[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.”