Last Chance Foods

Rutabagas may seem like one of winter’s more homely vegetables, but chef Jesse Schenker of Recette says they’re as versatile as a potato, and even more delicious.

“You could literally swap out any potato recipe with a rutabaga and it would be even better,” he said. “It’s so underutilized, and maybe people are just afraid of it. “

This Sunday, the traditional Chinese New Year’s dragon dance will fill the streets of Manhattan’s Chinatown with performers and onlookers. The year of the dragon started this past Monday, and many families will continue to celebrate during the first two weeks of the Lunar New Year by eating auspicious foods and observing certain traditions. The practices are meant to bring prosperity, good fortune and togetherness.

Mention the words “cleanse” or “detox,” and many people are likely to react with passion. There are those who swear by it, and many who consider it a sham. The start of the year seems to amplify the conversation, with the list of what people are not eating growing as long and specific as a tally of out-of-season produce.

With blustery winds whipping across frost-hardened fields, eating seasonally during the winter months requires innovation aided by a well-stocked pantry. Recently, Last Chance Foods focused on cleaning out old spices and expired condiments in the interest of starting off fresh in the new year. This week, chef Amy Chaplin discussed pantry basics and suggests ingredients that will help liven up sometimes starch-heavy winter meals.

Food safety expert Marion Nestle confesses that the oldest spices in her pantry likely date to when she first moved into her apartment — about 20 years ago. While they’re not going to be unsafe to eat, she does add with a chuckle that it’s probably time to throw them out. With the start of a new year, now is a good time to shuffle through pantries and refrigerators to purge old and expired items.

Leaving cookies out for Santa Claus is a time-honored tradition that calls up images of Norman Rockwell’s America. While chocolate chip or sugar cookies might be the standard, many families across this melting pot of a nation have their own spin on the traditional Christmas cookie.

Hanukkah starts at sundown on Tuesday, and that makes a delightful justification for eating foods fried in oil. The holiday commemorates the miracle of one night’s worth of oil lasting for eight nights. For those who don’t observe Hanukkah, now is as good a time as any to commemorate the deliciousness of fried food. Either way, it’s a win-win situation.

Every day, most Americans are faced with a multitude of choices when it comes to food. Do they shop at the convenience store, supermarket or farm stand? Maintain a diet that’s vegan, gluten-free, vegetarian or one that includes meat? Each decision bears a series of large and small consequences that affect both individual health and, potentially, the environment as a whole.

Now that Thanksgiving is over, the race toward the winter holidays has officially begun. This is a great time to get in a few healthy meals before the onslaught of cookies, eggnog and heavy holiday foods. Mustard greens, like kale and collards, are currently at their peak, and fit the bill for a lighter seasonal dish.

It’s crunch time over at Baked in Red Hook, Brooklyn. The day before Thanksgiving, bakers are making sure all their crusts and pots of filling are ready for Thursday. That’s when the assembled pies hit the oven in what Baked’s owners, Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito, describe as “a marathon of pie.”