[1] Stellar Braids, vegan butter braids in four flavors (photos #1 and #2 © Stellar Snacks).

[2] Crunchy pretzel braids with a side of crudités.

[3] Monk fruit melons growing on a vine (photo © Clean Plates).

[4] Vegan butter from Miyoko’s. Miyoko’s vegan cheese and butter were a Nibble Top Pick Of The Week (photo © Miyoko’s Creamery).

We have a new pretzel passion: Stellar Braids from Stellar Snacks. Unveiled to the trade earlier this year, Stellar Braids are a line of flavor-forward, vegan*, non-GMO, no MSG, kosher (certified by OU) pretzels.

Founded by a mother-daughter team in Carson City, Nevada, the pretzels have made their way to stores nationwide—and online, of course.

We like pretzels, and the flavored versions of Stellar Braids have a little something extra: monk fruit.

Monk fruit, called luo han guo in its native China, is a herbaceous perennial vine bearing small, round, melons.

Monk fruit has long been used in China as a zero-calorie sweetener, as well as in traditional Chinese medicine.

In Stellar’s pretzel dough, it adds a bit of sweetness as a counterpoint to savory flavors:

 
Note that there’s a small bit of raw cane sugar in the first three flavors, which contributes 1g of added sugar per serving. There is no zero added sugar in Simply Stellar.

Next, you might ask, what’s vegan butter?

Vegan butter is a plant-based, nondairy butter that’s typically made by blending water with one or more plant oil, such as avocado, coconut, olive, or palm kernel oil.

These products often contain additional ingredients to emulate the flavor, and texture of real butter, such as colorings, emulsifiers, salt, and other natural or artificial flavors. Here are 10 well-regarded vegan butter brands.

For Stellar Braids, the vegan butter adds a subtle but delicious butter flavor.

Baked from scratch daily in Carson City, Nevada, special attention is paid to the quality of the ingredients. No less than imported sea salt from Italy is used, and the company is dedicated to sustainable manufacturing practices.

And one more nice thing: The package designs showcase budding artists, making them a canvas for something truly Stellar.

Emerging illustrators and designers are given a platform to showcase their talents and you get a work of art on every bag.
 
 
GET YOUR STELLAR BUTTER BRAIDS

Look for them at specialty food stores, including Central Market, Holiday Market, Mariano’s, Ralph’s, Surfas, and World Market.

And of course, they’re online at StellarSnacks.com.

We were pleased to find our favorite flavor, Bold & Herby, on Instacart.
 
 
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*Pretzels typically are vegan products. The ingredients are flour, water, yeast, vegetable shortening, and sugar. Here’s how each ingredient contributes to the pretzel.

[1] Garlic chips, showing the progression in color as roasting progresses (photo © Colavita Recipes).

[2] A bowl of garlic bulbs, ready to be turned into garlic chips (photo © Daria Shevtsova | Pexels).

April 19th is National Garlic Day. How to celebrate the day? With this garlic chips recipe!

A low-calorie* way to flavor foods from breakfast through dinner, this homemade garlic chips recipe is a tasty find—nothing like the desiccated garlic chips sold by spice manufacturers.

The recipe makes thin, crispy garlic chips as a garnish for:

 
You can even enjoy it mixed into oatmeal or other porridge—a savory approach instead of sweet garnishes.

You can also add grated cheese and fresh-cracked pepper to your savory porridge.

Thanks to Colavita for the recipe.

> The history of garlic is below.

> How about a garlic bread recipe?
 
 
RECIPE: GARLIC CHIPS

Make as many garlic chips as you like—or as many as will fit on your baking sheet.
 
Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 350°F.

2. PLACE the garlic slices on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush the slices with olive oil and place in the oven.

3. ALLOW the pieces to brown and “chip” in the oven for about 10 minutes. Some slices may chip more slowly or quickly, so keep an eye on them and remove them when they are golden brown (photo #1).

4. STORE them in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
 

Wild garlic originated somewhere in Central Asia†. Throughout history, humans migrating and traveling through Central Asia and surrounding areas have collected wild garlic and carried it with them for later consumption and cultivation.

Garlic is one of the oldest known horticultural crops, with mentions in Egyptian and Indian cultures some 5000 years ago. The Babylonians wrote of it 4500 years ago, and the Chinese at least 2000 years ago, although some writings suggest that garlic was grown in China as far back as 4000 years ago.

Garlic began to be cultivated in Europe around 1000 years ago, and today garlic is cultivated worldwide [source].

The pungent vegetable‡ can add flavor to any savory food. The English word garlic derives from Old English, garlēac, which combines gar (spear) and lēac (leek), meaning a “spear-shaped leek.”
 
 
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*There are four calories in one clove of garlic.
 
†Today wild garlic grows only in Central Asia (Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) today), although earlier in history it grew wild over a much larger region—perhaps from China to India to from Egypt to the Ukraine.

‡While it may be used as such, garlic is neither herb or spice, but a vegetable. It is a member of the Allium genus, which also includes chive, leek, onion, scallion, and shallot. The generic name Allium is the Latin word for garlic, and garlic’s botanical name, Allium sativum, means “cultivated garlic.”

What to drink on April 20th, National Banana Day? How about this banana iced coffee recipe? Plus a bonus: the history of cardamom, a spice that gives this drink a special flavor.

Thanks to Dole for the recipe. There are many more banana recipes in every category on Dole.com.

On April 20th, national Banana Day, we’ll present 50 banana recipes.

 
 
RECIPE: BANANA ICED COFFEE

This recipe is made with almond milk, which gives it a subtle layer of flavor. But you can use your milk of choice.
 
Ingredients For 2½ Cups – 4 Servings

 
Preparation

1. PUREE the bananas, sugar, cardamom, and vanilla extract in a blender. With the blender running, slowly add the milk.

2. FREEZE the banana mixture for 1 hour or until almost solid.

3. DIVIDE the coffee into four 12-ounce glasses. Stir in the banana mixture and sprinkle with chocolate. Serv

4. SERVE with additional milk, if desired.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF CARDAMOM

Wild cardamom plants originated in the rainforests of the Western Ghats, a mountain range in Southern India. The plants were so abundant that the area became known as Cardamom Hills.

Elettaria cardamomum, commonly known as green or true cardamom, is an herbaceous, perennial plant in the ginger family of flowering plants, Zingiberaceae. Cardamom pods (photo #2) are the fruit of the large ginger-like plant. Each pod contains 15 to 20 tiny, sticky black or brown seeds with a strong fruity aroma (photo #3).

The pods and seeds have a strong aroma, in the manner of cloves. The flavor is also strong, and has been described as a combination of ginger and cinnamon. The versatile spice has long been used in both savory and sweet foods.

The use of cardamom dates back at least 4000 years and traveled far beyond India. Ancient Egyptians chewed cardamom pods to keep their breath minty fresh and to help clean their teeth. They also used it for medicinal purposes, rituals, and embalming.

The Greeks and Romans liked cardamom for its pungent aroma. It was a key ingredient in perfumes and aromatic oils.

Vikings discovered cardamom and brought it back to Scandinavia, where it became popular in baking breads and pastries, cooking, mulled wine, and glögg.

During the 19th century, plantations of cardamom were set up by British colonists in India and Sri Lanka [source].

Green cardamom is one of the 10 most expensive spices in the world by weight (here’s the whole list). However, with its strong flavor, a little goes a long way.

Green Cardamom Vs. Black Cardamom

Note that there is also black cardamom (photo #5), a different species, with a flavor that is not interchangeable with green cardamom (i.e., do not substitute!).

[1] Banana iced coffee has accents of almond, cardamom and vanilla (photo © Dole).

[2] Cardamom pods contain a number of seeds (photo #3), but the entire cardamom pod can be used whole or ground (photos #2, #3, #4, #5 © Silk Road Spices).

[3] The cardamom seeds inside the pods (photo #3) are ground (photo #4).

[4] Ground green cardamom.

[5] Black cardamom, a different species with a very different flavor profile.

[6] Vanilla cardamom whoopie pie and milkshake shooter. Here are the recipes for the milkshake and whoopie pies (photo © McCormick).

[1] Banana sushi: a fun way to eat bananas (photo © Dole).

[2] Deliciousness awaits (photo © Eiliv Sonas Aceron | Unsplash).

While you can certainly put a slice of banana and garnishes atop a pad of rice or in a sushi roll, this banana sushi recipe is an all-fruit adaptation—no rice. It’s perfect for dessert or for a snack. And you don’t need to cook anything!

Thanks to Dole for the recipe. If your bananas are too ripe to cut into firm chunks, see yesterday’s recipe for spicy banana dip and other overripe banana uses.

April 20th is National Banana Day.

> How to ripen bananas.

> How to keep bananas from browning.

> The history of bananas.
 
 
RECIPE: BANANA SUSHI

Since you can spread the bananas with almond butter, cashew nut butter, peanut butter, or nonfat Greek yogurt, plus different toppings, why not make an assortment?
Prep time is 10 minutes.
 
Ingredients For 1 Serving

 
Preparation

1. CUT the banana into 8 equal pieces. Spread the tops with nut butter or yogurt.

2. DIP banana pieces in cereal and toppings. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

3. SERVE with chopsticks!