CORINNE TRANG 

I woke up this morning feeling a chill in the air. It's that time of year, when I start thinking about soup. It is also the time of year when I kick it up a few notches with herbs and spices. Widely used in Asian food cultures, herbs and spices are believed to be curatives, consumed not only to provide wonderful layers of flavor, but also to help fend off all sorts of diseases and infections. With the cold months around the corner, I'm thinking ahead, loading up on some of my

The warm weather is finally sneaking up on us and soon will remain for a while, and I'm thinking refreshing cold soups and beverages; something that quenches my thirst on a hot Summer day. Gazpacho is one of those chilled soups, I've never been crazy about. It's a lot of raw tomato, and most of the time the tomatoes aren't so great. Too tangy, starchy, and just blah! Of course if we've had a lot of sun and the tomatoes are particularly sweet, then a good gazpacho is in order.

Winter is not a time of year when we necessarily want to cut back on food. Baby it's cold outside! While we tend to eat more during the coldest months of the year, fluctuating 5 pounds is absolutely normal and understandable. That said, more than 5 pounds and I highly recommend you hit the breaks, sooner rather than later. There are smart ways to stay fit during the winter while eating a little more than usual. If you focus on liquids, you'll do just that. I'm not talking abo

It's that time of year when it gets chilly and all I can think about is how many different ways I can instantly warm up. Just turning on the stove and slow-cooking all day with the aromas permeating the air, is very engaging. Today I'm taking the chill off with one of my favorites. Split pea soup! There are as many variations as there are cooks, mine spiced with a touch of curry, and sweetened with carrots and celery to round out the flavors. The color is an inviting bright g