Dana Velden

Dana Velden's first book, Finding Yourself in the Kitchen: Kitchen Meditations and Inspired Recipes from a Mindful Cook (Rodale Books) is available where ever books are sold. She lives in Oakland, CA.
Mushrooms on Toast: Perfect for Any Meal
Mushrooms on toast is a classic British dish, usually served with tea after work or as a light supper. It is perfectly delightful in its simplicity, just sautéed mushrooms with maybe a little onion and parsley, dumped over toast and dug into after a hard day’s work. I did play with it a little in this version, which gussies things up with a splash of wine, some crème fraîche and fresh thyme.
May 16, 2023
10 New Cookbooks That Make Great Father’s Day Gifts
With options for dads who love to cook and dads who never cook.
May 12, 2023
15 Cookbooks That Make Great Mother’s Day Gifts
There was a time when receiving a cookbook for Mother's Day may have been as exciting as receiving a vacuum. That is no longer the case.
Mar 14, 2023
40 Simple Baking Projects for a Winter Snow Day
From fudgy brownies to a luscious layer cake, here's what to make when you're hunkered down indoors.
Feb 13, 2023
40+ of Our Best Valentine’s Day Desserts
From chocolate cakes to butterscotch pudding, there's something here for everyone!
Jan 27, 2023
40 Side Dishes You Can Serve with Christmas Ham
From greens to potatoes and pilaf, these sides are totally holiday-worthy.
Dec 7, 2022
What’s the Difference Between Filtered and Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar?
Apple cider vinegar is simply a vinegar made from apple juice or apple cider. It comes in two versions: filtered and unfiltered. The difference between the two is the “mother,” which is a somewhat murky collection of cellulose and acetic acid bacteria that’s removed when the vinegar is filtered. Does it matter which type of vinegar you use? Much depends on what you are doing with it. Filtered apple cider vinegar is made with apple juice and water.
Aug 13, 2022
How To Cook Tender, Chewy Barley
Barley is one of those wonderful grains that doesn’t get the attention it deserves. With a chewy texture and nutty flavor, barley is a delicious whole grain that can be used in a number of ways, way beyond the classic beef and barley soup. It is also a very nutritious and healthy food, with lots of fiber and a number of trace minerals like selenium, manganese and phosphorus. The most important thing to know about barley is that it comes in two basic forms: hulled and pearl.
Aug 10, 2022
Baked Salmon with Herbs and Lemon
Salmon is one of the most versatile proteins to work with in the kitchen. It’s delicious and universally loved, quite good for you, and very easy to prepare. Salmon still retains its fancy and festive reputation, even though it is more readily available these days and can be purchased at a decent price point from most grocery stores. My favorite way to cook salmon is in the oven, very low and slow, with a pan of water for moist heat.
Aug 3, 2022
Stovetop Bacon Is Irresistibly Crispy (and Super Simple)
Essentially a life skill.
May 23, 2022
How To Make Great French Toast at Home
This is the ideal French toast: browned and crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside.
Apr 28, 2022
20 Easy No-Cook Meals That Keep the Oven Off
These recipes teach the art of assembling a meal without turning on the oven.
Apr 12, 2022
20 Snacks to Enjoy While You’re Watching the Oscars
Snacks and apps for when the red carpet is a spectator sport.
Mar 25, 2022
25 One-Pan Meals You Can Make in Under an Hour
Want to get a beautiful meal on the table in less than an hour using only one pan? We thought so.
Jan 19, 2022
30+ Christmas Dinner Ideas You Can Make Ahead of Time
Christmas will be here before we know it. Let's get a head start on prep.
Dec 8, 2021
15-Minute Crispy Baked Tortilla Chips Are the Ultimate Homemade Appetizer
This easy method results in perfect chips every time.
Jul 24, 2021
How To Make an Upside-Down Cake with Almost Any Fruit
Our basic recipe for making upside-down cakes with fresh fruits all year long.
Mar 30, 2021
How To Make Classic French Madeleines
A perfect accompaniment to your afternoon cup of tea.
Feb 19, 2021
25 Vegetarian Recipes for Your Valentine’s Day Dinner
From the appetizer to the main course, here's all the inspiration you need for a romantic vegetarian dinner.
Feb 8, 2021
How To Toast Almonds and Other Nuts
Roasting nuts deepens their flavor, making them even more nutty and complex.
Sep 30, 2020
Our 20 Favorite Ways to Bake with Yogurt
Skip the breakfast bowl and stir it into your cake batter instead.
Jul 24, 2020
How To Make Quick-Pickled Red Onions
They take about 10 minutes to assemble and last for weeks in the refrigerator.
Jul 20, 2020
The Best, Most Flavorful Way to Cook Collard Greens
Yes, there's bacon fat involved.
Jun 14, 2020
How To Make Butter
If you have heavy cream, you can make butter.
Apr 12, 2020
Cookie Recipe: Life-Changing Vegan Thumbprint Cookies
Nutty, oat-y, sweet with maple syrup and a touch of jam, these thumbprints will please vegan and non-vegan palates alike. They’re a hearty tasting cookie — I personally feel that two or three with a cup of strong hot tea is a wonderful way to start your day. They’re quick to mix up, easy to form and fill, and will disappear off of your cookie plate in a twinkle. I first tasted Vegan Thumbprints at a Zen Buddhist monastery deep in the California wilderness.
Dec 20, 2018
15 Ways Trader Joe’s Will Save Your Keto Lifestyle
If you're new to the ketogenic nutritional plan, it can be hard to go grocery shopping. Carbs are everywhere! Trader Joe's can help.
Feb 10, 2018
10 of My Favorite Keto Recipes
While it certainly is possible to modify takeout and restaurant food to fit your keto lifestyle, it’s not easy. Many of the classic and easily available foods like sandwiches and tacos or burritos just don’t hold up when you eliminate the carb components. (Can it still be a taco if it doesn’t have the tortilla? I rest my case.) Even Chinese and Thai food can be tough, as they often contain sugar or are noodle/rice-dependent.
Feb 6, 2018
Recipe: Easy Keto Chili
Chili is a beloved dish that elicits very strong opinions and allegiances. Some people are pro-beans, while others are adamantly against them. Some need tomatoes, green peppers, onions in their chili, while others are into pure Texas-style (which has no beans and no tomatoes).
Feb 6, 2018
The Hardest Thing About Going Keto Is Probably Not What You Think
One of the fun things about going keto is that I can have a lot of foods that are usually forbidden with those classic calorie- and fat-restricted diets. For instance, I can eat cheese, bacon, butter, and even heavy cream. In fact, I’m encouraged to eat these foods as long as I stay within my macros (a calculation that produces the perfect ratio of carbs, fat, and protein appropriate for my size and goals.
Feb 5, 2018
8 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started a Keto Lifestyle
While I’m not an expert on the ketogenic diet, I have been practicing it for several months now and am very pleased with the results. Weight loss aside, I find my digestion and inflammation issues have lessened and my energy is great. It was a bit of a learning curve to get where I am today, though. Here are eight things I wish I had known from the get-go. Note: In keto, your daily carb, fat, protein, and calorie allotments are measured in grams and are called macros.
Feb 3, 2018
R Is for Readers
How to choose amongst rubble to find the jewels for your holiday gift-giving? We've done the heavy lifting for you.
Dec 5, 2017
6 Tips for Getting Involved at a Soup Kitchen
There are many compelling reasons to decide to volunteer at a soup kitchen, but the bottom line is simple and sincere: You want to help. But what does it mean to be helpful in these circumstance? Sometimes that’s a complicated question with an equally complicated set of answers. Here are six things to keep in mind when volunteering at a soup kitchen.
Nov 8, 2017
3 Instagram “Recipes” You Can Totally Make
Have you noticed the non-recipe “recipe” on Instagram? You know, where someone snaps a picture of a beautiful or delicious-looking dish they’ve just made and then gives a rough outline of how they did it in the comments? Admittedly, the Instagram mini-recipe is not for the new cook — rarely are amounts given and cooking instructions, if there are any, are minimal — but they offer the experienced cook a starting place, a source of inspiration.
Nov 2, 2017
How Bay Area Cooks Are Proving Love Is Thicker than Smoke
When news that a series of fires had broke out in the middle of the night, almost simultaneously, in several counties to the north, many San Francisco Bay Area people took it in stride. It’s wildfire season, after all, and most of us are used to observing this play out in the wilderness, a very safe distance from our homes.
Oct 27, 2017
Celebrity Chef Tyler Florence Says Recipes Are Dead
Celebrity chef Tyler Florence recently made the bold declaration that recipes are dead while attending Seattle’s Smart Kitchen Summit. In fact, he feels our whole approach to making food — from purchasing groceries and stocking our cupboards to choosing, prepping, and cooking our meals — is out of sync with the way we actually live now.
Oct 12, 2017
How to Host an Empty Bowls Fundraiser to Fight Hunger
Want to eat soup with friends and get a gorgeous new bowl to boot? What if you could do both and make a real difference to your local food bank? Meet our favorite fundraiser!
Sep 10, 2017