The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Soba salad is filling fall fare
Every cook wants to serve flavor sensations. Most cooks that I know are also pressed for time. Are there ingredients that will easily give a dish the oomph it needs to warrant oohs and aahs?
Or at least not moans and groans? Yes.
In her newly released cookbook “Umami Bomb” (Workman, $19.95), author Raquel Pelzel explores the magic of umami, also known as the fifth taste. Chapters focus on P ar- mesan cheese, tomatoes, mushrooms, miso, cara- melized onion, smoke and soy sauce.
“When you have a great soy sauce, you can just tell,” she writes in the intro- duction to the soy sauce chapter.
“It’s round and sweet and has a mushroomy, fermented quality that is almost like sherry.”
She puts soy sauce to work with red wine as a sauce to be poured over soba noodles, broiled tofu and veggies brightened by rice wine and lime juice. This savory, room-temper- ature dish is a belly-filling flavor sensation. It doesn’t require heavy lifting and makes for a lovely meal in early autumn.
Veronica Anderson, 30. Weight lost: 55 pounds
Former weight: 165 pounds
Current weight: 110 pounds
Height: 5 feet 0 inches
How long you’ve kept it off: “I started in December 2017 and reached my current weight September 2019,” Anderson said.
Personal life: “I am currently a hairstylist at LifeSpa, Life Time’s salon and spa located in Alpharetta, Ga.,” Anderson said. “I live in Roswell, Ga., with my husband, Chris, and our 5-yearold boy, Weston.”
Turning point: “One day, I woke up and was tired of being overweight,” Anderson said. “I knew if I wanted it bad enough, I would achieve weight loss, and I wanted it pretty bad. I knew if other mothers could carve out the time for themselves, then I could, too.” She started with “good old-fashioned clean eating and doing high-intensity interval training or HIIT workouts at Hard Exercise Works in Roswell.”
Diet plan: “I follow a high- protein diet,” she said. Her day starts with a protein bar and a banana. Lunch is chicken or fish with fruits, vegetables and a protein shake. Dinner is usually salmon and vegetables. “I started by counting macros on the MyFitnessPal. com app,” Anderson said. “I now see a nutritionist at Life Time in Alpharetta for a customized macro plan.”
Exercise routine: “I am a member at the Hard Exercise Works gym located in Roswell, and I recently started seeing a personal trainer at Life Time once a week,” Anderson said. “I work out Monday through Friday at HEW. They do not offer personal training; they offer HIIT classes. I work at the salon and spa inside of Life Time in Alpharetta, so I do strength training once a week there.”
Biggest challenge: “The biggest challenge in the beginning was taking the time to work out and consistently eating healthy,” she said. “It became easier when it became a habit and a lifestyle.”
How life has changed: “Oh man, it’s def i nitely changed for the better,” Anderson said. “I now have the energy to chase my son around the park. I now have tons of confidence that I haven’t had since high school. I feel like I regained my old self back. … I’ve worked so hard to get where I am today, and I am constantly setting small fitness and life goals. I love that I can be an inspiration to people. I post my workouts on social media in hopes of people reaching out and asking questions about how to get in shape. If I can help out (others) in any way, I feel like I’ve done my job.” She chronicles her journey in weight loss and hair styling on Instagram at @VeronicaFitATL and @VeronicaAndersonHairPro. Her tips for others include: “My tip would be to set goals, and every time you reach your goal, set another goal. Anything is achievable — you just have to stay focused.”
Share Your Success: Each week, Success Stories focuses on an individual’s unique weight loss journey.
The Atlanta JournalConstitution does not endorse any specific weight loss program but includes names and links for the benefit of readers who want further information. Have you
lost weight successfully with a healthy lifestyle change? If you would like to share your story with our readers, please include your email address, phone number, and before and after photos (by mail or JPEG), and contact us at: Success Stories, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 223 Perimeter Center Parkway, Atlanta, GA, 30346-1301; or email Michelle C. Brooks, ajcsuccessstories@gmail.com.