A delicious and festive dish, this can be made quite easily with store-bought lobster broth and a pound of cooked lobster meat. I’m also including directions for making it from scratch, if you prefer, simplified by using only tails. You can get even more flavor from two whole lobsters—after steaming, remove all the claw and tail meat, then use all the shells, legs included, for the stock.
Ingredients
For Homemade Lobster Stock:
4 small (4-ounce) or 2 large (8-ounce) lobster tails, defrosted if frozen
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 celery stalks, trimmed and diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 large onion, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika, such as Heirloom Sweet Paprika
2 bay leaves
For the Risotto:
3 or 4 threads saffron
1/2 cup dry vermouth
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 large shallots, minced
1-1/2 cups short grain risotto rice, such as carnaroli, vialone nano, or arborio
Reserved homemade lobster stock or 4 cups best-quality store-bought stock
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, divided use
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Directions
Step 1
To make the stock: Steam the lobster tails on a rack over simmering water in a large covered pot until they turn a bright red-orange, about 8 minutes. Use tongs to transfer them to a cutting board, then pour the cooking liquid into a 4-cup heatproof measuring cup; if needed, add enough water to make 4 cups.
Step 2
Use kitchen shears to cut through the underside of the shells and remove the tail meat. Slice into 1-inch medallions, place in a dish, and cover; set aside.
Step 3
Heat a large skillet or Dutch oven. When hot, add the olive oil, lobster shells, and all the vegetables. Sauté until the vegetables soften, stirring frequently. Add the tomato paste to the center of the pan and cook it until it darkens in color. Carefully whisk in the reserved liquid, plus another 2 cups of water, the paprika, and the bay leaves.
Step 4
Bring to a boil, then simmer for an hour. Strain the broth into a clean saucepan, pressing down on the vegetables to extract all the liquid. You should have 4 cups; if not, add enough water to make that amount.
Step 5
To make the risotto: Soften the saffron in the vermouth; set aside. Bring the lobster stock to a low simmer in a medium saucepan. Heat a heavy sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. When hot, add the olive oil and shallots, sautéing them until soft, but don’t let them brown. Add the rice to the pan and stir to thoroughly coat with the oil. Cook until the rice is slightly translucent, about 7 to 10 minutes, stirring often.
Step 6
Add the vermouth-saffron mix to the pan and cook until the liquid has nearly evaporated. Ladle 1/2 cup of the hot stock into the rice mixture and stir continuously. When the liquid is almost completely absorbed, stir in another 1/2 cup of hot stock. Repeat until the rice is creamy yet al dente, about 25 minutes (you may not need all the stock).
Step 7
Stir in 1/2 cup of the Parmigiano-Reggiano and the lobster medallions. If the risotto is too thick, stir in any remaining stock or water, 1/4 cup at a time. Season to taste—the risotto might taste salty enough from the cheese but will benefit from a few twists of a pepper grinder. Serve immediately, topping each portion with a drizzle of olive oil and some chives and passing the rest of the cheese on the side.
Chocolate Cheesecake in the Basque Style Recipe, Spotlight on Cocoa Powder, A Boost for Better Lungs
Ready for a chocolate indulgence that’s simple to make? Look no further than my chocolate cheesecake—dreamy, creamy, and luscious. Just allow enough time for it to chill and firm up before serving. New research has found that nutrients in cocoa powder have even more benefits than previously thought, making this dessert less of a guilty pleasure (see the details below). Finally, read about the surprising way to boost your respiratory system.
Basque cheesecake is the ultimate in creaminess. Unlike traditional cheesecake that has a crust and is baked at a low temperature, this style is crustless (perfect if you’re gluten-free) and cooks at a higher temp. Adding two kinds of chocolate to the traditional ingredients makes it a chocolate lover’s dream. The parchment paper used to line the springform pan creates Basque cheesecake’s signature look when peeled away and makes for a great presentation at holiday celebrations.
Ingredients
1/3 cup unprocessed cocoa
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon instant espresso
2 cups heavy cream at room temperature, divided use
6 ounces dark chocolate (between 64% and 72% cacao)
2 pounds best-quality cream cheese at room temperature
1-1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
6 large eggs at room temperature
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Directions
Step 1
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a 10-inch by 3-inch springform pan with a large piece of parchment paper, pleating it as needed to flatten it against the sides—don’t worry about making the pleats uniform. Add a second piece of parchment if needed for full coverage, placing it diagonally opposite the first one.
Step 2
Sift the cocoa and cornstarch into a small bowl to remove any lumps; set aside.
Step 3
In a small cup, mix the instant espresso into 1 tablespoon of the heavy cream; set aside.
Step 4
Coarsely chop the chocolate and place 5 ounces in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at 50% power for 2 minutes, stir, and repeat until the chocolate is almost fully melted. Out of the microwave, add the remaining ounce of chocolate to the bowl, let sit for 2 minutes, and then stir until smooth; set aside.
Step 5
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater or in a very large bowl using a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese at medium-high speed for about 2 minutes, until smooth and creamy, stopping every minute or so to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat in the sugar, vanilla, instant espresso and cream mixture, and salt. Lower the speed and add the eggs, one at a time, followed by the cornstarch/cocoa, the melted chocolate, the rest of the heavy cream, and the olive oil. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the work bowl with a flexible spatula to incorporate any lumps.
Step 6
Pour the batter into the pan and bake for about an hour, until the top turns deep brown (the center will still jiggle a bit). Place on a wire rack to cool completely before transferring to the fridge to chill from 4 hours to overnight.
Step 7
When ready to serve, release the sides of the pan and gently peel the parchment away from the sides. You can slice it from the parchment right from the pan bottom or use a cake lifter to transfer the cake to a platter.
Yields 10 servings
Healthy Ingredient Spotlight
Choosing Cocoa Powder
Unsweetened cocoa powder has intense chocolate taste and few calories. Also, ounce for ounce, natural cocoa is the food with the highest flavanol content, one of chocolate’s most important polyphenols. Surprisingly, cocoa gives baked goods deeper flavor than chocolate alone.
Cocoa is sold in one of two ways: natural, with a deeper taste and lighter color, and Dutch-processed, with a milder taste and darker color. Dutching uses an alkaline ingredient to counter cocoa’s natural acidity. While it’s possible to use the two interchangeably with only slight differences in taste in the finished dish, Dutch processing reduces cocoa’s polyphenols, so consider choosing natural cocoa instead.
Quick Kitchen Nugget
Straining Cocoa
Though cocoa comes as a powder, it can form lumps. Always sift it through a fine strainer, pressing it with a small whisk or the back of a spoon to break up any lumps and push it through the mesh. In recipes that call for other dry ingredients, sift it right into the same bowl and whisk well to combine.
For Your Best Health
Harnessing the Power of Cocoa
A new report from the COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS) found that taking daily cocoa supplements has surprising anti-aging potential. The findings reinforce the value of flavanol-rich plant-based foods for healthier aging.
Investigators from Mass General Brigham and Augusta University looked at changes in five age-related markers of inflammation among participants who received daily cocoa supplements over several years. They found a decrease in hsCRP, an inflammatory marker that can signal increased risk of cardiovascular disease, suggesting cocoa’s anti-inflammatory potential may help explain its heart-protective effects. Their results were published in Age and Ageing.
Nutritional interventions have become an increasingly attractive solution for slowing inflammatory aging, or inflammaging. Cocoa extract was shown in smaller previous studies to reduce inflammatory biomarkers, thanks to its flavanols. To bridge the gap between these studies and humans, researchers launched the large-scale COSMOS trial, which examines the effects of cocoa extract on cardiovascular disease and whether inflammaging may explain those effects.
“Our interest in cocoa extract and inflammaging started on the basis of cocoa-related reductions in cardiovascular disease,” said corresponding author Howard Sesso, ScD, MPH, associate director of the Division of Preventive Medicine and associate epidemiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham health care system. “We also appreciate the important overlap between healthy aging and cardiovascular health, where aging-related inflammation can harden arteries and lead to cardiovascular disease. Because of that, we wanted to see whether multiyear cocoa extract supplementation versus a placebo could modulate inflammaging—and the data suggests it does.”
Between 2014 and 2020, Brigham and Women’s Hospital led the COSMOS trial, a large-scale randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial with 21,442 participants over 60 years old, finding that cocoa extract supplementation decreased cardiovascular disease mortality by 27%.
In this new study, researchers collected and analyzed blood samples of 598 COSMOS participants to measure several inflammaging biomarkers: three pro-inflammatory proteins (hsCRP, IL-6, and TNF-α), one anti-inflammatory protein (IL-10), and one immune-mediating protein (IFN-γ). Comparing changes in these biomarkers measured at baseline and at one-year and two-year follow-ups, hsCRP levels decreased by 8.4% each year compared with the placebo, while the other biomarkers remained relatively consistent or increased modestly.
“Interestingly, we also observed an increase in interferon-γ, an immune-related cytokine, which opens new questions for future research,” said senior author Yanbin Dong, MD, PhD, director of the Georgia Prevention Institute and cardiologist/population geneticist at the Medical College of Georgia/Augusta University. “While cocoa extract is not a replacement for a healthy lifestyle, these results are encouraging and highlight its potential role in modulating inflammation as we age.”
The team will continue to evaluate the COSMOS trial to determine whether the cocoa and multivitamin regimens can curb more severe inflammaging, as well as other important aging-related health outcomes.
“This study calls for more attention to the advantage of plant-based foods for cardiovascular health, including cocoa products rich in flavanols,” added Dr. Sesso. “It reinforces the importance of a diverse, colorful, plant-based diet, especially in the context of inflammation.”
Fitness Flash
A Boost for Better Lungs
According to research presented at the European Respiratory Society Congress in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, eating fruit may reduce the effects of air pollution on lung function. The study was presented by Pimpika Kaewsri, a PhD student from the Centre for Environmental Health and Sustainability at the University of Leicester in the UK.
As Kaewsri explained, “Over 90% of the global population is exposed to air pollution levels that exceed WHO guidelines, and ample research shows that exposure to higher air pollution levels is associated with reduced lung function. Separately, a healthy diet, particularly one high in fruits and vegetables, has been linked to better lung function. We wanted to explore whether a healthy diet or specific food groups could modify or partly mitigate the known adverse effects of air pollution on lung function.”
Using UK Biobank data from around 200,000 participants, Kaewsri compared people’s dietary patterns, including their fruit, vegetable, and whole grain intake, with their lung function (FEV1,or the amount of air exhaled in one second) and their exposure to air pollution in the form of fine particulate matter (PM2.5). PM2.5 concentration is the amount of very tiny particles, 2.5 micrometers or smaller, released into the air by vehicle exhaust and industrial processes, among other sources. The team also accounted for other factors such as age, height, and socioeconomic status.
For every increase in exposure to PM2.5 of 5 micrograms per cubic meter of air, the team observed a 78.1ml reduction in FEV1 in the low fruit intake group compared to only a 57.5ml reduction in the high fruit intake group in women.
“Our study confirmed that a healthy diet is linked to better lung function in both men and women, regardless of air pollution exposure. And that women who consumed four portions of fruit per day or more appeared to have smaller reductions in lung function associated with air pollution compared to those who consumed less fruit,” Kaewsri said. “This may be partly explained by the antioxidant and anti-inflammation compounds naturally present in fruit. These compounds could help mitigate oxidative stress and inflammation caused by fine particles, potentially offsetting some of the harmful effects of air pollution on lung function.”
Kaewsri also noted that, in the study population, men generally reported lower fruit intake than did women. “This difference in dietary patterns may help explain why the potential protective effect of fruit against air pollution was only observed in women,” she added. Kaewsri plans to extend the research by exploring whether diet can influence changes in lung function over time.
Basque cheesecake is the ultimate in creaminess. Unlike traditional cheesecake that has a crust and is baked at a low temperature, this style is crustless (perfect if you’re gluten-free) and cooks at a higher temp. Adding two kinds of chocolate to the traditional ingredients makes it a chocolate lover’s dream. The parchment paper used to line the springform pan creates Basque cheesecake’s signature look when peeled away and makes for a great presentation at holiday celebrations.
Ingredients
1/3 cup unprocessed cocoa
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon instant espresso
2 cups heavy cream at room temperature, divided use
6 ounces dark chocolate (between 64% and 72% cacao)
2 pounds best-quality cream cheese at room temperature
1-1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
6 large eggs at room temperature
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Directions
Step 1
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a 10-inch by 3-inch springform pan with a large piece of parchment paper, pleating it as needed to flatten it against the sides—don’t worry about making the pleats uniform. Add a second piece of parchment if needed for full coverage, placing it diagonally opposite the first one.
Step 2
Sift the cocoa and cornstarch into a small bowl to remove any lumps; set aside.
Step 3
In a small cup, mix the instant espresso into 1 tablespoon of the heavy cream; set aside.
Step 4
Coarsely chop the chocolate and place 5 ounces in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at 50% power for 2 minutes, stir, and repeat until the chocolate is almost fully melted. Out of the microwave, add the remaining ounce of chocolate to the bowl, let sit for 2 minutes, and then stir until smooth; set aside.
Step 5
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater or in a very large bowl using a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese at medium-high speed for about 2 minutes, until smooth and creamy, stopping every minute or so to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat in the sugar, vanilla, instant espresso and cream mixture, and salt. Lower the speed and add the eggs, one at a time, followed by the cornstarch/cocoa, the melted chocolate, the rest of the heavy cream, and the olive oil. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the work bowl with a flexible spatula to incorporate any lumps.
Step 6
Pour the batter into the pan and bake for about an hour, until the top turns deep brown (the center will still jiggle a bit). Place on a wire rack to cool completely before transferring to the fridge to chill from 4 hours to overnight.
Step 7
When ready to serve, release the sides of the pan and gently peel the parchment away from the sides. You can slice it from the parchment right from the pan bottom or use a cake lifter to transfer the cake to a platter.
Black Garlic Aioli and Zesty Beef Kebabs Recipes, Spotlight on Middle Eastern Chili Blend and Savory Black Garlic, Storing Herbs and Spices, These Teens are Leading the Way
Are you ready to get spicy? This week’s recipes feature two of the most unusual spices in the latest collection from the T.J. Robinson Curated Culinary Selections. Black Garlic is a relative newcomer in the culinary world, one that’s now embraced around the globe. Middle Eastern Chili Blend is a zesty mix that makes an instant dry rub. The two recipes I’m sharing show just how simple a prep can be when you have the right ingredients. Also, read about four brothers, all teens and tweens, who are making it fun for all kids to get healthier.
Move over, ketchup! This is about to become your favorite dip for fries and roasted potatoes as well as the perfect panini condiment. A Microplane grater is ideal to make the zest and grate the garlic.
Ingredients
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, more to taste
1 to 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely grated
1 teaspoon Savory Black Garlic
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon whole-grain mustard
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground Vine-Ripened Black Peppercorns
Directions
Place all the ingredients in a small mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Cover and refrigerate if not using immediately.
The ingredients in my Middle Eastern Chili Blend make this recipe a snap. Try it with chicken cubes, fish chunks, and hearty vegetables, too. The kebabs are delicious on their own, with grilled veggies or over rice, or tucked into a pita or other Middle Eastern bread with tomatoes, shredded lettuce, onions, and cucumber-yogurt sauce.
Ingredients
1 1/2 tablespoons Middle Eastern Chili Blend
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 1/2 pounds beef tenderloin or top sirloin, cut into 1 1/2–inch cubes
Directions
Step 1
In a large glass bowl, whisk the chili blend into the olive oil. Add the beef chunks and toss to coat. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour up to overnight.
Step 2
When ready to cook, preheat your grill to medium-high heat. Brush and oil the grill grate. Thread the meat onto 2 or 3 metal skewers. Grill 2 to 3 minutes per side for medium-rare, or until an instant-read thermometer registers 130°F (it will continue cooking once off the grill). Transfer the skewers to a platter and let the meat rest for 5 minutes. Drizzle with olive oil before serving.
Yields 4 servings
Healthy Ingredient Spotlight
Middle Eastern Chili Blend and Savory Black Garlic
Turkey occupies a unique place in the world, at the intersection of Europe and Asia. The region is a hotbed of amazing herbs and spices, represented well by my Middle Eastern Chili Blend, a rich and fragrant mix of black Urfa chili, silk chili, cumin, allspice, and garlic that’s very popular in Turkey for all types of meat dishes.
Its top notes are the chili peppers. The history of peppers began in the New World thousands of years ago. Brought to Europe by explorers like Columbus, spice merchants later introduced various peppers to the rest of the globe. Turkey’s unique terroir,with its hot, dry summers and potassium-rich soil, is excellent for cultivating them. Columbus was also responsible for introducing allspice, indigenous to the Caribbean, to the Old World. Cumin and garlic have been used for centuries all around the Mediterranean and the Middle East, as well as in other parts of the world.
This mix of spices is rich and complex, with a layered flavor profile. There’s a great balance between the smoky mild heat of the stone-ground chilis and the warmth of the cumin, the sweetness of allspice, and the savoriness of the garlic, with a hint of salt and sunflower seed oil to preserve taste and texture. It’s a great primary ingredient in dry rubs and marinades and to elevate tzatziki sauce and other yogurt-based dishes. It adds wonderful flavor tokebabs, boreks, and other meat dishes. Sprinkle it on cooked vegetables and beans, pasta, pizza, eggs, rice, and avocado toast—any dish that would benefit from a bit of spicy heat.
The Central American country of Guatemala has a rich Mayan history, breathtaking natural beauty, and areas with mineral-rich volcanic soils and a mild climate with ample rainfall, perfect for agriculture. Among the crops grown by local farmers is fresh garlic, some of which is fermented to make my SavoryBlack Garlic.
Garlic is the edible bulb of a plant in the lily family, along with other well-known alliums, including shallots, onions, leeks, chives, and scallions. It has been enjoyed for 5,000 years, with the earliest uses traced back to Egyptian and Indian cultures. Black garlic, in contrast, is a mere few centuries old. It’s said to have originated in Korea and then spread to Japan and Thailand. Its growing popularity around the world is an extremely recent development.
To make black garlic, once fresh garlic is harvested, it goes through a unique fermentation process. The cloves are slowly heated at a low temperature until they attain a deep black color, then they’re dried and ground. Compared to traditional garlic powder, black garlic is rich and complex, with sweet, sour, and even some smoky notes that lend a fantastic umami taste to dishes.
Use black garlic to amp up the taste of fresh garlic in recipes or instead of fresh cloves. It’s great in marinades and vinaigrettes, dips like black garlic aioliand the Turkish yogurt sauce cacik, soups, and stews. Perfect for making garlic bread and croutons, it will also enhance aglio e olio, khao pad,grilled or roasted meats, stir-fries, soba noodles, chicken piccata, sautéed shrimp, risottos, and chili. Sprinkle it on mashed potatoes,sautéed spinach and other vegetables, and pizza.
According to a report in the Journal of Food and Drug Analysis, black garlic may have even more healthful components than raw garlic, with antioxidant, anti-allergy, anti-inflammatory, and even cancer-fighting effects. That’s because complex changes occur to its phytochemicals, such as polyphenols and flavonoids, during fermentation.
Quick Kitchen Nugget
Storing Herbs and Spices
The best way to store spices isn’t what you’re used to. They should be in tightly sealed pouches or glass containers and, importantly, away from light, humidity, and heat, so don’t keep them above or next to your cooktop. Instead choose a pantry shelf or a drawer away from the oven. Soon enough it will become second nature to take them out of their new “home” as you prep cooking ingredients.
For Your Best Health
These Teens are Leading the Way
I first met the Ansari brothers—Abdullah, 17, Zain, 14, Emaad, 12, and Qasim, 10—a few years ago when I was on their innovative “The Holistic Kids’ Show Podcast” and couldn’t have been more impressive with their goal to help other kids be as healthy as possible during their important formative years.
They’ve lectured at leading integrative and functional medicine conferences, including being the first youth speakers at the 2024 International Institute of Functional Medicine, A4M 2025 and The Mindshare Summit 2025. They have also spoken at the Nourished Festival, served as keynote speaker at the YMCA Interfaith Mayor’s Breakfast, and presented at major conferences like MAS-ICNA, reaching audiences of over 60,000. The Holistic Kids have been featured in top podcasts and print and online media outlets like Wellness Mama podcast, Rational Wellness Podcast and The Holistic Primary Care Magazine.
They’re now the authors of The Teen Health Revolution: Lifestyle Secrets to Optimize Your Mind, Body, and Soul, which was just released. [link: https://www.amazon.com/Teen-Health-Revolution-Unlocking-Lifestyle/dp/1538195909] Recognizing that today’s teenagers are facing an unprecedented rise in chronic diseases and mental health challenges, the brothers cover topics from nutrition, gut health, and managing stress to tech balance, the importance of sleep, practicing gratitude, connecting with nature, and more.
With expert-backed strategies (their mom is the noted board-certified holistic family physician Madiha Saeed, MD), actionable advice, dozens of lifestyle tips, recipes, and tools for managing over twenty common health conditions among teens, their book delivers practical steps that are easily integrated into everyday life. It’s a must-read for parents and grandparents, too, to help young ones improve their brains, bodies, and souls for a healthier, happier life.
