"All the experts tell us to eat high-fiber vegetables. But which vegetables are high in fiber? Are all vegetables high in fiber? Aren't there low-fiber vegetables too?" So queried a reader recently, frustrated by nutrition advice long on principle and short on specifics. For those who follow a high-fiber diet or those wondering how to increase fiber in their diets (or even those who must avoid fiber in their diets), here's a quick reference list of the fiber grams for common vegetables. I hope it becomes a useful reference!

Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics with Ina Garten Thanksgiving Countdown Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast Homemade Gravy Sausage and Herb Stuffing Celery Root and Apple Puree The Food Network is doing a much better job than I am at getting organized for Thanksgiving. There have been slews of Thanksgiving shows with lots of turkey tips. Here are some of the T-Day shows that have been on: Sunny made a turkey breast. The Neelys smoked a turkey and served it with barbecue sauce. Giada is cooking Los Angeles style. Does that mean she cooks in her bikini while sipping cucumber infused water and nibbling on some green recycled appetizer?  read more »

"I am so sick of broccoli!" complains my friend Tom. Like most of us, Tom eats the same three or four vegetables again and again. He's also losing weight with a low-carb diet. To limit his carb intake, he has eliminated high-carb vegetables like potatoes and winter squash from his diet. With this list of low-carb vegetables, I hope to inspire low-carb dieters with new vegetable options. Take a look at this list of vegetables, sorted low to high by net carbs -- what's new to you?  read more »

serves 4 For the pork belly 1 lb., 12 oz.  read more »

Today's recipe: A thick relish with a bite of pepper made from 'huge' zucchini, onion, carrot and peppers. Free food: think 'monster' zucchini and 'prolific' peppers. This time of year, free food makes its way into our kitchens where we become its steward, charged with 'no waste' and looking for recipes to use up large zucchini and piles of peppers. With this recipe for zucchini relish, I made good use of two extra-large zucchinis, each one weighing 2+ pounds and still only Size XL beside a four-pound Size XXXL. The zucchini relish recipe is 'tried and true' -- it came from my friend Linda who got it from her friend Kathie who got it from her mother-in-law who got it from, well, you know. Grating and chopping takes a good hour, then the vegetables rest for three hours before getting cooked and processed in canning jars. The relish is sweet, almost enough to be called a 'zucchini jam' but still, leans to the savory side. It's got some bite too, thanks to a good measure of black pepper which shouldn't be skipped. It's thick and good for spreading (as photographed, on bread atop feta cheese, say). The color is beautiful! The carrots and red peppers stay bright and colorful, the zucchini takes on the amber color of turmeric. Yes, I really like this stuff!  read more »

Today's vegetable recipe: Simple celery soup that tastes like something 'more'. Weight Watchers 1 point. Awhile back, I puzzled over a tidbit in a magazine. "To have fun," it asked, "would you prefer to go to a party with lots of old friends or one where you'll know hardly anyone?" Turns out that if FUN is the desired experience, then partying with new people is the ticket. (Okay, yes, I know, who can make such a generalization? and why is new fun better than laughing over old jokes?  read more »

Today's vegetable recipe: Simple celery soup that tastes like something 'more'. Weight Watchers 1 point. Awhile back, I puzzled over a tidbit in a magazine. "To have fun," it asked, "would you prefer to go to a party with lots of old friends or one where you'll know hardly anyone?" Turns out that if FUN is the desired experience, then partying with new people is the ticket. (Okay, yes, I know, who can make such a generalization? and why is new fun better than laughing over old jokes?  read more »