By Judi Gallagher. Let’s be honest. When I think of comfort foods, I don’t think of whole-grain pasta. I think of lobster, macaroni and cheese, puffed-up doughnuts, matzoh ball soup, noodle pudding. But with a plethora of healthy restaurants popping up all over town (see: Veg in Sarasota), the resurgence of farmers’ markets all across the country, and the popularity of healthy cooking blogs like Heidi Swanson’s 101 Cookbooks, comfort food is taking on a new meaning. The down economy has, I think, forced people to turn their eyes inward—to their own kitchens. And while a heaping dish of Ina...

By Judi Gallagher. Ah, spring—you’re finally almost here! After a winter that included the Snowpocalypse in the Northeast and unseasonably cold weather for weeks at a time here in the Southeast (seriously, we Floridians don’t know what to do when we have to wear sweaters and closed-toe shoes for more than three days in a row), I am more than ready for some warm weather, lighter food, and more picnics on the beach. Lucky for me (and for you), a great variety of fruits and vegetable come into season this month—everything from apples, nectarines, peaches and pears to asparagus, eggplant, snow...

Here’s a holiday cooking scenario that I just know you’ve experienced before: You open your favorite cookbook and flip through your favorite dog-eared, food-stained recipes—the ones that your mom and grandmother cooked before you; recipes so familiar you can practically smell the flavors emanating from the pages. So you plan out your Thanksgiving menu to the very last detail, buy all the ingredients and, the night before, start prepping your feast—that is, until the phone rings, and it’s your 14-year-old niece telling you that she’s become a vegan and will not be eating meat or dairy. Can...

Fall has finally arrived, bringing with it a plethora of yummy foods and excuse to cook like I’m in New England (even though temperatures are still hovering in the 80s in Southwest Florida). And anyone who knows me knows that I love pumpkin. So October, needless to say, is a great time for me: Not only is it my birthday month, but all things pumpkin-related make their way onto supermarket shelves and produce stands. My pumpkin streak began with a trip to Sarasota’s Fresh Market recently, where I picked up pumpkin butter (which I spooned over cheese blintzes, yum), pumpkin pie, pumpkin waffle mix...

Today is a sad day for foodies: Gourmet Magazine is closing. For one who was professionally nurtured and creatively developed by this standard bearer of culinary periodicals, it is indeed a loss! And, I do not know where to begin. ‘Gourmet Mag’ was an integral part of my life since my graduation from Johnson and Wales, back twenty-five+ spring-times ago. I lived for their eclectic, monthly covers and the editors’ incisive food commentary. The additional information on travel and life, in general, was just a welcomed added dimension. Yes, I digest culinary magazines – page by page, picture by...

Who doesn’t love a cupcake? There’s something so satisfying about these sweet treats: They’re made of cake, they’re topped with frosting and, best of all, they’re individually sized for personal perfection. Cupcakes are experiencing a surge in popularity, and bakeries—and cupcakeries—are popping up all over the U.S., taking a page from the book of the famed Magnolia Bakery in New York City. In Sarasota, Cupcakes-a-Go-Go has taken flight, offering a delectable array of confections in traditional flavors and frostings, as well as more exotic icings, including lime. Sprinkles, the well-loved...