Jaden Hair's 'Steamy Kitchen' truly a hot spot for great food

Down in Austin a few weeks back, I had the delightfully good fortune to meet Jaden Hair who founded The Steamy Kitchen. Jaden was speaking at an event called TECHmunch, which was a workshop for food bloggers.

She is upbeat, energetic and exudes energy. No wonder her many endeavors in the food world are so successful. She clearly gives the impression that she will accept nothing less!

As some of you know, Garrett Weber-Gale was in Florida giving clinics and training a few weeks back. He also has the opportunity to visit Jaden and to cook with her. He was, as Garrett often is, absolutely cranked about the experience.

I haven't had the opportunity to eat what Jaden cooks. Her food photography is painfully delicious, though. (Just look at the spicy shrimp and mango salsa she and Garrett cooked up.)

In case you didn't see it, Jaden did a piece about the experience on her blog at TLC online. Enjoy but be forewarned. You are going to be hungry afterward.

Baby how you have changed

It really wasn't so long ago that Americans just assumed kids should eat baby food from the grocery store. The commercial below is from 1960s and is pretty much standard fare for that era.




My how times have changed. A Google search for "baby food" yields some 77,800,000 results. All the major manufacturers are represented, of course. A quick look at sites from stalwarts like Gerber and Beech-Nut yields a lot of nutrition information. Technology and changing mindsets have also brought interesting alternatives into the fray such as wholesomebabyfood.com and organic option Earth's Best.

While only you can decide what's best for your baby when it's time to go beyond mom, it's great to see so many great choices. After all, there is no doubt that the best way to get kids to eat well is to start them doing that from the very beginning.

Nutrition circa 1954: Strong boy eats meat; pretty girl eats vegetables. Video flashback.

Young Ralph has more fun and gets more pep by learning to eat the right foods. Check out this flash back video. A little fact. A little myth. Fun to see the American approach to healthy eating from 56 years ago.

Forget the brisket, try a little barbecued tofu.

Barbecued tofu on Big Green Egg from Garrett Weber-Gale on Vimeo.
I have to say it was pretty good. Here's how to do it:

This easy recipe from AthleticFoodie and Garrett Weber-Gale is simple enough for anyone to make: Press liquid out of firm tofu. Cut into half-inch slices. Marinate in barbecue sauce. Lightly spray with olive oil to promote some sizzle and prevent sticking. Get your grill smoky. Cook three to six minutes on each side, depending upon how brown or seared you like it.

Cookie recipe with a healthy twist

Nuts? Nutrition aplenty but which one is better?

Healthy Eating Tip: Sweet Potatoes