I blame capsaicin and allyl isothiocyanate for my dislike of very spicy foods. They’re the chemicals in hot peppers, horseradish, hot mustard and wasabi that make your eyes water and your nose burn. Essentially they are the security guards in the plants saying, “Hey, stop that, don’t eat me!” And in my case, that warning works.

SALISBURY — Connecticut Mental Health Affiliates raised more than $69,000 at its gala fundraiser on Saturday, June 1.
The money comes to the association through a combination of ticket sales and donations made that evening and purchases made at the live and silent auctions.
This was the second year the event was held at Lime Rock Park. The theme was Jazz and Chrome, and guests were invited to dress in the style of the television series “Mad Men.” Women wore satin cocktail dresses and hats with veils; journalist and CMHA supporter Don Klein wore a colorful bathrobe.

Some plants signify the start of a season. For spring we have tulips, daffodils, lilacs and more edible flora such as berries and of course apricots.
Apricots were first eaten in China in about 3000 B.C. and were brought to Europe via the “silk road.” They are believed to have come to the Americas as seeds brought by French explorers in the 1700s.
Apricots are in season from May through August. As bright, fresh apricots stand out in produce bins this spring, you may be wondering how the juicy yellow-orange fruit compares to its dried counterpart.

According to folklore, a nomad in the Middle East long ago took his camel out for a ride in the desert sun. This man had some milk in his saddlebag for nourishment along the way. When he opened his bag at the end of his journey he was shocked.
Due to the heat, the motion, and the fact that the saddlebag was made from a cow’s stomach—thus being infused with an enzyme called rennin—the lucky man’s milk had coagulated into something new: a cheese curd!
Since this questionable beginning, cheese curds have made their way to North America, most famously to Wisconsin and Quebec.