• A big selection of cookie and candy recipes for the holidays.
• I'm not much of a seafood fan, but I do love scallops.
• Want to cook a goose this Christmas? It's easier than you think.
• A look back at some of the best cookbooks released in 2007.
• Globe food photographer Beatrice Peltre won an award from the Well-Fed Network for her work.
• Restaurant reviews: Jalapenos and Little Mexico.
• This week's recipes: Chocolate and Walnut Torte, Gingersnaps, Saturday Afternoon Pasta, Soy-Glazed Baby Back Ribs, and Omelet Sante.

We've already featured a book by Steve Raichlen about how to grill, which covers all the basics you need to know about grilling, but Raichlen's newest book covers everything you need to know about grilling ribs. Raichlen on Ribs, Ribs, Outrageous Ribs is all about what Raichlen describes as "the most perfect morsel of meat known to man." To make sure everyone can appreciate this truth, he cooks every kind of rib in just about every way you can imagine, with 75 recipes that utilize techniques like direct grilling and spit-roasting and flavors from all over the world. His meticulous, easy-to-follow style ensures that recipes like "First-Timer's Ribs" and "The One Rib Recipe Everyone Should Know" are guaranteed success. And that's saying something, since ribs are not always the easiest piece of meat to cook well.

In addition to the meats, which range from pork ribs to fish ribs, there are also celery ribs (for vegetarians) and banana, uh, "ribs" to wrap up a meaty meal.

The name Steaks, Chops, Roasts & Ribs just about says it all when it comes to this cookbook. It's a book from the editors of Cook's Illustrated and, true to form, it is a book that cuts right through any fluff and tells you what you want - and need - to know about cooking these cuts of meat. The detailed instructions will walk you through buying, prepping and cooking meat, even if it's your first time, and they will shed light on questions that plague even experienced cooks, such as how long and appropriate resting time is and which type of cut is the best for pan-searing. The recipes have been tested until they are virtually fool-proof, a standard that Cook's Illustrated's exhaustive recipe testing strives to guarantee. There are no show-stopping illustrations and, though some variety is given, you would do best to look into one of their other cookbooks to diversify your cooking; there is no question that this is a great primer on meats that will allow you to cook any cut with confidence.

I think that ribs are best when they are falling apart and so tender that you almost need a spoon to eat them. I know that many people prefer ribs that have some chew to them, but I never liked the feeling that I was gnawing at a bone. For me, meltingly soft meat is the way to go. A slow cooker is the perfect way to achieve this outstanding texture because it keeps the meat perfectly juicy as it cooks at a low heat. All you need to do is buy some baby back ribs, cut each slab in half to make sure they fit in your cooker and peel off the silverskin (silvery white connective tissue on the underside of the ribs). Then, simply layer the ribs with barbeque sauce and set the timer. I use 3-4 pounds of baby back ribs in my 5-quart slow cooker, though it could easily hold more. Refer to your manual for the exact capacity. I cook them on high for about 5 hours or low for 6-8. Towards the end of the cooking time, it is best to test them with a fork just to be certain the meat is done.

You can use any barbeque sauce for a recipe like this one. The homemade sauce recipe below has a nice tang to it and it goes very well with pork. I like to use dry spices in barbeque sauces because they’re always on hand and they flavors meld well as the sauce cooks.

Slow cookers are one of the most useful appliances you can have in your kitchen, even more so if you don't enjoy cooking or you have a busy schedule that keeps you running around and not working over the stove. You can toss together a soup or meat dish in the morning in about five minutes and when you return from work in the evening, you'll have a hot, home cooked meal waiting for you. In addition, everything cooks together, which means that you'll only have one pot to clean. Some recipes will call for the meat (or even vegetables) to be browned before adding them in, but this is almost never really necessary.

Slow cookers cook foods for long periods of time at low temperatures. Modern slow cookers often have an automatic shutoff or a super-low "warm" setting that will protect both your food and your home when you are not around to watch, so they are safe to use any time, unlike the stove or the oven. They are ideal for cooking lean or inexpensive pieces of meat because they trap juice and steam as they cook the meat, allowing the meat to become moist and tender, preventing it from shrinking or toughening. The long, slow cooking process also allows flavors to meld and blend, making it an ideal way to cook soups and stews, too.