A vegetarian since age 13, Ellen Kanner has written for Bon Appetit, Gourmet, Eating Well, Vegetarian Times and regional magazines nationwide including Pebble Beach and Palm Beach Illustrated. She shares meals in Miami with her meat-eating but otherwise adorable husband, and is at work on a book, Love in the Time of Broccoli: A Joyful Vegetarian's Path to a Beautiful Life.
Her website is www.ellen-ink.com.
Write to her at ekanner@miamiherald.com.
Nothing says summer like sweet, succulent, sun-bright mangoes. But summer doesn't last forever, not even in South Florida. Chill, baby. You can keep the mango kicks coming all year with heat-beating mango sorbet.
THE EDGY VEGGIE
Once upon a time, there were three tofu dogs -- The Good Dog ($3.99 per 12-ounce package), the Smart Dog ($4.29) and the Tofu Pup ($3.49).
THE EDGIE VEGGIE
Your gut is home to millions of microbes -- good bacteria that usually keep the bad guys at bay. Sometimes, though, they need reinforcements.
THE EDGY VEGGIE
As we ap-proach the traditional meat-and-fire fest that is Father's Day, here's food for thought: The National Cancer Institute has linked red meat consumption to greater cancer risk. The United Nations says industrial animal production is among our biggest environmental threats. And Americans eat more meat per capita than citizens of any other country.
THE EDGY VEGGIE
You've got your tofu dogs and veggie burgers ready for summertime grilling, but how about your condiments? They should be yummy, yes, but they can be healthful, too.
THE EDGY VEGGIE
I'd like to tell you a vegan diet provides all the nutrients you need. I'd be lying. The dirty veggie secret is that some vegans may be lacking B-12, a vitamin found in animal protein but otherwise elusive.
THE EDGY VEGGIE
Ever since we realized damaging elements in the ether can age us like rusted-out cars, we've sought antioxidant-rich elixirs to keep us humming like Ferraris. With three new contenders in that category -- each 100 percent juice with 100 to 110 calories per 8-ounce serving and no added sweeteners -- there's a blend to suit your style.
Something will be missing from the Passover Seders of rabbis Judith Siegal and Jody Cohen: Meat. There will be no brisket for dinner. No traditional lamb shank on the Seder plate. In Cohen's case, no egg, either.
THE EDGY VEGGIE
Green is green, as the marketing gurus say -- eco-friendly is where the bucks are. So on Earth Day, Tuesday, use your wallet for positive environmental change. Think about buying:
THE EDGY VEGGIE
April is National Soyfoods Month, and to celebrate, we want it all -- the health benefits of soy plus the lusciousness of chocolate but with fewer calories and less fat. Can one light chocolate soy milk deliver everything? Um, no. But each brand has its merits.
THE EDGY VEGGIE
I grew up in a family in which homemade chicken soup appeared at the first sign of a sniffle. Did it help? As the old Jewish joke goes, it didn't hurt.
THE EDGY VEGGIE
Eating locally is fresh, cheap and palate-pleasing, saves fossil fuel and generates less carbon. I don't need another reason to be a locavore. However, knowing South Florida produces local food to make a veggie proud is a nice added incentive.
THE EDGY VEGGIE
For some, love is chocolate-flavored and comes in a heart-shaped box. For me, love is natural and comes in heart-shaped fruit: strawberries and canistel, in season now in South Florida.
THE EDGY VEGGIE
Pizza. Buffalo wings. Nachos. Pigs in blankets. The Super Bowl seems to give fans license to eat food that, forget the meat, is just awful for you. Somehow, eating healthfully is deemed unmanly.
