Personal Arrival at Vegetarianism - by Maureen Harrington

That said, I'm no saint in the animal department. I wear leather (major shoe addiction) and, despite previous efforts, do not limit my dairy intake to that from animals raised on happy farms. We all have room for improvement. (See the "Simpsons" episode in which Lisa meets Paul and Linda McCartney.)

So what qualifies me to do restaurant reviews? Here's a factor: during the six years that I lived in DC, I didn't live near a grocery store and didn't have much of a kitchen, so I got to know a lot of restaurants really well. Instead of a recipe file, I had a menu file. My cell phone is programmed with the numbers of more restaurants than friends. (Okay, that's hyperbole, but not by much.)

Now that I have a house and a kitchen, I've made a New Year's resolution to slowly return to cooking. Which brings us to the mango pulp. I'm starting with recipes that are idiot-proof, as well as yummy. And mango pulp is the perfect dressing for a fruit salad. Just chop up a bunch of your favorite seasonal fruits, add a dried fruit or two for variety of texture (sun-dried cranberries are my favorite - and they're pretty too), and some seeds and/or nuts (sunflower seeds, almonds, and walnuts are always winners, but make sure they're unsalted). Using the mango pulp as a dressing not only improves taste, but also keeps the chopped fruits from browning while you are completing the salad. Those who want to add a little more zing and are still eating dairy can mix plain yogurt into the dressing.

Oh, and did I mention the best part? Although the more ambitious of you can mash your own mangoes (good luck finding delectable ones out of season), the lazy among us can acquire the stuff in cans at any Indian grocery store. I have yet to find an unsweetened variety, however, so I would much appreciate if anyone who does could send a message to Vegilicious.com letting us know where they got it. I promise to spread the word. Ditto with any other idiot-proof and yummy recipes.