Cupcakes are the epitome of dessert perfection — portable, handheld and one mini-cake is all your own! While chocolate, vanilla and red velvet are the classic go-tos for a reason, adventurous additions like cardamom, mesquite and parsley — more commonly seen in savory dishes — may seem unconventional but are utterly delightful.  Top your custom cakes with edible flowers or roasted seeds or omit the icing altogether. The recipes below are sure to inspire your next baking endeavor. Chocolate Swirl Cupcakes This recipe contains a secret ingredient — mesquite flour. Made from the dried and g ..read more

SPONSORED The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that more food reaches landfills than any other single material via our everyday trash, constituting 24 percent of municipal solid waste. That’s a lot of uneaten meals, unused ingredients and potential energy getting tossed out. Much of this waste is generated at the manufacturing level, and we’re seeing a surge in brands like Renewal Mill, Brewer’s Foods, Pulp Pantry and many others seeking solutions for reducing waste at the top of the supply chain. In fact, Whole Foods, Mintel and the Specialty Food Association all identified upcycling ..read more

Garlic is one of our very favorite ingredients because of its flavor and benefits to our health and our garden — but also because of its ties to so much folklore and superstition. Vampires? Protection against evil spirits? Never enough garlic. A member of the allium family, garlic produces allicin when crushed or chopped. Allicin is responsible for the characteristic pungent smell but also many of garlic’s health benefits like helping to lower blood pressure, reduce cholesterol levels and boost the immune system.  Garlic also keeps disease at bay in the garden when it is used in companion ..read more

Powered by RedCircle Sixteen years after the first film was released, Food, Inc. 2 comes “back for seconds” to reveal how corporate consolidation has gone unchecked, leaving a highly efficient yet shockingly vulnerable food system dedicated to profit over people. In this episode, host Amy O’Neill Houck talks with the film’s co-producer Michael Pollan and co-director Melissa Robledo about how innovative farmers, food producers, workers’ rights activists, and prominent legislators are facing these companies head-on to create a more sustainable, equitable future. Food, Inc. 2 will be available fo ..read more

Carrots, from their lush (and edible) green tops to their orange (or white, yellow, purple) roots, are not only visually appealing but also rich in essential nutrients that can benefit your overall well-being. As their name suggests, carrots are abundant in plant compounds called carotenoids. These pigments not only give carrots their characteristic color but also play a crucial role in maintaining healthy eyesight. The age-old adage of eating carrots for better vision isn’t just an old wives’ tale! Carotenoids, particularly beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin, are known to support eye health ..read more

Powered by RedCircle Andi Murphy (Diné) joins host Amy O’Neill Houck for a conversation about food in Native America. Andi is the creator, host, and producer of the “Toasted Sister Podcast,” an award-winning show that documents the Native American Food Movement. She’s also the senior producer of the “Native America Calling” radio program, a one-hour national radio show about Indigenous issues and topics where she produces and hosts a food focused show every month called “The Menu.” We get into a nuanced look at food sovereignty and the importance of personal food sovereignty in addition to tri ..read more

From creamy butter beans to nutty garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas) to hearty cranberry beans, beans offer a myriad of textures and flavors that can serve as the stars of a dish as well as the perfect side scene stealer.  Whether they’re canned or dried, beans belong as a staple in your pantry because of their versatility and their many health benefits. A great source of protein, fiber, vitamins and iron, beans are good for your heart, gut and liver. And what we especially love about beans is how easy it is to incorporate them into any meal. Whether you’re looking for a light salad, a comfor ..read more

A review of A Bold Return to Giving a Damn by Will Harris Will Harris endeared himself to me the first time we met by telephone back in 2011, after he kindly agreed to speak at our Edible Institute conference taking place in Santa Barbara, California that spring. I was online, booking the flight for him and asked if he preferred a window or aisle seat. His reply, delivered in his deep Georgia drawl and a bit of a laugh, “Given that my build is rather square, the aisle tends to work better for me,” made me chuckle but also hinted at the straightforward, shoot-from-the-hip man I would soon come ..read more

From avocado toast to a smørrebrød-inspired tartine, toast offers the perfect blank canvas for culinary creativity. As James Beard said,“Good bread is the most fundamentally satisfying of all food,” so we start there.  Then depending on how you top it, toast can be the perfect vehicle to deliver even more delicious nourishing ingredients for breakfast, lunch or dinner — even a midday snack. With so many options for different dietary preferences and needs — such as gluten-free bread and dairy-free cheese — and the bounty of the seasons, there’s a toast fit for everyone and every occasion ..read more

We can’t think of any food more versatile than pasta. It’s an ingredient, but also a dish. It can be a salad, soup, entrée or a side. Pasta (noodles) can be fresh, dried, stuffed, long, short and shaped in various ways.  Whether it’s Date Night, Family Night or Easy Dinner Night, there’s pasta to fit the occasion.  And while we love the classic spaghetti, piled high and topped with red sauce and meatballs (cue “Lady and The Tramp” pasta scene), from bright green sauces to cheesy seafood, wild boar and vegan options, the recipes below invite you to explore all the pasta-bilities! Sea ..read more