As an FYI, if you are looking for the Sesame Broccoli Recipe pictured, go directly to the bottom of the post.
This has been a great week for SavorySweetLife.com. On Sunday, I was one of the Tasting Panelist for the 2009Seattle Luxury Chocolate Salon sampling an insane amount of artisan chocolate from around the country. Then on Monday, Jaden Hair of SteamyKitchen.com featured one of my recipes on tv and on her blog. If that wasn’t cool enough, I am being featured in an interview for CafeMom.com today. If you’re unfamiliar with CafeMom, they are the largest community for moms AND women’s/parenting site on the internet surpassing iVillage, Babycenter, and MarthaStewart.com. So it really is an honor to be interviewed by them. If you would like to see more of my kitchen and family (yes the picture above are of my adorable daughters), you can read the interview here. And before you go, please keep reading the rest of this post to see how you can win a copy of “Too Many Cooks” by Emily Franklin as well as a small gift card to Starbucks. Thank you to everyone who participated. A winner has been selected!
Confession
Last Monday night I went to the inaugural Seattle MommyList event put on by Frantic Foodie, Keren Brown and Kim Rickettes of Kim Ricketts Book Events. The main event of the evening was listening to “Too Many Cooks” Author, Emily Franklin. Now I will tell you upfront that I wasn’t motivated to attend this event to hear Emily but rather to get away for one evening from my family on a much needed mommy break. That is the whole purpose of “The Mommy List”. But here lies my confession. When I found out that we would be listening to an author/professional chef of a cookbook/memoir whose book had the words in its title, “Mom” and “Kids” I immediately was turned off. Why is that? I immediately assumed I would be listening to some woman tell me how fantastic her kids eat and how their palate is so sophisticated. I was also prepared to hear a lecture on why what I feed my kids is crap sensing feelings of guilt begin to simmer deep within me just thinking about it.
So as I sat down with a glass of wine and a cupcake to listen to Miss I-AM-A-PROFESSIONAL CHEF-MOM-COOKBOOK AUTHOR I was taken aback to how down to earth Emily Franklin was and is. As she shared her adventures in the kitchen with her kids I was so impressed with her approach to food and how to help our kids become more open minded in trying new foods. What is even better is that everything she had to say I agreed with. Even though she is married to a pediatrician, she never did preach about nutrition or some type of food philosophy. Instead she shared her insight and wisdom on what works and what doesn’t.
Yesterday I finally had the opportunity to read portions of her book and scan her recipes. For some reason I had an expectation her recipes were going to be too exotic but once again I was pleasantly surprised to see so many EASY family friendly recipes. Her stories also affirm the struggles and successes so many parents face with picky eaters. Best of all I was thrilled to discover she prepares many of the same types of dishes we eat in our home! (Yay, I don’t feed my kids bad food after all!) Looking back I am really glad I had the privilege of hearing Emily speak and receiving a copy of her book. In “Too Many Cooks”, Emily has a recipe for Sesame Broccoli on page 50. However with that said, I’ve been making this for years using all sort of different vegetables and we all love it. I know you will too! It is ridiculously simple with just a few ingredients. Enjoy!
Recipe for Sesame Broccoli
Ingredients:
Steamed broccoli florets
Sesame Oil
Sea Salt or Kosher salt
Red pepper flakes and sesame seeds (optional)
Directions:
Toss steamed broccoli in a bowl with a small drizzle of sesame oil. Sprinkle salt, red pepper flakes and/or sesame seeds. Enjoy!
Now here comes the giveaway. For one lucky person I am going to send you an autographed copy of “Too Many Cooks – Kitchen Adventures with 1 Mom, 4 Kids, and 102 Recipes” by Emily Franklin. I am also throwing in a $5 Starbucks Gift card because coffee and mothering go hand in hand. To enter the giveaway you have to do 2 things.
First, go to Cafemom.com and leave a comment on the post mentioned above. Secondly, come back to this post and leave me a comment letting me know you left a comment on the Cafemom SavorySweetLife interview. I will pick a random winner next Thursday on July 23rd by 6pm PST. Since I have never used a random generator, I will put everyone’s name in a hat and have my daughter pick a winner. And just to clarify, you don’t need to be a mom to enter or win this contest. Congratulations to “Kaymardil”! My daughter pulled your name out of a mixing bowl. I hope you enjoy your book and Starbucks giftcard. And many thanks to everyone who entered.
Have you enjoyed this post, photos, or recipe? Share this post with friends and family using your favorite social media service and support Savory Sweet Life at the same time. Each time you submit (it's free) SSL's content to StumbleUpon and click on the green "I like it!" button, you assist others in discovering Savory Sweet Life and help this site grow. This allows me to continue to do what I love -sharing with you! I hope you've enjoyed your time here today. Thank you so much for supporting this site! :) - Alice
{ 21 comments… read them below or add one }
Alice, great post! And a giveaway? Well, I am necessarily not entering the contest, but would just love to comment .
I read your interview. Very informative and interesting. And your problem with your mom not having recipes, I have the same problem with mine. Never measures anything… Probably when she bakes, but she doesn’t do much baking. So, whenever I want a recipe of hers. When she’s cooking, I will measure everything that she is using while she is making something. It kind of annoys her, but she knows that I mean well. Some recipes she’s forbid me to share with anyone because some of them are just so old and have stood inside our family for years (I mean YEARS).
Great post and interview! Also, don’t forget me when you become a blogging super star! I’ll miss “talking” to a cool mom (my mom is cool, but you beat her in so many of the “cool” aspects).
seattle luxury chocolate salon?! it was on my birthday no less… sigh
Congrats!!!! Wow, Alice! it’s really been a great week for you. That’s totally awesome!
Delicious broccoli. It’s vibrantly green. I love it! It’s just about lunch right now and I think I may have myself some broccoli, but I wish it was your version!
Now I’m off to read your interview.
Ok first, your broccoli recipe looks really tasty. It’s always nice to put a spin on a common vegetable like broccoli because sometimes it can get boring. I also commented on the Cafemom SavorySweetLife interview. My favorite part was reading about your lovely family and seeing your kitchen. I’m so nosy. I always want to see other peoples kitchens:)
OK, I’m sold on the kids eating book. My daughter isn’t a picky eater exactly, but she’s been underweight almost her whole life, and it’s a lot easier for us to keep going back to foods she’ll eat rather than testing out new foods (though we always offer!) I’m interested to see what Emily has to say.
I commented on CafeMom too.
I commented on the Cafemom SavorySweetLife interview post and bookmarked the Banana Bread recipe featured there. It looks so yummy!
Mmmm yummy sesame broccoli. I never though of doing other veggies this way. I bet sesame cauliflower would rock! I commented on CafeMom–it’s a great interview.
Congratulations on your great week – you deserve it! Loved the interview on CafeMom. Your kids are so cute!
Not sure if I can get my veggie-hating honey to eat this but I sure like it!
Lovely post. I love your food photography. Man, the bright green of the broccoli florets is outstanding. Nice!
I commented over there (although since I posted as a guest, it’ll take a while to show up), and as I said there: your “must have” ingredients are pretty much exactly the same as mine!
Thanks!
Hi, I left a comment over at CafeMom and that post! My username: luvcontests.
I love checking out new cooking websites. So thank you for sharing yours and hers. I have been learning to cook so many things and would love a new cookbook to try out. Thanks
Great interview! I’ve left a comment in hopes of winning your giveaway, and now I’m wondering if watched bananas won’t turn brown (just kidding) since I’d love to make your Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Banana Bread.
I think my mom would really like this cook book. It almost sounds as though she wrote the review. Thanks for the chance
jason(at)allworldautomotive(dot)com
Good interview! I think the Sour Cream Chocolate Chocolate Chip Banana Bread recipe sounds good. I posted on Cafemom too!
First, amazing photo of that broccoli. The textures and colors just pop. Wonderful!
Second, I’ve been to CM and commented. I enjoyed seeing the photos of your kitchen. I like seeing where other people bake up their gorgeous creations.
~Michelle
i would love this
I forgot about doing this with broccoli! And I LOVE sesame. Thanks for the reminder. Hope I win that book!
Love the blog =) I’m a new visitor.
Thanks to everyone who have left sweet and thoughtful comments!
And Lisa: I hope this won’t be your last visit.
Congrats Kaymardil, you are our lucky winner!
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