Last night I called a friend in Los Angeles, to ask if she was safe from the fire that’s raging in southern California. She was fine, she told me, but her daughter had evacuated from Santa Monica. My husband and I had planned on retiring to California, but after spending a year there a few years ago, and experiencing “atmospheric rivers,” mudslides, and fires, we decided to stay put in the Northeast. We think fondly of the good ‘ole days, when our concern about California was “only” earthquakes. Yes, it’s freezing in Boston now, but as they say, “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing.” We wear lots of (unattractive) suitable clothing. So does our dog.

The recent California fire got me thinking about a farmer friend from Vermont, who told me after two devastating floods in the state, “I am so anxious about climate change, sometimes it keeps me awake at night.”

She’s not alone. “Climate anxiety” is a thing. Researchers at Harvard and Yale tell us the Rx for climate anxiety is to figure out what you can control, then do it. There are two high-impact climate actions each of us take. Both involve your kitchen. 

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As the lazy days of summer morph into Fall, our schedules tend to get busier. School, sports, cultural events, neighborhood gatherings — no matter what you’re into, the Fall seems to bring more. Which often translates into less time for cooking.

There’s no getting around it: Plant-based meals require more creativity than throwing a marinated chicken breast in the oven, or a turkey burger onto the grill. But creativity doesn’t necessarily mean complicated. What it does require is parking your shopping cart in supermarket aisles you often speed by:

• The Mexican food section (Fun Fact: In 1992, salsa surpassed ketchup as the top-selling condiment in the U.S.)
• The Asian food section
• Spices beyond McCormick’s dried oregano and parsley
• Canned beans

Taking the time to creatively stock your pantry, spice rack, and refrigerator door, translates into faster mealtime prep and — money back guarantee — always more savory and creative meals.

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Did you know that Strawberry Shortcake, Chocolate Mousse, and Blueberry Cobbler — just about any dessert, in fact — can all be made without a single egg, or an ounce of dairy? Which means all will be 100% cholesterol-free. With just a few substitutions, and no fancy or artificial ingredients, you can learn how.

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I’m writing from Vermont, where people are rebuilding roads and salvaging their homes after the latest in a series of heavy rains and floods. Small farmers continue to grapple with submerged fields. A friend who works on one of those farms recently told me,

“I am so anxious about climate change, sometimes it keeps me awake at night.”

She’s not alone. “Climate anxiety” is now a thing. And for good reason. Let’s review what happened just last month, July 2024:Read More

Did you hear last week’s Good News? The Caesar Salad turned 100! Feliz Compleaños, Caesar. You may be wondering, why a Spanish congratulations to a salad most famously eaten in Italian restaurants? Because it was invented in Mexico. By an Italian immigrant, Caesar Cardini.

In honor of the Caesar’s Centennial, I’m gifting you my two favorite non-fishy, non-dairy, uber-umami, Caesar dressing recipes. Both are thick and creamy, which makes them happiest coating sturdy greens like kale and/or romaine. Unlike the original, neither has any cholesterol, are chock full of “good” fats and copious amounts of fiber, anti-oxidants, and protein. Which is why I Hail Caesar!

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My friend Sharon loves bringing people together at her picture postcard-perfect, pastoral Vermont home. She marks milestones — her sons’ engagements, birthdays, the arrival of two new international exchange students she hosts each spring — with cookouts. Everyone contributes the sides, and Sharon provides the main course: sausages, which guests impale with a tree branch (plenty of free branches in Vermont!) and cook over her family’s infamously smoky homemade fire pit, big enough to seat twenty guests around its perimeter. For those who take a pass on the sausage, there are veggie and beef burgers. Last spring, Sharon told me, was the first time requests for veggie burgers surpassed beef.

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I was shocked to learn this: The calories you eat at breakfast are less fattening than those you eat for supper. Here’s how it works:

Assume you eat 300 calories for breakfast, 500 for lunch, and 1,200 for supper. If you switch the timing of your calories, and eat 1,200 for breakfast, and 300 for supper, you’ll lose weight. Eating the exact same food.

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