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Dear Eric: Could you offer some side dishes using kale? Sarah Dear Sarah: Nutritious kale has been a trendy food the past few years, so much so that even McDonald’s is now serving salads made with it.

It’s lean, boneless, tender and moderately priced. You might think I’m talking about boneless, skinless chicken breast, but in this case, the meat is pork tenderloin. I don’t cook with it often, only because I don’t think to use it.

Maple syrup has been in the news recently and it was not to remind people that it’s good on pancakes.

Dear Eric: I’ve looked everywhere and can’t find the noodles that my wife cooked for me almost daily in Vietnam.

In a retirement mecca such as Victoria, with so many the-kids-are-gone couples living here, it’s not surprising I get requests for recipes that serve two.

Dear Eric: I feel like I want to eat more lamb, but I don’t know what cuts to buy. Can you help? Jill Dear Jill: Despite being widely available in sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½, lamb still plays second fiddle to other meats, such as beef, pork and chicken.

Dear Dr. Roach: I recently had a screening mammogram, and received a letter from my doctor saying the results were normal.

I had brunch with three friends a few weeks ago in Vancouver’s Gastown at a place called The Flying Pig. On the menu was croque madame and two of my friends ordered it.

Dear Eric: We want to do a retro ’70s dinner party. I seem to recall chicken à la king was madly fashionable. I know it involved chicken and mushrooms in a white sauce over vol au vent shells.

I recently celebrated my 18th year as sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ food writer. After more than 2,000 columns, it was clear I had covered almost every food topic imaginable. But over the years, I’ve discovered that there’s always a trendy new food to write about.