I had a chance to sit down with Stephen this week to find out exactly what he has been up to since the show ended and what he is planning for the future. Currently, he has two projects approaching completion, one on each coast. The first is called Tastevin and it is a concept wine boutique aimed at 20-somethings who are increasingly developing a taste for wines, but are put off from seeking out high-quality ones by the old fashioned, pretentious way wine is usually presented. Corks, dusty bottles and wooden crates are not selling points to the under-30 crowd. Stephen is doing away with all the stuffy formality of wine buying and keeping his venture sexy and ultra-modern, with Philippe Starck furniture and beautiful displays of the bottles, appealing to his age group by improving the presentation and accessibility of one of his favorite things: wine.

Based on the ideals of good taste and simplicity, Every Night Italian: 120 Simple, Delicious Recipes You Can Make in 45 Minutes or Less is a book that presents lots of tasty options for everyday meals. The book was written by Giuliano Hazan, the son of the grandmother of Italian cookery, Marcella Hazan. He grew up knowing what great Italian food should be like and with the ability to simplify it and pass it on, so that the comforting flavors of real Italian fare don't have to be relegated to long weekends when you have more time to work away in the kitchen.

Caviar seems to represent luxury and good taste, both in food and in life, so caviar fans can rejoice that the global ban on caviar is being lifted this year as stocks of sturgeons are up and caviar-producers can start exporting their wares again. Farmed caviar, and American caviar in general, is still an outstanding alternative for a caviar fan because it is often a good value and seems to be improving in quality every year.

If you're not a fan of the fish eggs, you're not alone. There is an alternative to them that will give you the same classic look, but with a much improved texture and flavor: Chocaviar. This caviar is made with chocolate from the Italian chocolate-maker Venchi, which has been expressing "chocolate's soul" since 1878. Each little piece of chocolate is dusted with unsweetened cocoa powder, which intensifies the flavor (something you might not want with the fishier caviar) and makes the product slightly reminiscent of tiny chocolate truffles.

Mario Batali looks like the kind of guy that enjoys a good party and, considering how passionate he is about Italian food, it is safe to assume that any party Mario is involved in is going to have good food and a whole lot of it. He may not be coming over for the holidays, but his menus can certainly become a part of tradition with Mario Batali Holiday Food. This cookbook covers two holidays for a total of four meals: Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. The meals a huge and involved, so perhaps Mario really does expect them to last all day.

The authors of On Top of Spaghetti...: ...Macaroni, Linguine, Penne, and Pasta of Every Kind own the restaurant Al Forno in Providence, RI, which specializes in exceptional pastas and Italian food. The book is a compilation of some of those pasta dishes from the restaurant alongside some at-home and after-hours favorites of the chefs - chefs who are definitely on top when it comes to making great spaghetti (linguini, etc.). There is a wealth of knowledge in the book that will benefit the home chef. For example, they go into great detail about how to tell when pasta is actually "al dente," since it is a mark that tends to be under- or overshot frequently. They also give detailed descriptions of common ingredients - from parmesan to prosciutto - how to use them and how to make sure you're getting the best. in some cases, the best way may be to make up a batch yourself. Case in point, there is a recipe for homemade ricotta cheese that is surprisingly accessible. In fact, all of the recipes are very approachable for the home chef, who will be helped along with lots of tips and flavor-boosting shortcuts that are sprinkled throughout. They will even be useful even if you want to improve a jarred sauce on a really busy weeknight. There are classic sauce+pasta combinations, as well as recipes for baked pasta dishes, such as Ricotta Ravioli, Saffron-Sauced Pasta and Osso Buco, Spaghetti with Fresh Spinach and Gorgonzola and Penne with Fresh Artichokes.

A recent survey taken of Britons revealed that nearly two thirds of them think that "arrabiata" is a sexually transmitted disease of some kind, which probably makes going out for an Italian restaurant for dinner a rather unique experience. Arrabiata, as fans of Italian food will know, is not a sexually transmitted disease. It is a spicy Italian pasta sauce. Characterized by the use of simple, but fresh, ingredients, the sauce always features tomatoes and hot chili peppers, either fresh of dried. Other common inclusions are garlic, fresh herbs, olive oil and sometimes a little bit of meat or some olives for additional flavor and texture.

In fairness, the survey was about sexual health in general and was released on World Aids Day, this past Friday, so it is possible that some participants were confused by the questioning. It might be a good idea to give the sauce a try just to ensure there won't be any confusion over the name in the future. Read on for a recipe.

Sometimes, when a particularly delicious piece of food porn seems to speak for itself, it is tempting just to post it without any caption. The problem is that it is not actually obvious as to what most foods are. For example, what appears to be a blueberry muffin could have a cream cheese filling, or a steak could have a spicy balsamic glaze. You wouldn't necessarily be able to get that information from a photograph alone, and when dishes look good enough to be food porn, it's only fair to mention a recipe or what goes into them so you can try it at home. This dish is a bowl of Lasagna Soup, cooked up by Joe, from Culinary in the Desert Country. It is an unexpected dish because you don't usually see lasagna in soup form, although once you've heard the name, the soup begins to look more and more like the real pasta dish, especially because of the curly-edged noodles in the bowl. The recipe comes from Cuisine at Home magazine and uses hot Italian sausage, spinach, tomatoes, pasta and lots of cheese for a satisfying, comforting meal.

Any celebrity, no matter how minor, can get a book published. Not all of them are good - particularly most that purport to be "memoirs" or some kind - but once in a while a good one manages to find its way to the shelves and Hot Italian Dish: A Cookbook by Victoria Gotti seems to be one of the latter.

Victoria Gotti's family life revolves around food (and the mob, which is less relevant in this particular forum). Her family is Italian, fairly traditional and loves to eat. The book has over one hundred recipes that have been passed down by countless Italian grandmothers and enjoyed by generations. To keep things in the family, most of the recipes are sized to feel a crowd, making them perfect for reunions, parties and, of course, Sunday dinner. The recipes include dishes like Stuffed Artichokes, Veal with Prosciutto and Mozzarella and Tuscan Black Pepper Stew, all of which are easy to prepare and immensely satisfying when enjoyed in good company.

Here's a bit of food trivia: The word "pomodoro" translates to "golden apple," reflecting that the first tomatoes were yellow, not red. It has been some time since anyone expected Pasta Pomodoro to be made with golden, not red tomatoes, and as Nosheteria proves with her beautiful rendition of the dish, red tomatoes make more of an impact when serving, anyway.

Her pasta pomodoro delivers perfectly cooked spaghetti topped with fresh basil, freshly shaved parmesan cheese and a "double whammy in the tomato department," with both raw, chopped tomatoes and slow roasted cherry tomatoes. The dish is colorful, uncomplicated and uses such a fantastic combination of flavors that it is guaranteed to be a showstopper, despite its simplicity.

A few weeks ago, we saw that Haagen-Dazs new flavor was to be Sticky Toffee Pudding, which bested the Toasted Coconut Sesame Brittle and Cannoli flavors. While the Toffee seemed to have its fans among our commenters, most people seemed to be pulling for the Coconut or Cannoli ice creams. Thanks to Jim Caccamo, an ice cream lover from Kansas City, you can try your hand at making cannoli ice cream at home. He has concocted a recipe that captures the flavor of the Italian treat as perfectly as possible, with a blend of ricotta, chocolate chips, pistachios and some candied fruit added to an egg-rich ice cream base.

If you don't have the equipment to make good ice cream at home, Jim has submitted the ice cream to a Ben & Jerry's recipe contest, so even though Haagen-Dazs missed their chance at the flavor, we could still see it on store shelves in the future.