During the holidays, Trader Joe's is a minefield of treats, from Peppermint Joe Joe's to chocolate advent calendars to Jingle Jangle candy-pretzel mix. You almost have to put on blinders to avoid filling your basket. In the frozen section, I stumbled on Nantucket Cranberry Pie, which looked a bit like upside down cake (theirs had…
Are you ready to put aside the pumpkin? Let’s get a move on. It’s cranberry time.
If you need any proof that it's possible to eat fabulously as a vegan, you only need to visit Denver. We just spent the weekend with our friends Jed and Lara there and ate at Justin Cucci's restaurants, Linger and Root Down. Not only is Linger's menu focused on global street food, which would be a potential disaster in less capable hands, these restaurants serve both carnivores and vegans, satisfying all parties. And Root Down makes a mean blood orange mimosa at brunch. I came back from Denver thinking about vegetarian dishes, and while I made a beefy, warms-your-soul pot of chili earlier in the week, I also roasted up a butternut squash and made a little butternut and quinoa salad with the flavors of fall.
Around here, Thanksgiving is all about the old favorites and not deviating from them one iota. It's the one time of year we have stuffing and sweet potatoes simmered in butter and spices, so there's almost no need to add anything new. Almost. I might sneak in Lisa Fain's Ancho Creamed Corn in place of…
