Eating

After a long, cold winter that makes you want to turn up the heat in the kitchen every day, I just want to eat something raw. So I turned up the heat with some spice. Something to dip your carrot in. Makes a carrot a complete snack.

A two-ingredient, ten-minute vegetable preparation that's mysteriously great. In a blind-tasting you probably wouldn't guess what it is. It's such a perfect flavor combination you'd think it was just one thing.

A beef broth with root vegetables like turnips and carrots. A rich beef stock spiked with sherry vinegar and allspice. Very light and very satisfying. Less than 50 cents per bowlful. Two days worth of Vitamin A and a day's worth of Vitamin C.

A persuasive case for eating less meat and enjoying it more. A little meat as the flavor kick for a mainly meatless dish. Whole-grain cornbread with a thin, crackling bacon-flavored crust around a soft, light, crumbly interior. Full of tiny, crunchy flecks of bacon.

A completely new addiction. The answer to doughnut holes, if you think of them as questionable. Light, airy, warm. Not fried. Five minutes in a very hot oven. Real easy. Real Cheap. About a penny a puff. Hard to eat them Slower. But you can always work on that.

Balsamic "Caviar". Glistening, pearl-like spheres of flavor. On strawberry slices. Sounds romantic. Looks cool. Tastes great. Definitely a conversation piece. Perfect for Valentine's Day. A Cheaper Way to achieve a Better Slower ... experience.

Rich, juicy papaya and tart, spicy lime juice. An amazing two-ingredient fruit ceviche. Three days' worth of Vitamin C and a day's of Vitamin A. Near-zero glycemic load. 110 calories. C'mon, that's ten minutes of touch football.