Visions of sugar cookies

By Kim Ode, Star Tribune

Last update: October 1, 2008 - 11:58 AM

Now that it's October, we can start thinking about holiday baking, which means that the Land O' Lakes holiday baking brochure is available. This year's theme for the five recipe cards is "Holiday Classics With a Twist," so the almond cookies include ricotta, and caramel-coated popcorn gets a chocolate drizzle. You can download the brochure at www.landolakes.com, or call 1-800-837-7702 to have one mailed. The website also includes recipes for 25 new holiday cookies. So get baking!

Scary stuff

For some people, Halloween is the year's top holiday, the one where you pull out all the stops, throw the biggest party, create the highest expectations, serve the best treats. If this is you, or if you need to keep up with the Moans-es (sorry), a new book from Women's Day special interest publications may help. "A Ghostly Good Time: The Family Halloween Handbook" ($10.99, Filipacchi) contains recipes (eyeballs, spiders, etc.), decorating ideas for both inside and out, costume directions (heavy on the cheesecloth) and party games. If the idea of sewing special Halloween chair covers sounds intriguing, even fun, then this book is for you.

Dining in, for a change

A recent study conducted by the Food Marketing Institute found that more than 70 percent of us are dining out less because of budget concerns. Yet eating at home means fewer choices and -- perhaps -- cooking skills that, well, could use some work. Seeking to come to the rescue is the Supervalu grocery chain, with its Culinary Circle that "enables consumers to enjoy restaurant-quality food right at home easily and affordably." More than 150 items range from Parmesan-artichoke dip to chicken Caesar salad to pork carnitas enchilada casserole to cheesecake. Supervalu says its Culinary Circle products will be priced 20 to 25 percent below casual restaurant food, and 10 to 15 percent lower than other premium national brands. Supervalu stores include Cub Foods.

Voice of experience

Chef Jacques Pépin has been named one of 10 visionaries -- "Icons of Genius and Style" -- in this month's issue of Men's Vogue. Here's what he said when asked about becoming a more experienced cook: " ... the art of cooking is really the art of adjusting, or recovery -- that's what you see a real professional do. If you leave a chocolate roulade too long in the oven, you don't fight with it, you turn it into something else." So, just like that, permission granted.

KIM ODE