Food Network Magazine October 2018

DINNERS UNDER 500 CALORIES Try these light meals from our Weeknight Cooking section. TRICK OR TREAT! Consider handing out dark chocolate this Halloween: Scientists at California’s Loma Linda University recently found that chocolate with high concentrations of cacao (at least 70 percent) can reduce stress and inflammation while also improving memory, immunity and mood. LOOKING GOOD The protein collagen, which strengthens hair, skin, nails and joints, is everywhere these days. Almost 300 new collagen-enriched powders, bars and supplements were introduced in the United States last year! But you don’t need to take a supplement. These ingredients can help the body produce more of its own collagen. JUST BREW IT Do your heart a favor and check out the special coffee section on page 43. A recent review of studies published…

“WE ALWAYS DO FAMILY COSTUMES. LAST YEAR WE DRESSED AS DEVILS: ALL BLACK WITH CAPES, FANGS, HORNS, TAILS AND PITCHFORKS. I THINK IT CHANNELED AN INNER ME!” “I WENT AS A CHRISTMAS TREE ONE YEAR. I WORE A TIERED GREEN DRESS WITH BATTERY-POWERED LIGHTS AND HUNG ORNAMENTS ALL OVER IT.” “FORMER CHICAGO BEARS COACH MIKE DITKA—A.K.A. ‘DA COACH.’ I HAD A MUSTACHE, BEARS SWEATER, AVIATORS AND A CIGAR. IT WAS DEFINITELY A FAVORITE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD!” We asked the stars: What was your best Halloween costume?…

This one might qualify me for the parenting hall of shame: A few years ago I made a batch of brownies that called for three tablespoons of instant coffee granules. This, by the way, is enough to make about nine cups of coffee. Somehow, in the hours between when I made the brownies and when I offered a giant one to my 3-year-old daughter, I forgot about the coffee part and inadvertently gave her a caffeine high right before bedtime. She danced like a lunatic for an hour until the buzz wore off. She’s 6 now, and I’m not sure this is related to the brownie incident, but she loves an iced latte more than anyone I know. She has never even tried a real one—only an occasional taste of…

Sunny, whenever I make chicken and dumplings, the dumplings stick to the bottom of the pot. Help! David Daffron St. James, MO Either the dumplings are too dense or the pot is too crowded. Don’t overwork the dough, and make sure to stir the dumplings constantly once they hit the pot. There are many different types of dumplings, but I use a simple method I learned from my mom (foodnetwork.com/sunnysdumplings). —Sunny Anderson Geoffrey, what inspired you to become a chef? Tatiana Szewczuk Clark, NJ I’ve always loved hospitality, eating and entertaining, but I actually trained as an economist. Instead of pursuing that career, I ended up traveling to France for a short time after college and fell in love with the culture and lifestyle there. I appreciate the regality with…

Best gift ever “My Honda minivan! I’ve bought the same model—a used Odyssey—several times. One year my husband, Philippe, surprised me with a brand-new car. It smelled divine, but I never loved it like my trusty Odyssey—and Philippe could tell. So the best gift was actually an un-gift: He sold the new car and got me a used Odyssey.” Favorite birthday cake “Is it weird to say carrot cake? It’s my favorite of all time.” Best birthday party ever “Last year we had a low-key dinner party at our home. Philippe hired paella makers, and my daughter Charlotte made dozens of cupcakes. It was perfect.” Favorite way to celebrate “Birthdays in our house mean breakfast in bed. I love seeing the people I care about most right when I wake…

A Little Something Fun-size candy is celebrating a big anniversary: Fifty years ago, Mars first printed the phrase on its downsized Snickers bars. The company soon expanded the line to include Milky Way, 3 Musketeers, Mars bar and M&M’s. Of course, competing candymakers wanted in on the fun, too: Curtiss Candy Company added the phrase to small Baby Ruth and Butterfinger bars in 1971 and, despite a lawsuit, others followed. The candies have been a trick-or-treating mainstay ever since, although kids might argue that fun-size bars aren’t technically as fun as normal candy bars: They’re only about 30 percent the size!…