Danishes, Part 1

Well, really. Have you ever seen anything so gorgeous? Lightly browned, flaky, with creamy cheese centers. And completely from scratch. Nothing fake about it. All real food.

Now hold on there, you might say. I thought you guys said something about losing weight if I eat real food.

Well, we did. And we meant it.

One of the things we talk about endlessly in REAL FOOD HAS CURVES, our seven-step plan to get off processed food is making sure you occasionally treat yourself. You should eat dessert. (Right before I sat down to type this entry, I had a snickerdoodle and a glass of iced tea while sitting on the back deck, listening to the birds. I should shoot you guys a video of it. We live in a symphony here in the New England woods. And I should also add that that snickerdoodle was made with lard. Bruce's own. Rendered right here at home. And here.)

So OK, let's talk about treats. First off, they should be just that: treats. I would suggest if you're having more than one a day, there may be another problem you want to address.

Second, they should NEVER be eaten on the run. If you're going to have a treat, sit down and have it. Enjoy it. Every bite. It's worth it. I did it with my cookie on the deck. And I did it with these cheese danishes the other morning.

Finally, keep this in mind: all treats are empty calories. So they should be hard to make. That's right: should be. Part of the root of the American weight gain--and now indeed the global weight gain--is that the emptiest calories are available with ridiculous ease. There aren't lovely broiled fish stands lining our roads. Instead, there are fried chicken joints. And bakeries with pastries. And ice cream stands. And even cheesecake parlors.

In other words, all the stuff that's hard to make. And it's hard for a reason. Because you're not supposed to eat it every day. (Well, it's hard for other reasons, but you know what I mean.)

So cheese danishes. They're hard to make. It'll take us three days on this blog to get through Bruce's recipe. Bear with me. We'll have fun. And it's a crazy thing to do: make your own sweet rolls. But they freeze perfectly. (So you can have one, save one back for breakfast the next day, and squirrel the rest away for company visits this summer.) And they're a great way to have a fun weekend project, something to push your boundaries a bit. And it doesn't get much more human--or real--than learning new things and having a treat at the end!

So let's get to it.

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Salmon with Crisp Potatoes and Olives

Ah, the lowly salmon fillet. It's the boneless skinless chicken breast of our day: a cliché, really. One that gets a tad tired. Or tiring. Whatever. It can be decidedly dull. But stocked with omega-3s, it's real food, a high-nutrition feast. How then to make it exciting?

I've been puzzling on this and I think I've come up with one delicious solution. Delicious enough that Bruce and I have had it for dinner now on two Tuesdays running. I had to share it with you: a skillet sauté for salmon fillets with potatoes and olives that get crisp.

Yes, even the olives. You really let them go. The potatoes, too. Until you have this crisp, salty bed for the salmon. Pure bliss. I sucked mine down last night with a glass of Coffaro Fresco. (If you don't know about the fantastic wines from the Coffaros in California, then check them out here. They'll drop ship right to your house. Plus, Pat's a pleasure to get to know!)

OK, so here's how to get the job done.

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