The Tian Provençal is a very traditional dish in the south of France. We do a lot of them because the vegetables grow very well and they are delicious. It is a light and very tasty dish that I like to prepare during summer time. It has the advantage of being good hot or cold. You can therefore enjoy it cold during the hot summer months with other dishes and sides. This is perfect when you’re having a dinner outside under a pergola with friends.

There must be as many Niçoise salads as there are Niçois! Some have anchovies, others don’t, some have rice, some not. The original recipe is therefore difficult to find! This version is my favorite, it’s simple but tasty. The dressing is a Dijon and shallot vinaigrette.

Alzheimer’s disease affects our memory and ability to think, making it a threat to how we perceive reality. In the Mediterranean, Alzheimer’s is less prevalent, but is it because of the diet? A new study helps answer that question.

My first trip to Crete, the Greek island considered to be one of the healthiest places in the world, was the beginning of my education about the true Mediterranean Diet. This island has some of the highest longevity rates in the world and the men here live to be the same age as the women.  As a matter of fact, when the first researchers went to Crete in the 1950’s they could only find one man on the island with any kind of heart disease.

After my mom died, I started overeating.  One meal in particular stands out in my memory.  My extended family and I were all at an Indian restaurant and I ordered a full meal and then started eating everyone else’s leftovers.  I was stuffing my grief.  Even before my mom died, I was struggling with my weight, but after she died I gained 20 more pounds and was the heaviest I had ever been in my life (256 pounds when I got married a year later).