Garlic clove. Photo: Muffet, Flickr

• It might not win you any suitors, but researchers say that freshly crushed garlic can help your heart.
• Writer Jhumpa Lahiri writes about the inadequate culinary tools housed in the rental kitchens of Cape Cod.
• Gripes about sharing kitchens with friends, from terrible salad dressings to cleaning up other people's messes.
• Beaujolais might not have the most haute reputation, but some winemakers are producing high-quality versions of the vino.
• Iraq's masquf -- a technique that cooks gutted fish in a roaring fire -- is re-gaining popularity.
• Over-harvesting couldn't keep the oysters out of the Chesapeake: Scientists have "re-established a significant population."

Lo these many years ago, a UK-born boss of mine attempted to wheedle me into swifter production by offering me a small mincemeat pie if I finished a pressing task by 4 p.m. I begged to be allowed to take only half if I knocked it out by 3, and remain fully un-minced if I had everything squared away by 2.

In theory, I should love traditional mincemeat. I'm a huge fan of a meat 'n sweet one-two punch -- especially when there's cookin' booze involved -- but I've never been able to wrap my head around the flavor of suet. It's the hard fat from around the loins and kidneys of sheep and cows, isn't especially full and meaty like lard, and is possessed of a particularly high melting point, making it the perfect base fat for many classic British steamed puddings. It seems to be the definitive flavoring agent in all the mincemeat I've had, but I've not been able to convince myself to care for it. I tend to be a stickler when it comes to ingredient lists for traditional dishes from my vintage cookbooks, but I'm wondering if there's a fat I can sub in that would render a texture that would cleave closely to the original. Most suet-centric recipes I've come across warn that the use of butter, margarine, lard, shortening et al leaves the whole dish overly greasy and flat, but if any of y'all have met with a successful swap, I'm all ears. There may even be a bit of Spotted Dick in it for you.

Other Cooking and Traveling the Cape Cod Way highlights include Forefather's Day Succotash (look for that recipe on December 21st), Beach Plum Jelly, Irish Moss Pudding, Scootin'-Long-The-Shore, Skully Joe and a wicked lot of mouthwatering Portuguese cookery. I'm more than happy to share if there's any interest.

Here is a fun little site - personal recommendations on Cape Cod Ice-cream shops.

It uses the functionality of Google Maps to give ratings for each location. You can also, of course, get driving directions. Each map point links to a blog review. Ben and Bills Chocolate Emporium in 'historic' Falmouth receives a great review - five cones on their recommendation scale. They also recommend the Specials - Buttercrunch in the winter, LOBSTER!!! (yes real lobster) in the summer.

Find the Goole Map at http://www.icecream.thesietch.org/maps/icecreammap.htm and the website at http://icecream.thesietch.org/