"gratin" news and stories

• Studio City is keepin' it fresh...making it one of the top farmers markets in the San Fernando Valley.
• Comfort food, thy name is gratin.
• What goes into brewing a top-notch sake? For one thing, a major commitment.
• If pork is king, its palace is Habuya, in Tustin.

Photo: thebittenword.com, Flickr.

As cooler temperatures brighten the appeal of a toasty kitchen, gratins become increasingly enticing. We find ourselves plotting to spend afternoons by the oven creating warming dishes in anticipation of cold-weather weeks, since there's hardly anything more comforting than coming home to a ready-made meal that needs only to be popped into the oven.

And what could be more appropriate than this Root-Vegetable Gratin adapted by the bloggers at thebittenword.com. Clay and Zach boast that "the sweetness of the squash and sweet potatoes plays perfectly off the more earthy, turnip-y taste of the rutabaga." And yet as polished as this gratin may appear, the dish involves little more than the assembly and baking of mandoline-sliced vegetables, with the addition of heavy cream, chicken broth and a light panko topping. Check out Food & Wine's original recipe here and a plethora of gratin inspirations here.

Become a member of the Slashfood Flickr pool to get a shot at having your photos featured in Feast Your Eyes.

Homemade mustard and ketchup. Photo: YumSugar

Each Thursday, we round up a selection of scrumptious links from our friends over at YumSugar. Here's what they've got cooking this week:

Forget that stuff on the shelf. This summer, make your own ketchup and mustard.

Going vintage can make for a stylish bachelorette party.

Fresh tomatoes are hard to resist, but for a warm alternative try Gratin of Tomato and Bread.

Jicama turns tired coleslaw into a sprightly condiment or side dish.

Eating fruit becomes even more fun when you make it a taste test.

The St. Germain Cocktail is a refreshing mix of sparkling white wine, St. Germain and club soda.

Rare to well-done ... How do you order your burger?

I think all Thanksgiving tables need some nice, slow-cooked cruciferous veggies - roasted Brussels sprouts with browned butter and pecans, braised spiced cauliflower. Or how about this winner: Savoy cabbage gratin, made with rich, triple-cream cheese. Molly at Orangette has adapted a recipe from Molly Stevens, and oh, does it look tempting. All you need to do is saute sliced cabbage and scallions in some butter, add a bit of stock and bake in a gratin dish before tossing on some flavorful cheese. The original recipe calls for a Saint-Marcellin; Molly subs a Delice de Bourgogne.

Source

• What can you do with cherry tomatoes? Many things.
• An in-depth investigation of Boston lunch carts.
• Yes, you can make a simple relish with cabbage!
• The pleasing history of cornmeal.
• This week is the last week for Boston's Restaurant Week (yup, it actually lasted two weeks).
• A review of Sleep On It, a new book with recipes for bed & breakfast owners.
• More recipes: Peach and Blueberry Cobbler; Gratin of Squash, Tomatoes, and Mozzarella; and Pattypan Squash Stuffed with Corn and Feta.