Here’s what I planned to bring with me for a four day getaway in the snow earlier this month:

1. Baked butternut squash (to make wontons and/or as a base for soup)

2. Prepped pan for baked French Toast (a sweet treat, learned from my friend Lisa)

3. Parsley-walnut pesto (perfect on pasta for a carbo load after a day on the mountain)

4. Granola (fast and filling breakfast that holds you until lunch)

5. Hummous (for apres-ski nibbles)

Here’s what I ended up making: Zippo.

Here’s what my pal Katherine was able to rustle up for the trip:

1. Banana-walnut muffins

2. Salsa

3. Hummous

4. Butternut squash and apple soup

5. Roast chicken

What is wrong with me? I seem to have the toughest time carving out time to actually cook. It’s not like we didn’t eat: But I did find myself in the kitchen most nights helping fix something fast for a crew of hungry mouths.

So much for my 2011 food intentions. So far I don’t think I’ve cooked a single new dish or cracked a new cookbook for ideas.

Until now. What better way for busy folks to start the cookbook giveaways this year than with Fast, Fresh & Green: More Than 90 Delicious Recipes for Veggie Lovers (Chronicle Books, $24.95)? It’s written by Susie Middleton, former editor and current editor-at-large for Fine Cooking. (Astute readers will note that I never got around to a giveaway post for January. Another missed goal.)

Middleton and I seem to have similar tastes on the veggie front. I like the sound of Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Orange Butter Sauce, Gingery Braised Brussels Sprouts (I do love these cruciferous veg), Roasted Turnips and Pears with Rosemary-Honey Drizzle, and Sauteed Carrots with Warm Olive and Mint Dressing. And by the time this contest is over I’m determined to report back on how one or more of these dishes tastes, too.

The chef and recipe developer walks readers through nine different techniques, such as braising, sauteing, and stir-frying, and includes a diverse range of recipes for each category of cooking. A few bonus slower-cooking dishes are included in the mix for the simple reason that Middleton adores them. Who can argue against Warm Parmesan Fava Beans with Shallots and Mint or Slow-Roasted Heirloom Tomato Gratin?

Read a review in The Boston Globe. Check out the author’s site six burner sue.  Find recipe excerpts at Fine Cooking. (A note for vegetarians and vegans: A few dishes include meat ingredients that can be omitted. There’s also butter, cream, and mayonnaise in these pages.)

And, if you’re like me and similarly stretched for time to cook, you might find some solace (and recipes too) in this story from my local paper last week, where Chronicle food writer Amanda Gold concedes that cooking after having a child is a tad more challenging than in her pre-baby days.

To win a copy of Middleton’s cookbook leave a comment below about what veggies you’d like to add to your repertoire this year and why, or feel free to pass on a tried and true tip for getting food on the table each night. Katherine’s (see above): Devote a part of one day to whipping up a couple of sauces, spreads, and sides, while you bake or roast in the oven.

Entries must be received by Thursday, February 24, by 10 pm PT.

Winner chosen at random.

My job: I’ll announce the winners on Friday, February 25 and contact the lucky entrant via email. Will mail out shortly thereafter.

Your job:  You’ll have exactly one week to claim your prize. After that, I’ll find an alternate home (also at random) for the book.

Update: The cookbook goes to Kelly T. Thanks to everyone who submitted an entry and check back next month for another giveaway.

Sick of all these list posts yet?

Sorry, folks, last one for a while — promise — it’s just that all this goal setting for the year ahead and looking back on the year that’s gone appeals to my OCD-like tendencies.

Who among you, I ask, didn’t clear out a closet or overhaul the pantry during the recent holiday break? (Unless of course you were on a fabulous vacation/holiday somewhere, in which case, please tell me all about it in the comment section below so I can live vicariously and be green with envy.)

Let me be clear: This is NOT a New Year’s resolution post. Tried that last year and look what a pickle that one got me in. (Though, truth be told, it did make for some entertaining blog posts and lively commentary from you all.)

Since this is a very public space devoted to good food matters, I’m gonna keep this list strictly on topic — and realistic.

So you won’t find lofty goals like ending childhood hunger or personal aspirations like finding a rich doctor to hook up with. (That last one is a joke people, and comes courtesy of my ex-husband during a period when I was recovering from some unfun medical matters. He figured it was a surefire way to take care of my finances, health, and heart all in one package.  Call it gallows divorce humor. We thought it was hilarious at the time.)

What follows, just 11 modest food intentions for 2011.

Let’s see how many I actually end up meeting. Anyone want to guess?

11 Food Intentions for 2011

1. Ditch the ancient Teflon cookware. Check. (See, we’re down to 10, just like that.) My pal Marge was horrified I still had this stuff and has been urging me to get rid of it for years, for health reasons, of course. So it’s in a bag in my car ready for Goodwill drop off (is that okay?) and I’ve been running around town trying to find some more eco-friendly baking pans. Any recommendations?

2. Make a new meal at least once a month. Isn’t that the most pathetic little aspiration? You’d think that someone who writes as much about food as I do would be whipping up new dishes every day — or at least each week. But this isn’t a recipe site, per se, and I’m as guilty as every other time-stretched working parent of fixing the same favorite meals — over and over and over again.

3. Experiment with at least one recipe from each cookbook giveaway. Dovetails nicely with #2, don’t you think? Multi-tasking mama that I am I love a twofer. While I curate the books I give away I want to say something about the recipes within based on experience. (Note to self: Take care not to spill any ingredients on their pages.)

4. Sign up for a cooking class. Maybe I’ll get over my fear of canning. Or finally learn to cook some ethnic cuisine with a measure of authenticity. Works well with #2 too.

5. Try something new. It’s unfair to always harp on about this with kids if you don’t do it yourself. What sort of role model does that make you? I have never cooked a rutabaga, for instance, and I’m not entirely sure I’ve eaten one either.

Technically a parsnip, methinks, but close to a rutabaga.

6. Attend another underground dinner. They’re super fun and I love feeling vaguely adventurous showing up in some unknown person’s home to eat food by people you don’t know while sitting with folks you’ve never met.

7. Check out the restaurants on Chronicle critic Michael Bauer’s best of list. And make a best of list of my own, so that when people visit or someone local asks: “Where should we eat?” I’ll have my own handy dandy list.

8. Go to more conferences with food doers and fewer with food writers. A couple of years into this beat I feel like I know what a lot of other food writers are going to say (not that what they have to say isn’t interesting). It just appeals to my journalist sensibilities to cover events where people in the food field come together to talk shop. So hello Ecofarm and later BlogHer Food (for this year, at least.)

9. Find a regular, national outlet to write about all the great food news in my backyard. In the works. Stay tuned on that score. Don’t want to jinx myself on that one.

10. Plan ahead. Cook soup on the weekend. Make a pesto or sauce ahead. Fix a meal that might stretch to two. All that smart advice Vanessa Barrington offers here, which when followed, makes meal prep during the week a breeze.

11. Cook more. The simple truth is, the more I write about food, the less I seem to make it. I’d like to change that equation. Numbers 2-5 should help me get there. If you have any brilliant ideas, I’m all ears.

If you want to share your food goals for 2011, let me know in the space below.

Before I sign off I’ll leave you with a trio of links to recent list posts — set in the past, present, and future — that I’ve enjoyed and think you will too:

• PAST: Debbie Koenig’s funny FAIL post over at words to eat by, complete with photo evidence, of her worst cooking escapades in 2010.

• PRESENT: Cheryl Sternman Rule’s piece mocking all those edible trend prediction stories that come out this time of year over at 5 Second Rule aptly titled The Most Superlative Food Trends List Anywhere.

• FUTURE: Stephanie Rosenbaum’s roundup for Bay Area Bites on food pursuits you might consider doing during 2011 so you Eat Well, Cook Better, Do Good.

Happy New Year readers, here’s to a healthy 2011 for all.

You might also like:

Dinner Guests: What Makes a Good One?

How to Host a Dinner Party so Everyone Enjoys it

Stuck in a Dinner Rut? You’ve Got Company

Reassurance for Parents of Picky Eaters

Vanessa Barrington: The D.I.Y. Delicious Diva

Thanks to all of you for chiming in on the end-of-year cookbook giveaway.

Sounds like many of you would put these books to good use.

Here are the dozen winners, chosen at random:

1. Breaking Bread by Lynn Christy Anderson: Amber

2. Kansha by Elizabeth Andoh: Janice K

3. New Vegetarian by Robin Asbell: Christina

4. How to Grow a School Garden by Arden Bucklin-Sporer and Rachel Kathleen Pringle: Koa

5. Seasons in the Wine Country by Cate Conniff: Lisa D

6. The Wine Trials 2011 edited by Fearless Critic Media: Bonnie

7. At Home with Madhur Jaffrey by Madhur Jaffrey: Rivka

8. Poor Girl Gourmet by Amy McCoy: Sarita

9. Quiches, Kugels, and Couscous by Joan Nathan: Anna

10. Easy Meals to Cook with Kids by Julie Negrin: Jammie

11. From Orchards, Fields, and Gardens edited by Kerstin Svendsen: Linda

12. Mystery Book: Barbara

And the “surprise” book is: Lucid Food: Cooking for an Eco-Conscious Life by Louisa Shafia (Ten Speed Press, $22.50, paperback).

This cookbook, by the Brooklyn-based sustainable chef and National Gourmet Institute graduate, appeared on several cookbook gift lists last year, including Saveur‘s and the Washington Post‘s.

The ex-NPR editor and former actor has done stints at the gourmet vegetarian restaurant Millenium in San Francisco and Marcus Samuelsson’s aclaimed Aquavit in New York.

Read a review of Shafia’s book here and a Q&A with the author at Serious Eats.

A stylish, elegant and seasonally-oriented cookbook from a fellow kale lover.

Remember: To claim your prize, send me your snail mail details within a week.

Book giveaways will return on Lettuce Eat Kale in 2011.

Congratulations to the winners. Enjoy.

Call me crazy: But I’ve decided as a way to give thanks and express gratitude to you, my readers, I’m doing a blowout book giveaway — the last for 2010 — this month.

Yep, I’m willing to cart a dozen cookbooks to the post office and stand in line for who knows how long so I can ship these tomes in time for the holidays, all at my own expense.

Since this is Black Friday for many Americans (or Buy Nothing Day for many folks I know), I figure a giveaway is something we can all feel good about this holiday weekend. Agreed?

Also: I live in a teeny, tiny house (recently painted, new native garden installed out front, no complaints here). This fall a slew of cookbook publishers sent me a steady stream of glossy cookbooks for my reading and reviewing pleasure. Let’s just say they’re starting to stack up. Along with the guilt. I’m running out of places to put them and time to review them.

So what could be better than sharing the wealth and spreading the word on the best of the bunch? As you scroll through the list you’ll see it’s an eclectic selection, including well-known writers published by big houses, as well as self-published works by first-time authors.

And this: It was brought to my attention over Thanksgiving dinner (thanks Katherine) that some of my regular readers may have noticed a slight dip in, um, content on this site of late.

During my health meltdown earlier this year you might have thought my productivity would have dropped off. Somehow I managed to keep posting, two or even three times a week.

These days, I’m thankful for good health and the fact that I’ve been commissioned to write print magazine food stories, many of which started as posts here. I’ve written for Eating Well, Kiwi, and San Francisco, and have stories coming soon in Afar, California, and San Francisco. I’ll share the details of those with you when they hit the newsstands.

I have a weekly column on Berkeleyside covering the local food beat, and I report on the intersection between food, politics, and culture for Civil Eats.

(A couple of new regular outlets coming online for me soon. Stay tuned.)

So, there it is: An explanation for readers who may have wondered what I’ve been doing and a thank you to all for helping make 2010 a fulfilling, engaging, and fun year at LEK central.

Enough about me. Let’s get to the business at hand, shall we?

But first this:

Choose ONE of the cookbooks from the 12 listed below and tell me why you’d like that particular book in your collection. (If you plan on regifting, let me know why you think the person you have in mind would like the book.)

Entries must be received by Friday, December 3, by 10 pm PT.

Winner chosen at random.

My job: I’ll announce the winners on Saturday, December 4 and contact the lucky contestants via email. Will mail out shortly thereafter.

Your job:  You’ll have exactly one week to claim your prize. After that, I’ll find an alternate home (also at random) for the book.

Unplanned Update: You really must choose just ONE for your comment to count.

Planned Update: Winners announced here. Thanks to one and all for making this my biggest giveaway of 2010. More book giveaways coming next year.

The 2010 Lettuce Eat Kale End-of-Year (Mostly) Cookbook Giveaway

Books are listed in alphabetical order by author.

1. Breaking Bread by Lynne Christy Anderson (University of California Press, $24.95, hardcover) Beyond apple pie: This book shares food stories and recipes from immigrant kitchens across America. Meet Dakpa Zady from Ivory Coast, Xius Fen Xiang from China, and Yulia Govorushko from Latvia, and find out what they’ve got cooking. Read an excerpt on Culinate.

2. Kansha by Elizabeth Andoh (Ten Speed Press, $35, hardcover) Japanese vegan and vegetarian dishes from an award-winning American cookbook author who served as Gourmet‘s correspondent in Japan for more than 30 years. Read a Q&A with Andoh at Serge the Concierge.

3. New Vegetarian by Robin Asbell (Chronicle Books, $19.95, paperback) Fellow IACP buddy gathers recipes from around the globe for pasta, tagines, curries, soups, stews, and desserts for all you meatless (or wannabe) meatless eaters. Read more about this book from Dana Treat at Treat Yourself.

4. How to Grow a School Garden by Arden Bucklin-Sporer and Rachel Kathleen Pringle (Timber Press, $24.95, paperback): A D.I.Y. guide for edible schoolyard enthusiasts. Read a Q&A with the authors by Twilight Greenaway.

5. Seasons in the Wine Country by Cate Conniff (Chronicle Books, $27.50, paperback) Recipes from a member of the crew who helped launch The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone 15 years ago. Read a review here. It’s California cuisine featuring local bounty paired with a local drop. What’s not to like?

6. The Wine Trials 2011 edited by Robin Goldstein, Alexis Herschkowitsch, and Tyce Walters (Fearless Critic Media, $14.95, paperback) A reference guide for wine lovers who don’t want to spend a fortune on a bottle of plonk. Features the results of blind tastings for 175 wines under $15. Says Newsweek: “Might rattle a few wine snobs, but the average oenophile can rejoice.”

7. At Home with Madhur Jaffrey by Madhur Jaffrey (Knopf, $35, hardcover) The legendary chef, prolific cookbook author, and notable actress who introduced Indian cooking to an American audience, Jaffrey shares simple versions of popular South-East Asian classics. Recipes on the New York Times blog Well and catch her on screen in Today’s Special, currently in cinemas.

8. Poor Girl Gourmet by Amy McCoy (Andrews McMeel, $16.99, paperback) Television producer makes lemonade from lemons: Downturn in economy leads to blog Poor Girl Gourmet, which lands McCoy a book deal. A cooking companion for cost-conscious times. Review with recipes here.

9. Quiches, Kugels, and Couscous by Joan Nathan (Knopf, $39.95, hardcover) Acclaimed author Joan Nathan goes in search of her Jewish food roots in France. Bon Appetit named this one of the top cookbooks of the year, as did NPR. Read a review in the San Francisco Chronicle.

10. Easy Meals to Cook with Kids by Julie Negrin (AuthorHouse, $28, paperback) My pal from the Community Food Security Conference offers simple, healthy, family-friendly dishes for adults to make with kids from toddlers on up. A certified nutritionist and cooking instructor, Negrin is the voice behind the blog My Kitchen Nutrition.

11. From Orchards, Fields, and Gardens edited by Kerstin Svendsen (Self-published, $25, paperback) Not a cookbook but rather an artsy single edition featuring poetry, pictures, and prose celebrating sustainable agriculture and good food. Eleven authors, including Shakirah Simley, and 21 artists, in this whimsical work.

12. Mystery book by unnamed author: Do you like surprises? How adventurous are you when it comes to cooking and eating? Willing to take a risk? Imagine what this cookbook might be in the comments below or tell me why you’re willing to try your luck with this secret selection.

Are you in a mixed marriage? Food-wise that is. Maybe one of you is a confirmed carnivore while the other is a vigilant vegetarian.

Or perhaps the eating preferences of your family run from strict vegan to unapologetic omnivore.

No worries, Kim O’Donnel‘s new cookbook may help keep everyone you feed happy.

The Meat Lover’s Meatless Cookbook: Vegetarian Recipes Carnivores Will Devour (paperback, Da Capo Press, $18.95) is this month’s giveaway pick.

As I wrote in a previous post, the guide is arranged differently from your typical cookbook. There’s 52 menus (95 recipes), one for each week of the year, organized by season, rather than chapters on different courses.

You can read more of my profile of Kim O’Donnel and her new guide here.

Her cookbook includes classics like ratatouille and apple sauce, personal favorites such as kale chips and pear-arugula salad, and dishes to keep the seasoned home cook interested: Spinach and Feta Crostata, Chickpea “Crab Cakes,” and Pepita Crusted Tofu Cutlets.

My only quibbles: Some of the images could be presented in a more enticing way and I found the typeface for sub-headings a bit distracting. But the introduction, FAQ, glossary, and recipe head notes showcase O’Donnel’s trademark informed and friendly voice.

No need to take my word for it. Says vegetarian cookbook queen Mollie Katzen, “I can’t think of a more cordial or welcoming tone with which to invite possibly skeptical meat eaters into the world of delicious, accessible plant-based cooking.” Adds The Washington Post: “If anyone can persuade Americans to eat more tempeh, it’s Kim O’Donnel.”

To win a copy of The Meat Lover’s Meatless Cookbook leave a comment below telling me about the culinary persuasions of the people you cook for: omnivore, carnivore, pescatarian, vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, choosy chowhound, or would eat boiled shoe leather if it was served at the table.

Entries must be received by Sunday, November 7, by 10 pm PT.

Winner chosen at random.

My job: I’ll announce the winner on Monday, October 8 and contact this lucky person via email.

Your job:  You’ll have exactly one week to claim your prize. After that, I’ll find an alternate home (also at random) for this book.

Update: The winner of the giveaway is Jacquie and I’ll do my best to ship this cookbook to you in plenty of time for holiday meal planning. Thanks to all of you for entering and sharing your stories.

And check back in later this month for another food book contest.

If you stopped by yesterday, you know I’ve already had a lot to say about this new book. If you haven’t, may I strongly suggest you take a look?

Here’s all you really need to know: I don’t want to give this book away. I really don’t. I want it to be mine.

It’s lovely to look at, there are loads of recipes I haven’t attempted yet and want to, and this hard cover feels nice to hold.

I really like both the main players responsible for creating it too. They would be author Vanessa Barrington and photographer Sara Remington. Plus pals food stylist Nani Steele and recipe whiz Molly Watson played supporting roles.

Did I mention I don’t want to part with this book? It’s like saying goodbye to a new friend.

Enough about me. Before we get down to business, it would be an oversight if I forgot to note that clothing and lifestyle mecca Anthropologie have seen fit to include D.I.Y. Delicious: Recipes and Ideas for Simple Food from Scratch (Chronicle Books, $24.95) in its carefully curated book department. It’s not hard to see why: This is one gorgeous gift book.

Oh, and I should mention urban farming author Novella Carpenter‘s back cover blurb — where she lauds Barrington for leading the charge in the homemade food revolution. Sold?

If you’d like a sneak peek, check out this recipe on Barrington’s blog and this video promo, these clips are currently all the rage among publishers (this one is inspired and hilarious.)

To win a copy of D.I.Y. Delicious leave a comment below telling me about a D.I.Y. dish you’d like to learn how to cook — and why.

Entries must be received by Thursday, October 7, by 10 pm PT.

Winner chosen at random.

My job: I’ll announce the winner on Friday, October 8 and contact this lucky person via email.

Your job:  You’ll have exactly one week to claim your prize. After that, I’ll find an alternate home (also at random) for this book.

Update: The winner of D.I.Y. Delicious, selected at random, is Leigh. Thanks to all for entering and check back later this month for another giveaway.

If you’re in the Bay Area, Vanessa Barrington is among the participants at next week’s Spice of Life Festival in Berkeley.

About two years ago, I decided to switch gears in my professional writing life. I wanted to take a risk and reinvent. In 20-plus years as a journalist, I’ve tried my hand at many different things.

I worked for an investigative reporting shop for close to a decade. I’ve been a staff writer for a national health magazine. I’ve survived and succeeded (mostly) for many years as a freelance writer.

I’ve also contributed to books, ghost written a book, and taught writing to college students, who expect to land an assignment with Vanity Fair the minute they get a degree. Good luck with that.

Somewhere along the way I picked up a lot of gigs cranking copy for a range of health outlets on the web. These contract jobs paid the bills and gave me the chance to work part time and hang with my son when he was young, for which I will always be grateful.

But, to be honest, this line of work did not feed me. I wanted to get back to doing creative work that combined my professional writing background with my personal passion for food, with an emphasis on covering the growing food movement and the social justice aspects of feeding people well.

I landed in Berkeley, started volunteering at the Edible Schoolyard, and shortly after began teaching afterschool cooking classes to kids at my boy’s school. All this made me very happy.

So why not write about it? When I started taking baby steps towards telling food stories one of the first people I approached was Dianne Jacob. If you’re an established food writer, Dianne needs no introduction. If you’re not familiar with this editor, coach, and cookbook author, and you have any interest in writing about food, click on over to her blog Will Write for Food, once you’ve finished reading this post, where you’ll find pithy snippets with a food-writing focus that frequently elicit vigorous debate in the comment section.

I was briefly a client of Dianne’s. She helped me figure out a game plan for my new beat. We started our blogs about the same time, some 18 months ago. She gave thoughtful feedback on the manuscript I was ghost writing of the self-published memoir (just out!) of the co-creator of Rice-A-Roni. I found Dianne to be the real deal: A pro with a deep understanding of the food-writing biz.

Dianne’s advice for food writers everywhere: 1. Start a blog. 2. Take a writing class. 3. Find a niche.

To find out more about all three, you’ll need to get your hands on a copy of her book.

Dianne’s also one of the most generous people I know. We’ve become pals, and, since we live in the same area, go to food-related events together. (If you want to catch her at one of her book signings this fall, check out her event appearances here.) She wrote the sweetest note to me in my copy of the first edition of her book Will Write for Food, which I think of as a bible for food scribes. (For Sarah, A star writer who doesn’t know it.) Just the self-confidence boost when I needed it. If she wrote exactly the same thing in YOUR first edition, please, please don’t tell me.

And, ego check: She has, um, strong opinions and no problem telling it how it is. If she thinks I need a boot up the bum, or if something doesn’t work writing wise, she’ll let me know, kindly but clearly. She questions some of my assignment choices and hassles me to meet deadlines, so it’s not all a warm and fuzzy love fest here. But for me, that’s the mark of a good editor-coach.

You need more endorsements? Check out what Epicurious.com has to say about the second edition of Will Write for Food: The Complete Guide to Writing Cookbooks, Blogs, Reviews, Memoir, and More (Da Capo Press). “Mandatory reading for food writers,” says it all, really. Just yesterday Molly Wizenberg (anyone heard of her?) offered similar praise at the International Food Blogger Conference in Seattle.

The latest edition of WWFF includes major updates on the food writing landscape — which is changing so quickly — and an entire new chapter on the business of blogging and social networking. All this and advice from a bevy of big shots in the food writing world.

I’ve just returned from the weekend-long blogger bash thrown by Foodista and somewhere during the course of the conference someone said there are five million food bloggers. Is that true? If you want to find a way to distinguish what you do, this book is for you.

On a publishing panel at the very same conference Victoria von Biel, the executive editor of Bon Appetit, talked up the absolute necessity for food writers to have a presence in the social media world. She joked that her hubbie, Benedict Carey, who has a new book, is resistant, like many old-school writers, to such moves. (In the small world department, I spent a year working at a magazine where the wildly talented and very funny Ben was also on staff. A New York Times reporter, he’s just penned a book about math for middle schoolers — who knew? — perfect for my son who starts school this week.)

Kirsty Melville, president of the book division of publisher Andrews McMeel and a cookbook czar, seconded that advice. More small world stuff: Dianne served as an editor and mentor on My Nepenthe, the beautiful cookbook and mash note to Big Sur by Romney (Nani) Steele that Melville published and raved about at yesterday’s session.

Enough with the praise. You’re itching to get your hands on this guide, right?

Here’s how to win a signed copy of Will Write for Food:

1. Join Lettuce Eat Kale via Feedburner by clicking this link, entering your email address, and then clicking the confirmation link that you’ll receive via email. Or subscribe via email.

2. If you’re already a subscriber (thank you), then please follow me on Twitter or Facebook.

3. If you subscribe and follow (x2) a big thank you, then please post the following tweet on your Twitter feed: Win a copy of @diannej’s Will Write for Food @lettuceeatkale … http://tinyurl.com/2d7tpdt

Once you’ve done one — or all of these things, why not? — please leave me a comment on this post to let me know you’ve joined the mailing list, started following me via Twitter or Facebook, and/or posted the tweet. And if you’re new to Lettuce Eat Kale, please tell me a little about yourself. It’s always nice to meet my readers and fellow food bloggers.

Entries must be received by Monday September 6 at 10 p.m. PT. A winner will be chosen at random. You’ll have a week to claim your prize.

Update: Congrats to Paula Thomas, a copy of Will Write for Food is on its way to you. Thanks to all for playing and check back later this month for a cookbook giveaway.

[Credit where credit it is due: Thanks to Stephanie Stiavetti of Wasabimon, from whom I shamelessly cribbed the idea for this kind of contest, a departure for me.]

[Photo of Dianne Jacob: Pamela Zacharias.]

I heard you. Help is on the way. This post is for all you artichoke, eggplant, beet, kale, parsnip, kohlrabi, rutabaga, celeriac, and (your veg of choice here) phobes.

July’s cookbook giveaway sparked so much reader interest — and requests for help with veggie recipes in particular, that I felt compelled, compelled I tell you, to seek out The Homesteader’s Kitchen author Robin Burnside to ask her advice on behalf of you all.

The mother of four and grandmother of six, all of whom can walk to her Big Sur home for dinner, knows a thing or two about feeding family.

Generously, and in the spirit of everyone eating more greens (and other colors of the rainbow too), the natural chef and former cafe owner agreed to answer questions, offer advice, demystify cooking veggies — and share some recipes too.

How nice is that? If you’re in the area, you can thank her yourself this Saturday at Treebones Resort, the cool yurt getaway perched on a cliff over the ocean in southern Big Sur, where she’s throwing her book launch party.

1. Lots of readers seem unsure about how to cook eggplant. Any tips?

The most important step is to choose a fabulous, organically-grown globe at your local farmers’ market. I’m sorry, but it’s just near impossible to find a good eggplant at Safeway. You want to pick an eggplant that has a deep purple color and dark shine. It needs to be firm too. If it’s squishy to start with, it’s just going to taste too bitter.  Eggplant is wonderful grilled. I spend several months a year in Baja California and I find the Mexican climate — lots of hot sun — produces a wonderful sweet eggplant. We pick one from the field after we’ve been surfing, slice it, and throw it on the grill.

A simple way to serve eggplant is to cook it, cut into cubes, and then pair it with caramelized onions and garlic, add some diced fresh tomato, some fresh basil strips, salt, olive oil, and perhaps a splash of balsamic vinegar and you have what we call eggplant caviar.  My son would never eat eggplant any other way.

If people are too intimidated to start with a traditional, big globe, I recommend searching out the smaller Japanese varieties, and using them to make baba ganoush (eggplant dip).

2. Another vegetable folks seem afraid of is the artichoke. How to handle this thorny creation?

Again, you want to look for the freshest globes, which will pack more flavor and nutrients. Regardless of size, look for dark green, heavy and firm chokes that give a little squeak when squeezed.  The artichoke is also surprisingly good grilled. One caution on grilling: Since we know charred food isn’t good for us, it’s important to turn food that’s being grilled frequently and cook over a bed of glowing coals releasing radiant heat — not an open flame.  Cut small ones in halves, larger ones in quarters.

One handy tip before steaming, which is another good option: Dip a washed artichoke in 1 tablespoon of water and lemon juice before cooking to retain color.

For something fancier yet simple to fix, try my Stuffed Artichoke recipe from the book. (Find recipes at the end of this Q&A.)

3. People want help with root vegetables — everything from carrots, parsnips, and beets to kohlrabi, rutabaga, and turnips. Do you have some general pointers?

Roasting root vegetables couldn’t be simpler or more delicious. Carrots, parsnips, and sweet potatoes can be cut into finger-size, kid-friendly pieces — these are the only fries my kids ate growing up. Coat in some olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and garlic, pop in a 350-400 degree oven, and cook until crunchy. Time will vary depending on oven temp. and size of veggies, so you’ll want to keep an eye on them and turn every 15 minutes or so with a spatula so the pieces get nicely crisped on all sides.

4. What about leafy greens like kale, cabbage, and chard?

These garden greens are my joy, I eat them every day. I pick kale out of my garden and eat it raw or in a fresh smoothie or in my Kale and Sea Vegetable Salad with Sesame Citrus Dressing.

Chard pairs nicely with tempeh, an easily digested plant-protein made of fermented soy, that soaks up flavors like a sponge. My Tempeh and Chard Enchiladas is a meatless meal that can satisfy even vegetarian skeptics.

Cabbage is such a diverse vegetable; it’s featured several times in my book. Since some of your readers asked what to do with jicama, they may enjoy my South-of-the-Border Slaw with Chile-Lime Dressing.

5. How do you handle fruit in cooking?

I eat most of my fruit raw. I can’t imagine cooking a mango; they’re so perfect just as they are. One general guideline about adding sweet notes to savory dishes is to test for balance and adjust accordingly, so a dish doesn’t taste too salty or too sweet. That comes with practice and playing with flavors on your palate.

6. Several readers commented that they’re often perplexed by some of the produce that shows up in their CSA box — or at the local market or store. Celeriac comes to mind. Some want new ideas for dealing with abundance from their gardens (zucchini anyone?). What are your go-to cookbook guides?

Deborah Madison’s Vegetarian Cooking For Everyone is a wonderful reference book. Other favorites include Full Moon Feast by Jessica Prentice, which focuses on nutrient-dense and fermented foods, as does  Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon. Also: The Cafe Gratitude cookbook (I am Grateful) for those interested in learning more about raw food.

7. Can you tell us a little about your personal food philosophy?

Consuming whole foods makes a huge difference to my health and vitality. Staying connected with and nourishing my body throughout the day is a practice, and making what I eat with my own hands is at the core. Fresh, whole, and simple. That’s my mantra, whether produce is juiced, grated, chopped, or cooked before it’s consumed.

8. Give us a little background about your book?

It was about five years in the making. Five of my six grandchildren were born in the time it took to write this cookbook. I wanted to call it The Holistic Kitchen, to reflect my food philosophy, someone else suggested The Off-the-Grid Cookbook, in reference to my lifestyle. All I know is that it evolved over the years, it reflects my values and spirit, and it’s come out at a time when there’s a lot of interest in the kind of recipes I present. So I’m glad it took as long as it did. I want it to feel at home in different worlds and I think more people are open to my message now.

[Photos: Kodiak Greenwood, Recipes follow, courtesy Robin Burnside and Gibbs Smith.]

So many lovely-looking cookbooks seem to come from the little town of Big Sur, on California’s Central Coast. The Big Sur Bakery Cookbook and My Nepenthe spring immediately to mind.

Here’s a new one to add to the list: The Homesteader’s Kitchen: Recipes From Farm to Table by Robin Burnside with photographs from Kodiak Greenwood (Gibbs Smith, $19.99).

The book’s images highlight locally grown produce at its luscious best in more than 100 recipes designed to nourish body and soul. We’re talking simple recipes, made from scratch, with homegrown or farm fresh products as the focus.

Author Burnside’s premise for this book is her passion for whole foods, lovingly prepared and well presented. Who can argue with such a common sense approach? Burnside is a well-known local entity; for the past two decades she has been homesteading and practicing a sustainable lifestyle — including growing her own food and body surfing at the beaches in beautiful Big Sur. She’s also the former co-owner chef of Carmel Cafe in Carmel, ran Cafe Amphora at Nepenthe in Big Sur, and managed the kitchen at Esalen Institute, the wellness retreat center, for several years.

There’s a lot to like in this cookbook. Novices may appreciate basic recipes such as grilled whole fish, hummus, and oatmeal, along with simple stocks, sauces, and salad dressings.

But there’s enough here to whet the appetite of more experienced home cooks as well. I particularly like the sound of the Creamy Mango-Coconut Smoothie (with soaked cashews), and Kale and Sea Vegetable Salad with Sesame Citrus Dressing.

You’ll find several nods to Asian-influenced offerings, including Bali Toast (a breakfast treat similar to French toast), Gado-Gado (a traditional Indonesian peanut sauce), and Thai Cilantro Pesto. And dishes that just sound delicious, like Fresh Summer Fruit Tart with Honey Citrus Cream or Spinach, Fennel, and Tangerine Salad with Maple Pecans.

I like the handy tips sprinkled throughout the pages, such as “I always use the highest quality oils and vinegars for my salad dressings because they tend to have considerably more flavor than cheaper brands, and a little goes a long way.” And: “The wonderful flavor and texture of freshly made tortillas is well worth the extra effort, and once you try them, it might be tough going back to eating the commercially made varieties.” Agreed.

To win a copy of The Homesteader’s Kitchen leave a comment below telling me about one fruit or vegetable you’d like to learn how to cook.

Entries must be received by Thursday, July 22, PT by 10 pm.

Winner chosen at random.

I’ll announce the winner on Friday, July 23. Reminder: you’ll have exactly one week to claim your prize.

Thanks to Romney (Nani) Steele, author of My Nepenthe for the heads up on this book.

Update: Apologies, peeps, a day late getting to this giveaway, crazy busy week. Thanks to all of you for chiming in and making this my most popular giveaway to date. A copy of The Homesteader’s Kitchen, chosen at random, is going to Rachel Higgs. Stay tuned for a pending post responding to some of your recipe requests below. And do stop by next month for another great giveaway.

Updated update: Repeated attempts to reach Rachel Higgs were unsuccessful, so the book goes to Ellen Ring, chosen at random from among the comments. Ellen wrote back right away with her snail mail address and The Homesteader’s Kitchen is on its way to a new home. Enjoy!

Sara Remington is the kind of photog that can make a bunch of radishes look beautiful. And she’s able to do it with the minimum of propping, gadgets or digital tinkering.

Clearly there’s art, a good eye, and a bit of magic to her elegant images of everything edible.

I know this because I was fortunate enough to observe her in action, along with my food-stylist friend Romney (Nani) Steele, at a recent workshop, aimed at folks who wanted to improve their food photography, held in Remington’s light-filled studio in Emeryville, just east of San Francisco.

(Quick tips on the food-styling front: Tweezers, spritz bottles of water, toothpicks, Q-tips, olive oil, and tiny brushes can make produce pop under a lens.  Also, flea markets are a great place to pick up props.)

Granted, I’m such a lousy shooter that maybe I’m easily impressed. But Remington is in constant demand for her food and farming frames and her portraits of food folk. Awarded a 30 under 30 honor for emerging photographers in 2006 by Photo District News, her long and growing list of book credits and editorial and advertising clients speaks for itself.

Her images (she’s a Canon camera gal, for those who care about such things) have graced the covers of several recent books, including Steele’s My Nepenthe, about the iconic eatery perched on a cliff in bucolic Big Sur, The Big Sur Bakery Cookbook, and Mixt Salads, by Mixt Greens guru Andrew Swallow (the subject of a recent giveaway on this site).

Up next, by Laura Catena, Vino Argentino, which as its name suggests, is an homage to that Latin American country’s wine regions, The Wild Table, a foraging book by well-known gleaner Connie Green, and My Calabria, a Southern Italian food and wine cookbook courtesy of Rosetta Costantino.

Closer to home she’s the shutterbug behind the forthcoming DIY Delicious, by self-taught chef Vanessa Barrington, and preserver Rachel Saunders’ The Blue Chair Jam Cookbook.

And, shown here, the Syracuse University art school graduate also shot the recently released Eating Local, authored by James Beard Award winner Janet Fletcher.

I caught up with Remington, who enjoys anchovies and stinky cheese, between photo shoots.

Did you always want to shoot food?

I didn’t make some conscious choice to do so. My boyfriend is a professional cook  [Editor's Note: that would be Tim Mosblech, executive chef of the soon-to-open 1833 in Monterey, which, Remington says, promises small plates of loveliness in a town not known for great eats] and I started out almost accidentally, shooting plates of food for him, and I discovered I really liked it.

What’s your relationship to food?

I’m a bit of a late bloomer. I was raised in upstate New York and when I moved to California six years ago that really opened my eyes to the variety and diversity of vegetables and fruits available, and the whole concept of farmers’ market fresh, local produce. That’s when I began to see the beauty in this raw, unprocessed food grown in fresh air, in organic soil, under natural light.

What’s your philosophy behind the camera?

I try to keep it simple. I like to use natural light as much as possible and I don’t work with tons of equipment.

I don’t want my photos to just be another pretty image. I want them to have personality and tell a story.

Take this peach. I want you to think about where it was grown, when it was picked, and how it might taste. And I want it to evoke memories of, say, when you were a child and your mom made peach cobbler, or the feeling of peach juice running down your face, or a summer you loved, or picking fresh fruit from a farm, or whatever the fruit brings to mind.

And I want to do all that with integrity, in an artistic, fun, and creative way.

Tell us a little about your professional background.

I’ve been shooting for about six years, and it’s only in the last year or so that I’ve been able to solely focus on editorial and commercial clients. I’ve made a living wage doing this for about four years now, but I have very little overhead — no kids, no mortgage, no car or school payments.

This past year or two I’ve been fortunate to shoot lots of books.

Before that, my bread-and-butter gigs were weddings. Often high-end weddings that involved travel and an editorial sensibility, but weddings nonetheless.

And you know, there’s nothing wrong with shooting weddings. It’s given me a buffer, there’s no shame in it, and I’d go back to it if I needed to pay the bills.

I didn’t start my career, as many food shooters do, by assisting a more experienced food photographer. I assisted people with stories to tell. I think that helped me develop my own style rather quickly. I didn’t feel the need to mimic someone else’s approach.

Where do you look for inspiration for your work?

I venture away from photography and find inspiration in art, whether it’s a museum or a small gallery, or in film.  And, of course, in nature. I like to observe color, light, and angle. Maybe it’s watching a blade of grass in the wind, or finding the beauty in someone’s wrinkles, or admiring the saturation of a Dutch Vermeer.

What do you like most about working on cookbooks?

It’s a collaboration with a team. Depending on the budget, you might have an assistant, a food stylist, an assistant food stylist, a prop stylist, an art director, and perhaps the author. When it works well you’re all coming up with creative ideas, expressing them, and executing them in a way that makes everyone happy.

Do photo shoots ever get tense?

Oh, yes. Sometimes people are afraid to let you express your vision or they’re very attached to what they want. On advertising shoots, where there are a lot of people and higher costs involved, and typically a high-end client with distinct opinions, then sometimes you just have to throw creativity out the window and execute exactly what they ask for.  You can’t take it personally, but it’s not as much fun.

What’s your idea of a dream project?

My own book — not necessarily food — where I got to spend a lot of time getting to know my subject and location.  Since I like to travel and I always wanted to be a photojournalist I’m thinking somewhere in South-East Asia or Africa where I could, literally, sit with people and get to know them before I even picked up my camera.

What do you love about working for yourself?

The flexibility and variety. I can spend a morning in my pjs in my studio cataloging images from a shoot. I get to travel and meet wonderful people and shoot all this gorgeous food. I can work a 15-hour day or a 2-hour day. I get to call my own shots much of the time.

Do you have advice for aspiring shutterbugs?

Make a journal full of images you collect that inspire you. It can be as simple as a binder that you slot photos in that you really admire.  Find time to study what about the pictures — their composition, color, and light — draws you in.

Get the word out about what you do. Send out a postcard four times a year featuring a really gorgeous, eye-catching photo you’ve taken and follow up after the mailing. It’s a good way to stay on people’s radar.

Meet everyone you can in the photographic community — turn up at events and know who’s who on the mastheads of magazines where you want your work to appear. Send photo editors your images and tell them why you want to work with them. You have to be really proactive without being annoying.

Can you recall an amusing anecdote from a photo shoot in the field?

Right after I got out of school I went to L.A. and decided I wanted to continue doing creative work and I chose to focus on what downtown strippers did during the day, when they weren’t working in the clubs.  So I started hanging out with these women, for about six weeks, after I asked if I could shoot them for a personal project.

It didn’t really go anywhere. It turned out not to be that interesting. They were just hanging out before showtime until they had to put on make-up and clothes.

One of the stripper’s quit while I was there, so one of the managers asked me if I wanted to take her place.  That’s when I knew it was time to go.

Do you have an adventure in food photography you care to share?

On location for Eating Local I was on a farm about to shoot a beekeeper who was opening a box, letting the bees out. For whatever reason, the bees were pissed off that day and they started landing all over me, they got caught in my hair, even though I was in a bee suit I got stung on my head about 20 times. It was pretty painful, awful really.

But I can imagine, seen from afar from the road, it probably looked pretty funny watching this woman running around crazily in circles trying to get a bunch of bees off her head.

Despite how much it hurt, I got the shot.

[Photos: Sara Remington]

This post also appears on Civil Eats.