In the usual order of things, one decides to have a party, and then figures out which dishes to serve. But in this case, it was a stellar pomegranate and olive relish that got the ball rolling. "We have to throw a holiday party so people can taste this!" exclaimed my partner, and pretty soon we were discussing the guest list between bites. More

This year my husband and I are spending time with both our families over the holidays, which means traveling from Los Angeles to Seattle to Boston and back again. Needless to say, we'll be spending a lot of time on airplanes, and not one of the flights includes a meal. Instead of relying on sad bags of mini pretzels or soggy airport sandwiches, I'll be packing a few of these whole wheat pockets. Stuffed with spiced lentils, kale and mashed roasted sweet potato, these sturdy vegan pastries freeze well and taste great hot or at room temperature, so whether you're sitting in your cubicle or cruising at 30,000 feet, you can have a wholesome meal ready whenever you are. More

It happens every year at this time and you know it. Whatever your normal — and hopefully healthy — eating pattern is, you lose it.

Normally I have a very balanced diet, which not only means it's balanced nutritionally, but it's balanced emotionally: I manage to try everything I want while rarely over-indulging. Then the holidays hit and gatherings fill up the calendar. On one hand I can't complain; I've managed to make a career out of encouraging people to cook and eat together, and it doesn't happen more than at the end of each calendar year. However, these gatherings rarely showcase light, healthy foods. Don't get me wrong: I like a good boozy cup of eggnog and a slice of roast beef as much as the next guy, but everybody needs a break.

Take Tuesday night for example: I went into a dinner party situation wanting to eat light and not drink alcohol. Two blinks of the eye later I found a margarita in one hand and a goat cheese-stuffed, bacon-wrapped date in the other. Pretty soon there were pork loin sandwiches and chile rellenos. There was simply no escape. More

Who knew seitan could sound so sexy? Terry Hope Romero manages to do just that and so very much more. In her latest vegan cookbook, Vegan Eats World, she dips into the dishes and flavors of Morocco, Thailand, India, Poland, Jamaica, and many more food-loving cuisines from around the world, vegan-style. Vegans, vegetarians, flexitarians, however you identify yourself, we've hit the jackpot with this one. More

What are the holidays without wheat, dairy, eggs, and refined sugar? Pretty dreary, I imagined — until I came up with this moist, richly flavored gingerbread cake that I will be happily baking for months, if not years, to come. More

Avoiding animal products doesn't mean missing out on the holiday baking fun. Here are 10 favorite recipes for vegan cakes, breads, cookies and more, including no-knead cranberry-walnut pumpkin bread and simple vanilla almond sandies. More

Q: My husband and I have recently adopted a predominantly plant-based diet. I feel as if all we have eaten for the past 2 months is curries and stir-fries, and we are getting bored. Does anyone have great ideas for formal, festive, dinner-party type menus that are plant-based (vegan)? More

Q: My husband has a big birthday coming up and has made only one request: carrot cake. While this is seemingly easy (I was over the moon) I'm a vegan and would like to attempt to make a delicious, vegan, layer carrot cake, fit for a dinner party.

Sent by Megan More

Trying to reproduce a beloved relative's signature dish is often futile, especially when recipes are unrecorded and our dear ones are no longer with us. In this case, I was inspired by my father-in-law's kalguksu, or Korean "knife noodles," despite the fact that I sadly never got to meet him nor taste the noodles that my partner remembers so fondly. While my version could never match the original, I think I can safely say these noodles are a fabulous comfort food. More

I tried to make kale chips a few years ago when a friend told me how much she swears by this simple, healthy snack. A bad oven and an impatient cook (guilty!) burned them just a little bit. And you know what? They were terrible! But, after tasting some incredibly flavored dehydrated kale chips, I made it my mission to try again and to make them successfully at home — but without a dehydrator. And you know what? It worked! Here's your ticket to healthy-style Doritos. Seriously. More