HOMEMADE LUNCH WITH RICE NOODLES ON AIRPLANE

Sara Kate and I flew to Philadelphia last week to go to a booksellers' convention in Atlantic City NJ - to promote our new book Veggie Revolution. We went on Air Tran, which doesn't provide lunch. Sara Kate said she'd make some lunch to take with us. It was good! She made some rice noodles to start with. In our local supermarket, they're on the "ethnic foods" aisle. The long, dried noodles are laid out in a circle and come in a flat package, labeled "rice sticks." We can also get them at an Asian food market a few blocks away. To cook them, you just drop them in boiling water and I think they re-hydrate right away. You can turn the heat off right then. When done, they are either whitish, like very very thin spaghetti, or more often they are completely translucent, like the rice paper wrapped around spring rolls.

Then Sara Kate sauteed some chopped or minced garlic (maybe 3 cloves) and a small piece of ginger root in a little olive oil. When they began to brown, she added some frozen spinach, maybe three cups of frozen spinach. Of course that shrunk down when she sauteed it, just enought to soften it a bit. Then she took the saute off the burner to cool. She put the drained and cooled rice noodles into an old yogurt or margarine tub, and the saute into another one. Sprinkled tamari over the noodles. Put lids on both containers, and secured both lids with masking tape. She packed a couple of little plastic bowls (old pesto containers) and plastic spoons, plus a plastic fork and plastic knife to dish it out, and we were all set. When it came time to eat on the plane - it was really, really good. I don't like flying that much. So it was nice to have a little feast to look forward to.

VEGAN GINGERSNAPS

I'm already pretending it's Christmastime, despite the 80-degree weather outside. These spicy cookies go great with a cup of tea! Iced tea, that is.

1. In a medium-sized bowl, combine:
- 1/2 c. canola oil
- 1/2 c. white or brown sugar
- 1/2 c. molasses
- 1 T. hot water

2. Stir in and mix well:
- 1 3/4 c. flour
- 2 t. ginger
- 2 t. cinnamon
- 1 t. baking soda
- 1/4 t. salt

3. Bake on a greased cookie tray for 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees. Makes about 20 cookies.

- Sara Kate

YUMMY EASY WHOLE WHEAT BISCUITS

I don't know how to make good white-flour biscuits. But this recipe for whole-wheat biscuits is so good. They taste sort of nutty. I made some two nights ago, and today I'm still eating them cold right out of the frige.

Stir together:
2 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt or no salt

Add:
1/3 cup oil (we use canola or olive)
2/3 cup milk (we use soy milk)

Stir until everything is evenly moist. Squeeze the batter 6 or 7 times. Okay, knead it. Pinch off roughly-shaped pieces the size of ping-pong balls and place them on a baking tray 1 inch apart, at least. Bake at 425 degrees until the peaks get dark brown, about 15 minutes. Makes about 12 biscuits. As much as I love white biscuits, these are better, and a whole lot easier to make.