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When I was introduced to Vietnamese food years ago, I was immediately taken with the incredible flavors of the simple dishes - aromatic rice, hot and sour soups, mild coconut-based curries, feathery noodles and Asian wraps. There is no mystery to this cuisine, just some easy techniques that turn simple ingredients into wonderful dishes.

A destination city known for its tech industry and music scene, Austin epitomizes the adage "If you build it, they will come." That was never more true than in 1980, when city engineers rebuilt the 946-foot Congress Avenue bridge, and Austin's bat population took off.

Of the many odd, old and quirky things that adorn my kitchen - my husband's great-grandfather's hand-forged blacksmith tools, an 1898 apple corer, two muslin embroidery samplers, and my antique Swiss butter and cookie molds - I love none more than the metal contraption that's clamped to one end of my kitchen counter.

After a day of gardening, swimming or cycling, a hearty but not heavy meal is just what's needed. These recipes get you in and out of the kitchen fast.

Sautéing foods is the French equivalent of stir-frying - it's a basic technique for quick, easy cooking. You just fast-stir small pieces of food in a little oil over moderately high heat, something all cooks do without thinking, "Oh, I'm sautéing!"

I’ve heard over and over again that trans fat is bad for us. What I’m not sure of is what it is. And why is it bad?

What’s the difference between all those nutrition bars?

Summer. We love the light of its longer days and welcome the sun’s mood-lifting rays, but we worry about its aging effects and skin cancer. Summer, as always, brings with it a mix of good and bad news.

What are the two or three most beneficial botanical remedies for vegetarians? And why?

Once, the giant silver maple that shades our house was a sapling.

Where do you get your protein? Every vegetarian probably has been asked that at least once—and maybe 100 times.

How one determined couple did what many of us long to do: chucked a high-rent life for what really matters

Think you know how to floss, which brush is best and how often to see your dentist? Even with all the best intentions, you still might not have all the right answers.

What would a vegetarian do without beans? Nutritionally, they’re indispensable. Open a can, and you’ve got an instant supply of protein, fiber, iron, B vitamins and flavor—without a smidge of cholesterol and almost no fat.

Dragging through the last days of winter? Let the first breath of fresh air stir you to cook up flavor-packed fare that welcomes springtime with great gusto.

Filled won ton wrappers—stuffed with winter squash and topped with a wild mushroom ragu—are easy to love and easy to make.

Traditional French gratins are delicious one-pot dishes with a breadcrumb or cheese topping and no bottom crust. Not having to make a crust makes them easier to assemble than savory tarts, galettes or pot pies.

What’s a surefire way to get kids dashing to the dinner table? Simmer up a batch of hearty soup, and then sit back and watch it disappear. Kids love soup—it’s warm and soothing and slurpy.

A dash of caraway jazzes up soda bread, sweets, veggies - even grilled cheese sandwiches.

Bored with exercise? Mix things up with some of these fun, unusual fitness options. They're sure to get you moving.

In the fall of 2003, in one of the biggest wildfires in California history, 22 people lost their lives, thousands more lost their homes, and hundreds of thousands of acres burned. Yet, by recent standards, 2003 wasn?t off the charts. In 2002, 7 million acres burned.

On the least developed of the US Virgin Islands, natural beauty reigns, and we are its subjects.

Gourmet-quality chocolate is bringing health and hope to cocoa farmers and their families.

Willie Nelson climbs onto the stage, battered guitar in hand and trademark bandana around his long, braided gray hair. It is early April in northern Missouri, and a light snow covers the farmlands. Nelson is here to raise money for Lincoln Township in Putnam County. Lincoln, a rural community of 146 registered voters, has been struggling to protect its pastoral lifestyle from Premium Standard Farms (PSF), the second-largest hog producer in America and the town’s newest neighbor.

  Every winter, I gain weight. I can’t figure out the reason because I don’t seem to do things much differently. Why does this happen?  

Tastier and more nutritious, Irwin Goldman?s superbeets and other superorganic vegetables reflect new ?smart breeding.?

It’s good for your pies. It’s good for your pasta sauce. It’s even good for your blood.

Tea is not only a cozy drink. It has developed a second life as a trendy new "spice."

Besides exercising too little and eating too much—especially too much over-processed, high-calorie food—there’s another possible reason that many Americans are overweight, says Amy Joy Lanou, PhD, director of human nutrition at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in Washington, DC.

Although there is still much work to be done, the data are coming in: Vegetarians are significantly slimmer than meat eaters.

Want to keep your skin looking and feeling healthy and refreshed—versus tired and drawn—all winter long? Try these five simple strategies. 

Popeye and your mother were right: Greens are good for you.

Festive, filling burritos start the day off right, while bright and robust dinners—and a luscious fruit-studded pudding—end it with a bang.

After experimenting with vegetarian eating for a while, I’m ready to go full-time. What’s the best way?

"If someone poured a glass of ice water down your back, you’d instantly assume good posture,” says physical therapist Ben Crawford. Think of that happening often enough, and you’ll make better body lines a habit.

Given all the shopping lists, social obligations and decorating demands that fill the holidays, a spa getaway is probably the last thing on your mind. You might want to make it first. A mid-season day of self-pampering, a post-holiday week of recharging or even a long weekend during the peak festivities—at a veg-friendly resort spa with friends/family along and the cooking and decorating done for you—could make this year unlike any other.

I keep hearing people knock high-fructose corn syrup when they see it on food labels. What is it exactly? And is it really bad for you?

 Yes and no.

Red wine alters blood lipid levels, which is a fancy way of saying it keeps our blood vessels clean. A decade ago, researchers at the University of California-Davis wondered why the Brie-eating, cream-loving French weren’t keeling over from heart attacks at nearly the rate Americans were.

 Did we mention calories? A 3.5-ounce serving of wine has about 70–75 calories.

 You know the rule about pairing white wines with fish or white meat and red wines with red meat? Here’s a simple rule that works with most vegetarian foods...

 Tourists—unless they are too unruly—may be helping wild brown bears increase their numbers.

 Americans’ battle with the bulge might be lost over a can of soda or sugar-sweetened fruit drink.

 Not only is regular exercise late in life good for the body, but it also keeps the mind sharp, making it easier to remember to take pills, follow directions and do other tasks. The key, however, is...

 By 2015, more than 2 million people will risk disease and death from poor sanitation and unsafe drinking water, according to the World Health Organization.

Nature?s perfect plant makes a comeback

 Visiting a spa occasionally would help relieve the stress many of us face, but who has the time—or the money—for such an extravagance? The irony is, the more we need pampering, the less likely we are able to get it.

Find the right athletic shoe for you

You can?t fake family values?or real applesauce

Good food processors make light work of all the chopping and shredding many cooks complain about.

Escape with a walk in the woods

Get more from your cardio workout with less effort.

Etiquette for Vegetarians

Kudzu, like nature, will never be tamed.

Ancient Grains for Today's Table

Meditation to soothe body, mind and spirit

With all the evidence researchers have discovered about its health benefits, a humble cup of tea may be one of our best defenses against illness, aging and disease.

Home remedies to quiet snoring

Investing with your head—and your heart

Find tasty veggie fare on any restaurant menu

You can give thanks for food and family year-round

Warm a winter night with a fabulous fondue

Demystifying the principles of today?s hottest fitness.

Pomegranates add seasonal pizazz

The perfect way for vegetarians to shed unwanted pounds.

Maxed out on modern life? Discover the rewards of simple living.

8 hints for healthy living

Preventing indigestion?naturally

Spicy one-dish meals offer an antidote to the cold.

Vitamins may be just the nourishment your complexion needs.

Just as a little bit of hunger creates a sense of keenness, satiation dulls the senses and ushers in a sense of complacency.

Stimulate your senses with the age-old art of aromatherapy.

Seeds add flavor, crunch and nutrients to all sorts of dishes.

Bold, flavorful stews to heat up our winter.

A Delicious Down-Home Meal, Cajun Style

Menu for the plant-based palate