[0] t a garage sale recently I was talking to a friend about cooking. "I am bored with cooking," she said. "I need to get the excitement back. I want to make healthy food that tastes good and is easy to make."
The woman hosting the garage sale, also a friend and a great cook, ran into the house. She came back with a cookbook in hand.

"Here, take a look at this." The book was Feeding the Whole Family [0] by Cynthia Lair. I also own this cookbook so as we flipped through it I gave my commentary. "Oh, that one is great" I said for just about every recipe. I think she was hoping to take the book home with her. The owner of the book simply would not part with it. I can't blame her. This is a truly everyday useful great cookbook.

Cynthia Lair, the author, understands what it is like to try and cook for a family. She arranges the book so that you can cook for grown-ups and kids but not have to cook twice. The recipes have hints at the bottom for making the meal kid friendly as you go. When you are done you have kid food and interesting adult food.

For example there is a dish called Bathing Rama, an Indonesian meal with noodles, greens, spiced tofu and peanut sauce. Lair has you reserve the components as you go for the children's meal. Then they can dip or not dip and eat what appeals to them.
You can complete the dish for yourself and plate it beautifully and satisfy any gourmet with your kitchen prowess. If you don't have kids ignore this feature and buy the book anyhow.

The food has a healthy slant. That is not to say it does not taste wonderful. But if you are looking for cream sauce and butter, look elsewhere. Lots of tofu, vegetables, tempeh, grains, beans, and some chicken and fish. And lots of dessert.
There are sections for breakfast, unusual healthy lunchbox food, including Sesame Noodles, Rice Balls, and a terrific Quinoa Salad. If none of this food sounds familiar to you she has a glossary and a thorough introduction.

The Broccoli Soup is tasty and bright green. This is useful when we tell our kids it is Martian food, or some unsavory forest goo in order to interest them in trying it. The Tempeh Tacos actually make people feel that tempeh, an Asian soy product with a nutty flavor and crumbly texture is real good food. We also make the Tempeh Stroganoff frequently.
Once a devoted carnivore friend said, "Wow, you could make a paper bag taste good" after he tasted it. I smiled, but all the credit goes to Cynthia Lair.

Admittedly, desserts are not the height of healthy no matter what you make. Lair uses the healthiest possible ingredients in her recipes. Then you can make Buttermilk Chocolate Cake, Pear Plum Crisp, or Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies smug in the knowledge that you have made healthier sweets.

As you are not likely to find anyone willing to lend you this book (most owners use it too frequently) you may want to check out Cynthia Lair's web site [1] or just buy the book [2]. If you are in the doldrums about cooking or if you want to eat healthy but not boring, or if you are sick of cooking two meals to please everyone, here is your solution.

The following are some favorite recipes from Feeding the Whole Family [3].

Creamy Broccoli Soup 1 or 2 large stems of broccoli with flowerets 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil 4 C. chopped onions 1/2 tsp. sea salt 1 tsp. coriander 2 C. diced potatoes 1/2 C. chopped celery 31/2-4 C. water 2 tsp. cashew butter sea salt and fresh ground pepper Cut off the broccoli flowerets, cut into bite sized pieces and reserve. Peel the broccoli stems and dice into small pieces. Heat oil in a 3-quart pot. Add onions, salt and coriander. Cover the pot and simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions cook down to a nice mush (15-20 minutes). Add the broccoli stem pieces, potatoes, celery, and water to the onion mush; cover and simmer until the potatoes are soft (15-20 minutes). Put the soup mixture in a blender with cashew butter and blend till smooth. Run the soup through a strainer to remove celery strings. Bring a pan of water to a boil. Drop in the broccoli flowerets and let them cook about 30 seconds. Stir blanched flowerets into finished soup. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve. Preparation time: 45 minutes Makes 6 servings FOR BABIES 6 MONTHS & OLDER: Reserve some blanched broccoli flowerets and puree with a few slices of ripe avocado. FOR BABIES 10 MONTHS & OLDER: Reserve a portion of pureed soup for baby before adding the blanched flowerets.

Tempeh Tacos 1 pound tempeh (2 8-oz packages) 2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil 3 tsp. tamari 1/2 C. lime juice 1 tsp. chili powder or Mexican seasoning 1 onion chopped 1/2 C. chopped cilantro 12 taco shells Optional taco fixings Shredded lettuce Sprouts Salsa feta cheese Avocado slices Crumble or chop tempeh into small pieces and place in a mixing bowl. Combine 1 tablespoon of the oil, tamari, lime juice, add chili powder in a small bowl and pour this marinade over the tempeh. Let stand 10 to 30 minutes. The longer time allows more absorption of the flavor. Heat the other tablespoon of oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and sauté until soft. Add the marinated tempeh and keep mixture moving in the pan until tempeh turns golden brown. Add chopped cilantro just prior to serving. Warm taco shells according to directions on package. Fill taco shells with tempeh mixture and your favorite fixings. Preparation time: 30 minutes to marinate, 15 minutes to make tacos Makes 6-8 servings FOR BABIES 6 MONTHS AND OLDER: Serve tacos with ripe avocado slices and reserve some of the avocado for the baby. Puree or mash well and serve.

Brown Rice Krispy Treats 1 tsp. unrefined sesame oil 1 C. brown rice syrup 2 tsp. almond butter or tahini 2 tsp. vanilla extract 6 C. dry natural brown rice crispy cereal Optional additions: 1/2 C. peanuts 1/2 C. raisins or currants 1/2 C. unsweetened carob chips 1/2 C. chopped almonds Put oil in a large pot and heat. Add rice syrup and nut butter. Stir and heat until bubbles form. Turn of heat and ad vanilla extract. Add cereal and mix well. Stir in optional items and mix lightly. Put mixture into a 9x13 inch pan. With slightly wet hands, press mixture flat. Let set to room temperature. Slice and serve. Lasts a week in an airtight container. Preparation time: 5-8 minutes Makes 24 squares

Recipes reprinted by permission from Feeding the Whole Family [3] by Cynthia Lair (Moon Smile Press, 1998).

---

Michelle Auerbach Brode was a professional chef. Now she is much happier cooking at home for her family and talking about food incessantly. If you need to talk to her about food or anything else she can be reached at Michelle.Brode@pobox.com. [4]