"season" news and stories

This week's episode of Bravo's Top Chef introduced a couple of elements that we saw a lot of last season: junk food and kids. The two did not really tie in together, but it was interesting to see how this season's competitors responded to these challenges, as compared with the last group of potential Top Chefs.

Junk food came in to play during the quickfire challenge, where the chefs were allowed to pick a total of four items from two vending machines as the ingredients to prepare an amuse bouche. The guest judge for this episode was Susanna Goin, the head chef of Lucques and AOC in Los Angeles. She is known for simple, yet innovative, dishes, so she was a good choice as a judge to evaluate what the chefs could do with relatively common "ingredients."

When fall comes around, pies are one of the best desserts you can bring to the table, whether you are opting for pumpkin or the fruitier flavors from apples, pears and cranberries. The crust is usually the most difficult part for most cooks, but once you have mastered the dough-making technique (or have broken down and purchased ready made-dough), the job is only halfway done. The second challenge is to make the crust look presentable. Fortunately, there are a couple of gadgets that can help. One is a lattice cutter, which can simply be pressed down into the dough to punch out a traditional-looking, although not actually interwoven, lattice top for your pie. If you want to make your lattice a little more creative, you can opt for the new oak-leaf lattice cutter, instead. The other thing that will really spruce up your pie is a set of piecrust cutters, which punch out little seasonal shapes from your dough. They can be used to create vents in the top layer of the crust or you can punch out shapes from the unused scraps of crust and use them to decorate the surface of the pie.

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The reason that one-pot dishes are so popular in the fall and winter is that they tend to be heartier meals, with slow-cooked vegetables and meats. The only problem with the one pot meals is that when it's cold outside, you're actually more likely to want to say in and do something complicated in the kitchen. But I digress. The Really, Truly, Honest-to-Goodness One-Pot Cookbook is a book of relatively simple one-pot dishes that are satisfying, but surprisingly innovative, which makes the book a lot more appealing than your average collection of stew recipes. In fact, they're not limited to stews and Dutch-oven recipes at all, some are made in a skillet or wok and the recipes are not limited to winter vegetables, so you'll get plenty of use out of the book all year round. The dishes include Moroccan Chicken with Cous Cous, Spice Coast Vegetable Curry, Short Ribs with Steamed Seasonal Vegetables and Cornmeal Crusted Halibut with Tomato and Pepper Stew. The chapters are divided up by main ingredient, whether pork, poultry or vegetarian, and there are a few general tops on one-pot/pan/dish/wok cooking, as well.

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It's that time of year again. I'm not talking about the holiday season or the fact that there is a whole new array of winter vegetables in the produce aisle. I'm talking about the fact that late fall is when Nabisco puts out Mallomars again. Mallomars are a cross between cookies and candy, with a fluffy marshmallow topping a crispy cookie, all covered in a thin layer of dark chocolate. It is the chocolate layer, which hasn't been replaced with a chocolate-flavored, heat resistant substance, that makes Mallomars so vulnerable to destruction in warm weather. They are at the top of the snacking pyramid for marshmallow lovers and, as they are only readily available for a few weeks each year, they are quite the hot item, despite the fact that they can only be sold when the weather is cool.

They have been around since 1913, so they have nostalgic appeal in addition to generally being appealing to new, younger audiences. The place where Mallomars are the most popular is New York, which Kraft/Nabisco says makes of 70% of its annual sales of the treat. Not only that, but some of the vendors that carry it say it is their best selling cookie all year - probably because people are stocking up for the off season.

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Jonathan was exactly right to point out that hot chocolate season is just picking up and, of course, there is no better way to get it started than with some new ideas for making some at home. Hot Chocolate: 50 Heavenly Cups of Comfort is a book full of indulgent renditions of a favorite treat, featuring high-quality chocolates and many twists that will keep the drink interesting night after night. At the beginning of the book there is some basic information to start you off on the right track, such as an overview of the basic types of chocolate and a reminder that cocoa is, in fact, good for you - just in case you were having any second thoughts about some of the richer recipes. The drinks include regional recipes, such as Ecuadorian Heirloom Hot Chocolate, spirited recipes that include Mint Julep Hot Chocolate and Hot Chocolate Nog, and ones that are just plain delicious, like Peanut Butter Dream Hot Chocolate, Vanilla Hot Chocolate and Classic American Hot Chocolate.

Don't forget the marshmallows!

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