Fruit Vinegars by Mangé
For years, people have expounded on the health benefits of vinegar and although I was never able to bring myself to drink vinegar straight up, I often used vinegar to dress foods and make salad dressings. Balsamic vinegar has been front and center on my counter top but there’s a new vinegar that now warrants counter top space: Fruit Vinegars by Mangé. Different from balsamic, rice, apple cider, and white vinegar, Mangé fruit vinegars are smooth (really), slightly sweet vinegars that have been flavored with natural fresh fruits. Each vinegar is special in its own way and conducive to making sauces, marinades and dressings more flavorful. Read more 
Nora Fleming Platters
Everyone loves a celebration and especially a table filled with platters of salads, desserts, side dishes and more. Some platters in my cabinet are single purpose – designed for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine’s Day or a birthday party – which means they take up a lot of space and don’t get used very often. So when my very thoughtful cousin, Nancy gave me a Nora Fleming platter this past week, I instantly fell in love with a serving piece described as “one platter….every occasion.” Read more
Vegan Banana Bread
Banana Bread is one of those recipes that I turn to when the fruit bowl is full of spotted overripe bananas. Delicious with morning coffee, as an afternoon snack, or as a dessert, banana bread is usually made with oil, eggs, and dairy products which is what makes the bread taste so good. So, the challenge is how to make a satisfying banana bread without oil, eggs, and dairy based products. For inspiration, I turned to The Happy Herbivore whose recipe for banana bread is very good but I wanted a banana bread that was a bit less sweet and one that had a crunch that only nuts could provide. Read more
“The Hunger Angel”
I KNOW YOU’LL COME BACK. I didn’t set out to remember her sentence. I carried it to the camp without thinking. I had no idea it was going with me. But a sentence like that has a will of its own. It worked inside me, more than all the books I had packed. I KNOW YOU’LL COME BACK became the heart shovel’s accomplice and the hunger angel’s adversary. And because I did come back, I can say: a sentence like that keeps you alive. Read more
Artisana Nut Butters
Fresh peanut butter and almond butter have permanent shelf space in our cabinets because we love to spread it on crackers, toast, crisp apples, and even on California dates. With no added sweeteners or salt, these natural butters are delicious on their own and from time to time, we’ve been known to take a spoonful and enjoy the butter au natural. Read more
Going to Boston? Go to Veggie Galaxy!
What is it that makes a diner a diner? Is it the feisty, but warm waitresses, quick with a cup of coffee and assumed familiarity? Is it the curved ceiling, the tiled floors, the classic stainless steel exterior? The cozy booths, the counter with stools that puts you right near the action at the grill? The reassuringly familiar menu? Breakfast-all-day? The wide range of customers, who mirror the diversity of America itself? Adam, Founder of Veggie Galaxy Read more
Paddock Post 