressing, yet there is a true sense of hope and romanticism as she searches for the right man. I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti demonstrates that love and food are inextricably linked, and with both, a recipe comes in handy.

Secret Wonder: FOLATE (Folic Acid)

Common fact: folate (folic acid) is vital to take if you're pregnant. What you may not know, however, are the other perks of this B vitamin. Folic acid is necessary to take to have healthy DNA. Women who have higher levels of folic acid in their diet, have a much lower risk of getting breast cancer than women who don't eat enough foods rich in folate. You'll especially want to take the supplement if you drink alcohol on a fairly regular basis, since it has been proven that alcohol actually BLOCKS folic acid from helping DNA.


Folate can also help with depression, because it helps to balance mood-balancing dopamine and serotonin. In fact, people with a history of depression often have a lower level of folic acid in their blood. Make sure to take the supplements for a year.


Another bonus: Folate has been known to aid one's memory and brain function in postmenopausal women. Plan on taking folic acid daily for life, because its benefits are great!


How much: Take a minimum of 400mcg of folic acid, but no more than 1,000mcg.
What has it: A 3/4c. serving of Total cereal meets the daily requirement! It's also in spinach, broccoli, asparagus, orange juice, black-eyed peas, and fortified grain products and breads. A supplement is usually a good idea in addition to these foods, as you probably won't eat enough of one (besides Total!) to get enough. Definitely take a supplement if you're expecting to get pregnant soon.


Be sure to visit our health column for more tips on healthy foods to eat.

BOOK WE LOVE: BabyCakes

BABYCAKES: Vegan, Gluten-Free, and (Mostly) Sugar-Free Recipes from New York's Most Talked-About Bakery by Erin McKenna (Clarkson Potter Publishers) came out this month. Attention those with food allergies: here's proof that you can bake your cupcake and eat it too. BabyCakes, the Lower East Side's beloved gluten-free, vegan bakery that opened in 2005, presents their famous, tried-and-true recipes for making scrumptious, healthy treats. Now, those who don't live right in Manhattan can enjoy these special, delightful concoctions, and you don't have to have allergies or be a vegan to enjoy them. Many people imagine baked goods made without eggs, wheat or dairy to be lacking moisture, texture and flavor. BabyCakes NYC (and now West Hollywood!) will force you to re-evaluate your previous notions of alternative baking. The cookbook features full-color photographs and recipes for biscuits, scones, teacakes, cupcakes & frostings, cakes, crumbles, pies, cobblers and drinks, and is sprinkled with celebrity fanmail about the bakery. I am not a vegan, nor do I have food allergies, but I adore these recipes, and BabyCakes' goodies will win over the pickiest of eaters. In case you're still skeptical: McKenna received the very prestigious "Best Cupcake" award in 2006 from New York magazine. Log onto BabyCake's website for more information.

Short on Cash? We Have Your Night Covered!

What's a fun-loving, social, recesssionista fashionista to do on a Friday or Saturday night? If you're attempting to save a few pennies, try a couple of these great ideas for evenings at home with your friends. :)

~ MOVIE NIGHT or MOVIE CLUB
What you need:
-Large TV or a film projector and screen (or white wall)
-Lots of comfy seats and fluffy pillows
-Popcorn, wine, and maybe some homemade pizzas

You can start your own film club. Choose foreign films, comedies, or any assortment you like. Try making membership cards, and you can even punch holes in them to make it more "official."

~ COOKING PARTY
What you need:
-A well-equipped kitchen (or just tell guests to bring certain items)
-Ingredients for your recipes
-A couple photocopies of some of your best recipes

You can make it into a "cook-off party" and provide kitchen-oriented prizes for the winners, but we just like getting together and making tasty goodies with friends. Switch around the houses for different taste adventures. The best part? At the end of the cooking fun, you get to eat delicious food. Provide good wine and beer, or fancy cocktails (check out our list on the website).

~ CLOTHING SWAP (or even try this as a CD or BOOK swap too)
We don't have as much money as we once did, but we're still bombarded by beautiful clothes. What's a girl who wants a little change in her wardrobe to do? HOST A CLOTHING SWAP!

What you need:
-Old clothing, jewelry and shoes you no longer wear but are still in good shape
-Smoothies & finger food (or you provide the drinks and ask others to bring a dish)

Have a girly evening and tell your friends to bring all the clothing, scarves, handbags, jewelry and shoes they don't want. Set up shelves and hangers (or just drape across the sofa!), and display the clothing so your friends can see each others' selections. Swap that blue shirt you wore twice for a "new" sun dress. Make strawberry banana smoothies, blueberry blackberry smoothies, and lay out an assortment of fancy finger food (homemade hummus with veggies, scallops wrapped in bacon, mini quiches, etc.). MMMM!

~ JAMMING PARTY
Do you play an instrument? If so, host a fiesta filled with good, lively music!

What you need:
- An instrument
- Outlets for instruments that need to be plugged in
- Friends and neighbors who play good music

Get together and play some music! This can last anywhere from an hour to four hours. Or, make flyers and post them around your neighborhood, inviting other musicians to attend. This also works well as an outdoor party in the summer. Provide some beer, and ask others to bring some beer and snacks too.

Tasty Goodies From Etsy: Mydecrepitvalentine

"My Delicious Decrepit Valentine Eats Goody Shop" on Etsy provides some of the tastiest baked goods available on the website. My Decrepit Valentine is a creative, artsy girl who makes treats to eat, and art to look at (maybe simultaneously!). Our favorites include the tasty, moist cinnamon bun and the pecan caramel sandwich cookies (bring those back!). Of course, you can't go wrong with the "Luscious White Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Pecan Cookies" either! The packaging is adorable, and she always includes some extras in the box. Make sure to pair these treats with a tall glass of milk and some of your best girlfriends. While you're visiting her Bake Shop, check out her artwork store too. Click here to view the cookies, cakes and candies, oh my!

How to Make the Perfect Mimosa for Spring/Summer

I love the fruity bubbles of Mimosas. Since you'll want to drink this on the beach, we made them a little lighter, but equally bubbly, with the addition of club soda (so you can have more of them over a longer period of time). These are great for those ladies watching their weight too!


Rub a Champagne glass with a slice of fresh orange peel, then throw the peel into the glass. Blend together roughly four ounces of Champagne (or any sparkling white wine), with one ounce each of fresh orange juice and club soda.


Satisfying!

HCZ Welcomes the New Food Editor!

Hip Chick Zine would like to welcome the new HCZ Food Editor, Kate David-Hays. Kate says, "Hi, I'm 26 years old, and have a degree in Culinary Arts from New England Culinary Institute and a Restaurant Management degree from Johnson & Wales. I own my own catering company called 'Amuse Bouche Catering' and I am currently writing a cookbook featuring all my original fusion recipes, along with my own illustrations. When cooking, I focus on using everyday ingredients and using them in an unexpected way. I cook with a lot of flowers and make my own spices and cures." We're excited to have Kate on board, and be sure to look for her new column on the website soon!