Growing Bolder Community

Considered sacred in India, many Indians believe that the mango tree has the power to grant wishes for wealth, health immortality—and even grandchildren. Given the belief in the mystical quality of the mango, Indians use the leaves in weddings to assure the future fertility of newlyweds. Mango trees, which sometimes reach 60 feet, grow best in tropical and sub-tropical climates, and most of the...

My neighbor Richard Scammell is a wonderful cook. Cooking is Richard's hobby, but when it comes to food preparation, Richard is a highly skilled and well-educated professional. (He's even traveled to Europe to take cooking classes.)Richard and I share a love of creative, healthful cooking. When I asked him for ideas that I could share with readers, he sent this simple recipe for Spaghetti...

Quinoa pasta is pasta made from quinoa flour rather than wheat flour. The Inca tribe considered quinoa grain (really a seed) to be a superfood because, in addition to being a complete protein, quinoa contains iron, magnesium, phosphorus and fiber. Individuals with celiac disease or those who need a gluten-free diet can safely eat quinoa pasta, which can be purchased in traditional shapes...

My earliest recollections of eating asparagus date back to my childhood. Each spring, our family (who farmed near Rowley, Iowa) would drive to Waterloo, a trip of about 40 miles each way, to get asparagus. During the ride, I remember my parents discussing how the sandy soil around Waterloo produced the wonderful asparagus that they were eager to eat. (I was six years old, so their enthusiasm was...

A few weeks ago, I wrote about experimenting with a recipe that replaced shortening in brownies with an equivalent amount of black beans. I first noticed the recipe on Heidi Swanson’s wonderful Web site 101 Cookbooks. Heidi wished she had created the recipe but instead credited Ania Catalano’s new cookbook, Baking with Agave Nectar, as the source. Applesauce or vanilla yogurt had been my go-to...

My neighbor Richard Scammell is a wonderful cook. Cooking is Richard's hobby, but when it comes to food preparation, Richard is a highly skilled and well-educated professional. (He's even traveled to Europe to take cooking classes.)Richard and I share a love of creative, healthful cooking. When I asked him for ideas that I could share with readers, he sent this simple recipe for Sugo alla...

My neighbor Richard Scammell is a wonderful cook. Cooking is Richard's hobby, but when it comes to food preparation, Richard is a highly skilled and well-educated professional. (He's even traveled to Europe to take cooking classes.) Richard and I share a love of creative, healthful cooking. When I asked him for ideas that I could share with readers, he sent this simple recipe for Pollo alla...

You’ve probably walked right by this homely vegetable in the produce section of the supermarket. About the size of a softball, celeriac looks like a potato on steroids that is having a very bad hair day. The bulb is covered with a gnarly yellow-green peel with brown rootlets. Green celery-like stalks may be growing out of the top.But don’t let the appearance fool you. Celeriac, otherwise known...

No doubt you've heard the saying cool as a cucumber, but did you know that cucumbers boast a number of excellent nutritional benefits? Cucumbers have long been a go-to nutritional source. Because of their ability to stave off hunger pangs, cucumbers were a popular quick meal for European traders; however, the popularity of cucumbers goes back much further. Cucumbers are mentioned in the Bible, and...

Isn’t eggplant an odd moniker for a purple vegetable? Just for the record, the eggplant is not really a vegetable. Technically, eggplants are considered fruit, and the first eggplants were small, round and white; hence the name. Whatever its history, once you’ve discovered eggplant, you are likely to make it a staple in your kitchen. Because of its bland taste, eggplant absorbs surrounding...