"resolutions" news and stories

It's out of my hands to call it a resolution, but more than anything, I want a bigger kitchen. Then my close friend won't get that look of pain every time she sees me trying to juggle my towers of pots and pans, and tell me how she wishes she could buy me a bigger kitchen. But since that resolution rests on a lot more than my own motivation, I'm looking to other tasks to accomplish in the New Year.

Top on the list: Improve my knife skills. I'm about to get the most gorgeous set of Shun Kajis, and it'd be utterly ridiculous to pull them out and use them improperly. Better yet, I want to roast something to carve, grab something to debone, and basically tackle all of the things my super cheapo knives never could. (Sorry, $5 beloved Santoku.)

After that, there's so much that it's hard to pick which take precedence. Do I tackle my new Jacques Pepin's Complete Techniques Alinea at Home-style? (Without the skinning and preparing of the rabbit. That will never happen.) I definitely need to perfect my homemade pasta and tackle the world of homemade ravioli. I need to move beyond marzipan figures on the cakes I make. (Flowers?) I really must bake more bread. And I still haven't found the perfect madelline recipe. It'd also be great to learn how to make sushi, and I really need to whip up more Indian foods.

But what's important is to keep moving forward and keep improving, no matter what I choose to do. Help me choose, and share the kitchen hurdles that you yearn to tackle in the New Year below!

Do me a favor and skip the annual "I will work out more this year" resolution that's practically designed to make you feel like a failure, and make a resolution that you can really get into this year. Of course I'm speaking of wine resolutions, the kind that are easy to make and hard to break. Here are mine:

1. Travel the world through wine. I actually get to travel quite a bit, considering that I have two young kids at home. Last year I went to California twice, to Washington, to Texas, to South Dakota, and to New York. Everywhere I go, I try to taste and experience as many new wines as possible. But you can taste the whole world through wine right at home by branching out beyond the same old bottle of California Chardonnay that you pop open twice a week for dinner. Try a Tempranillo from Spain, a Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile, a Riesling from Germany, a Vouvray from France, a Malbec or Torrontes from Argentina, a Barbara from Italy. I want to taste more around the world, and learn about the cuisines to match.

2. Get certified. I've been writing about wine for several years now, and it's time to take some classes beyond my own self-study. Many wine writers don't, and it's certainly not a requirement, but one of the reasons I love the world of wine is its infinite possibility for education (as well as entertainment!). I'm looking into certification from the Court of Master Sommeliers in 2009.

Read more after the jump.

Dessert is unquestionably the bane of many people’s day. Many desserts are fattening, calorific and simply unhealthy. Portion sizes are huge and it is difficult to limit yourself to only a part of what you are served – especially if it all tastes so good. Lower fat desserts, baked goods in particular, have an equally bad reputation, as many people believe them to be rubbery, dry, dense and flavorless.

There are many desserts that are lower in fat or in calories that still taste great, though it is true that some baked goods will be changed for the worse without butter or sugar, so don’t just leave them out when you’re cooking. Sarah, the author of Baking 911 has tons of tips and well-tested recipes for low fat baking and desserts. Diet-Blog also has a few suggestions for easy and delicious desserts.

Don’t automatically assume that you can never eat crème brûlée again if you want to have a healthier lifestyle. You can still indulge sometimes, but make healthier choices with your everyday treats. Sorbets and gelato are good alternatives to ice cream. Try having low fat milk in your hot chocolate and top it with a marshmallow, not whipped cream.

If you had the baked brie appetizer and a deep dish pizza for dinner, you should probably skip dessert. But being healthy doesn’t mean that it dessert is never an option, nor does it mean that you can’t enjoy great flavors and delicious food.

As part of their new Fresh Resolutions program, Subway will offer customers daily phone messages from their spokesman Jared Fogle. Yep, the man with the big pants will drop pre-recorded inspirational gems onto your phone at the time of your choosing for the month of January. Actually, customers just specify if they need more encouragement in the morning, afternoon or both. There will also be drawings of random dieters who'll receive live calls from Jared. According to a recent AP article, messages will include things like "don't let things at work get you down." Apparently Subway is also offering a free nutrition advice hotline for the rest of this week, as well.

You don’t have to be vegan to appreciate the effort that Jennifer puts into her son’s lunches. She plans a balanced, portion controlled meal with the help of Laptop Lunches. I love to see what she made every day and, general interest aside, the site is a great example of providing healthy, varied meals for adults and kids alike.

You’ll be much less tempted to eat something unhealthy when you don’t like the options you’ve provided yourself. And you’ll probably take a pass on that stale donut in the break room if there is a homemade blackbean tamale in your lunch box.

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