LETTERS

Your evaluation of oat milk in "Got Soy, Almond, Rice Milk?" [February, p. 78] was right on the mark. I had just tried oat milk for the first time in January and was pleased to see encouraging comments about it. Because it is often unsweetened, it is a great (and naturally sweet) alternative to soy milk.

ARLEN KEMMELMAN VIA EMAIL

Dairy-Free or Not?

I have noticed that i when a recipe contains cheese or some other dairy product, you will label it "dairy-free." Why is that?

ROSALIND SMITH PALM SPRINGS, CALIF.

Food Editor Kathy Farrell-Kingsley responds: This is a good opportunity for us to explain exactly what our recipe labels mean and clear up any lingering confusion. We've recently made changes to the way we classify our recipes. The new categories are: Egg- and Dairy-free, Dairy-free, and Egg-free. (No designation indicates that both dairy and eggs are used.) We hope these labels will be easier to understand and scan when searching for suitable recipes. Please keep in mind that if an ingredient is listed as optional or as a garnish in a recipe, it is not included in either the nutritional breakdown or the labeling. Definitions of our labels and nutritional analysis are included in every issue in the "About Our Recipes" box at the bottom of the Recipe Index.