Kidney Comfort: Hearty Rajma for a Cold Wet Winter
We're still grateful that Rajma, that rich kidney bean curry that hails from the Punjab, came up on our food radar some years ago. Rajma is rarely on menus at Indian restaurants here in the States which is a shame, because it’s super delicious. Loaded with warming and healing spices, it’s comfort food particularly suited to winter, especially the cold, wet ones. We stumbled upon it because we were after something beyond kidney beans in hearty Southwestern bean chilis and ...
Thanks, Let’s Eat!
Thanksgiving is a core family holiday with a worthy message (even if the narrative is way off) - we are mindful of giving thanks, and find ourselves wishing all sorts of folks a happy holiday, like the customer service rep thanking us for our patience when we know we have exhausted ours. And we all know (and research backs it up), that being thankful enhances personal happiness.Plus, at Thanksgiving we are urged to eat and enjoy, sometimes (ok, pretty much annually) to the point of excess. ...
Climate Change on Your Plate
I read that red salmon practically vanished from Alaska this year. They were once abundant, and clockwork-dependable and now, nada. It's not just the fish. Other species are suffering, whales and manatees and so much declining, becoming extinct from under us.What's happening feels so big. Recycling and cutting out plastic straws is a step but not a big one.If we really want to do something, it's time to look at the facts about the environment and what we eat.A haunting article in ...
Is Nano-Tech a Ticking Time Bomb?
How Safe is Nano-Tech? Nanotechnology is here. Nano operates in the Quantum Realm, where physics gets strange, the world isn’t always as it seems and particles can exist in two places at once. What you might not know is that it’s everywhere in products from food to makeup to clothing. Is nanotechnology a ticking time bomb?Nano is not like anything found in nature. Nano-particles cannot be seen, even under an ordinary microscope. Different chemical, physical and even biologic ...
Top of the Food Chain (of Fools)
I happened to watch in the seatback in front of me at 34,000 feet two smarmy (ok, obnoxious) money men dangling carrots in front of contestants in a reality TV show about food. They weren't actual carrots but the hopeful competitors stood the chance to get some advice and financing, which could help launch their restaurant/food businesses and make them flourish.One team had a tasty-looking vegan hot dog, with homemade pickles and toppings, which one moneyman seemed to like. The ...
Got Flu? Try this Herbal Cough Syrup
I got the flu this year, first time in years. This was the hit-you-like-a-ton-of-bricks flu, body-slammed with fever, delirium, the whole works. My lungs and head filled up and a few weeks later I still had a deep, nagging cough. After staring at all the OTC products on the drugstore shelf, weighing the nasty side effects I read about on the packages and the Internet, I figured it was time to go homemade.Fortunately, I had on hand almost all the ingredients for a kick-ass cherry herbal ...
Fall Plums Love (Vegan) Tarts
As we say hello to Autumn, we must make our peace with the last of the summer flavors. Gone are the peaches and berries, the sweet corn and melons. Fortunately, Fall is prime time for fruits like apples, pears and those fleeting late Italian prune plums.So begins the annual Fall Plum Tart, modeled on the famous New York Times recipe. They call it torte; I call it tart. Take your pick. It's super easy and will impress every time.For years, a variation of this sweet and tangy plum ...
Watch: Chinese Exploding Melons
What is causing the rash of melon explosions and the horror faced by Chinese melon man (this poor soul couldn't bear to check them it was so painful)? Should you be concerned? Don't worry- the little old lady does get to make some watermeron pickre (watermelon pickle) with the exploded bits.This story was reported along with news that the Chinese government is trying to shore up its image as lax when it comes to food safety. Or beyond lax. Anyway, nice to see the Chinese are ...
