One thing's for sure: Food is getting faster. We no longer cultivate food; we engineer it. We no longer produce it; we process it. We no longer buy raw ingredients and cook them, we just pop open the top and eat. Where is all this leading? Peraps to that place comedian Steven Wright nearly reached when he put instant coffee in a microwave oven. "I almost went back in time," he said.... Read more

The first time you go to the Farmers Diner in Barre, you might have no idea what you're walking into. It might just be a place where a friend has suggested grabbing a bite. Sitting down at the counter -- which bustles with waitresses and is lined with comforting cakes and pies -- you might feel like you're in Smallville, or everyone's ideal hometown. Part of the inviting feeling comes from the wholesome face of the woman grinning back at you from the cover of your menu. By the caption, you might assume she's some local farmer who sells food to the diner.... Read more

Take a whiff of the exhaust from Paul Butler's car and you know something's cooking. The fumes won't make you gag. If anything, they'll make you hungry. They give off an odor rather like, well, French fries. What you've smelled might be the future, and its name is biodiesel -- an alternative fuel that is catching on with some eco-savvy Vermonters.... Read more

Two things you should know from the start about Paul Bruhn. First, he hates the idea of this article. He says he doesn’t merit the attention, his accomplishments aren’t that great and he isn’t one of the most influential people in Vermont.

Second, you should know he is wrong.... Read more