Front Burner: This Brandy Soars

Hangar 1, the vodka distiller, is in a repurposed airplane hangar on Alameda Island in San Francisco Bay, where Navy planes, including one called the Bent-Wing Bird, were housed. The spirits company has taken that name for its latest product, its first that’s not a vodka. The brandy is a blend of French and California…

Front Burner: Vegan Kimchis to Savor

So you thought that Korean kimchi, made from ingredients like Napa cabbage and radishes, was vegan? Not necessarily, as there’s most likely some fish sauce lurking in the mix. Nasoya, a company that specializes in tofu and other vegetarian Asian products, has introduced fishless vegan kimchi in four styles: regular spicy Napa cabbage, mild Napa…

Front Burner: Learn More About Mezcal

Heritage Radio Network — a food-focused broadcaster that has its studio in a shipping container inside Roberta’s in Bushwick, Brooklyn — is sponsoring an instructional session about mezcal. Lou Bank, the founder and executive director of Sacred (Saving Agave for Culture, Recreation, Education and Development), an American nonprofit organization that works to improve conditions for…

The Checkup: Measles Now

The baby had been brought into our clinic to rule out measles. That is, the baby, who was living in a shelter, had developed a rash, and the mother was concerned because she thought there had been some cases of measles in the shelter. The resident, or doctor in training, thought that the baby looked…