The American College of Culinary Medicine

12/17/2025

Paella is a pretty easy dish to create and usually takes only a single pan.

This paella is a bit more complex primarily because of the extra pan for roasting the tomatoes as well as roasting and preparing the peppers. We think that it is so worth the bit of extra effort. The peppers are sweet and the roasted tomatoes come through with a terrific tart umami flavor. They both complement the aromatic smoky seasonings. You can make this with thin strips of chicken, too.

Paella is easy to make and only takes a single pan. Roast the tomatoes and peppers ahead of time to make this a true one-pot dish.

12/16/2025

Gumbo is pretty easy to make.

Toasting the flour is an almost foolproof way to get the deep nutty brown color you want in a gumbo but also helps avoid clumping of the flour.

The key is to use the fat from the sausage and chicken, combine it with the olive oil and then add the toasted flour slowly. Stir as you adding the liquid to thicken your gumbo.

Choose your sausage wisely. Good quality sausage is not all that unhealthy except for the amounts of sodium. Look for a sausage that is around 100 calories per ounce and between 300 and 400 mg sodium. Because the gumbo simmers so long you won’t need added salt.

It does take a full 2 to 3 hours to simmer. The flour in the roux helps thicken the soup, but so does the filé, which is actually dried and ground sassafras root. The filé not only offers the distinctive pungent flavor but also helps give the soup a silky texture. If you can’t find it, use a 10 ounce bag of frozen okra (or about a pound of fresh sliced okra).

This recipe for Chicken and Andouille Gumbo is savory and delicious, with chicken thighs, Andouille sausage, and gumbo file for that real New Orleans flavor.

12/15/2025

You may have seen lobster mac and cheese on the menu at fancy restaurants. It sounds delicious, but lobster is incredibly expensive, and for a lot of folks it’s hard to find.

This budget version with shrimp and smoked paprika is quick and easy even for a weeknight and it keeps well for leftovers.

This budget version of Lobster Mac and Cheese using shrimp is quick and easy and makes great leftovers.

12/15/2025

$100.00 Super Early Bird Discount Ends in Two Weeks! - https://mailchi.mp/culinarymedicine.org/conference-8338755

12/13/2025

ACCM Partner Spotlight: Culinary Medicine in the News: AgriLife Extension names new district administrator in South Texas - https://mailchi.mp/culinarymedicine.org/roundtable-8338673

12/12/2025

Sauce Bolognese is the most popular dish in England. There are estimates that the average Briton eats pasta with Bolognese at least once a week. Most of this is from a bottle, however. In a conversation with an Italian recently – a woman who is an expert on Mediterrean diet – she was aghast at this, saying that there was no such thing as “Sauce Bolognese” and what was generally referred to as “Bolognese” is actually Ragù – or more properly, Ragù Bolognese. She added that the British version resembled a true ragù poorly at best.

While she may be right about the difference between Sauce Bolognese and Ragu Bolognese, this sauce is something of an obsession in England: SpagBol as it is called. A recent food podcast that we follow gave over a full 10 minutes to discussing the topic with a rather lively debate (of which there was no solid conclusion on how it should be made).

It is one of the easiest sauces to make, however, and so, so delicious. Start to finish it takes only about 20 minutes of prep time for a fresh delicious sauce.

This version has been tweaked over the years to balance the sweetness and umami flavors while keeping it as simple as possible. You will see versions that call for a sofrito of onions, celery, and carrots, but we prefer to make it without the celery. There are a few tips that make this version especially good:

1. Mashing the carrots gently blends them into the dish and helps both sweeten and thicken the sauce.

2. Using 90/10 ground beef (10% fat content) rather than extra lean (5% fat) or regular ground beef (20% fat) is the perfect balance of fat vs. protein and helps make the sauce neither too greasy nor too dry.

3. Adding the tomato sauce and Worcestershire sauce near the end of the cooking keeps their flavors at the forefront, with added umami and unctuous sweet tones.

4. Simmer for at least two hours.

The sauce keeps well and freezes well, so make a double (or triple) batch.

Sauce Bolognese (meat sauce) with pasta is one of the easiest fresh sauces to make and so delicious.

12/11/2025

Barbecue chicken pizza? How about barbecue chicken tacos? Once you’ve made the barbecue sauce they’re a quick and easy weeknight meal, and so fun to eat.

You can use the barbecue sauce included in the recipe or purchase a ready-made one. If you are going to choose a bottled barbecue sauce, look for one that is lower in sodium – there are now many on the market because producers are looking to create flavor in their sauces without added salt. About 150 milligrams of sodium in 2 tablespoons is about the maximum amount and there are many great choices.

This recipe for Barbecue Chicken Tacos is a great weeknight meal. Make your own barbecue sauce with the recipe or use a purchased sauce.

12/10/2025

Zest: The Health meets Food Newsletter: December 2025 - https://mailchi.mp/culinarymedicine.org/zest-8338657

12/09/2025

Give the Gift of Knowledge! Beginner Cooking Classes from the American College of Culinary Medicine - https://mailchi.mp/culinarymedicine.org/roundtable-8338619

12/08/2025

This recipe for Roasted Root Vegetables is the perfect accompaniment for roasts whether it’s beef, chicken or lamb. A single pan, an oven, some herbs and you’re good to go. The best part is that it is the only side dish you need: it’s both a vegetable and a starch.

This Roasted Root Vegetable recipe is the perfect accompaniment for roasts whether it's beef, chicken or lamb. It's both a starch and a vegetable, so you only need to make one side dish!

12/08/2025

Culinary Medicine Conference Speaker Profile: Kimber Stanhope, RD, PhD Speaks on Sugars and Non-nutritive Sweeteners vs. Artificial Sweeteners - https://mailchi.mp/culinarymedicine.org/conference-8338598

12/05/2025

Call for Posters: Health meets Food: The Culinary Medicine Conference

Showcase how your site has utilized Culinary Medicine in teaching and patient intervention and share with your peers at the premiere Culinary Medicine Conference. Show attendees the many ways in which culinary medicine has been taught, appreciated and used in your patient and student population. Student submissions are highly encouraged.

Poster submissions will be peer-reviewed for academic content and interest by the HMF Research Committee. In addition to publication of your poster and abstract on the website and ability to present the work at the conference, we will evaluate all contributions for the best 2026 contribution.