Apple Cider

Ah, the lure of cold-weather culture. Where is it written that autumn comes clothed in brilliant reds and golds, chilly nights and brisk days? That children bundle up to pick out their pumpkins while grown-ups sip hot apple cider? Lots of books, that's where. It is the Official View of Autumn. It says right here in one of those books--published back East--that autumn is when Jack Frost softly glazes that land with icy dew, and kids get to jump into huge piles of gaudily colored leaves.

For a dinner at home last night, just the two of us, we made steamed mussels - not our usual recipe that involves lots of freshly cracked black pepper, but “mussels with bacon, apple and shallot” from the new book and iPad app “ Lark: Cooking Against the Grain .” I liked Lark chef John Sundstrom's idea of including a splash of apple cider, apple cider vinegar and a diced Granny Smith apple in the broth, along with thin rings of...

Question: I recently purchased a beef melt. Can you give me instructions for basic preparation? Also, I remember my mother forming a pocket and stuffing this cut. Would you have such a recipe? Answer: For those unfamiliar with the cut, beef melt is the steer's spleen. According to information from the National Live Stock & Meat Board, spleen may be cut into small pieces, dredged in seasoned flour and fried with onion in hot oil.

The first day of fall. Autumnal equinox. Whatever you want to call it, we're starting a new season today. You might even say we're turning over a new leaf. Get it? The autumnal equinox ushers in the change from summer to fall. You've no doubt noticed the shift of late. Dawn arrives later, making it harder to get out of bed in the morning. Night falls much more quickly. PHOTOS: Stunning fall foliage "The days are getting shorter, and day and night are approximately equal in length," explains the EarthSky website.

It's the weekend before Coachella and you're already plotting where and when you'll make your designated driver stop on your way there. A good place to start would be Ra Pour, Rancho Cucamonga's slick lounge and global cuisine haven, with cocktails created by mixology heavy hitter, Ryan Magarian. Take the appropriately named Rock & Rose (did Magarian know you were heading to a music festival?!), made with vodka, earthy apple cider, a hint of rose essence and fragrant Lillet Rouge, this drink is so light and pleasing that you just might write a song about it. -- Rock & Rose by Ryan Magarian 1½ ounces vodka ½ ounce Lillet Rouge ½ ounce lemon juice ½ ounce rose essence 1 ½ ounce cloudy apple cider 1 dash orange bitters Combine all ingredients in shaker with ice. Shake, strain, and strain into a martini glass.

It's the End of the Year as We Know It Servings: 1 Total time: 4 minutes Note: From Devon Espinosa of Ink. You can use your favorite apple cider; Espinosa uses Zeigler's organic. To make simple syrup, combine equal parts water and sugar in a saucepan and heat until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and cool before using. To juice the ginger, puree the ginger root and strain, discarding the solids. 1 1/2 ounces spiced apple cider 1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice 1/2 ounce simple syrup 1/2 ounce fresh ginger juice (from about 2 ounces fresh ginger)

For a dinner at home last night, just the two of us, we made steamed mussels - not our usual recipe that involves lots of freshly cracked black pepper, but “mussels with bacon, apple and shallot” from the new book and iPad app “ Lark: Cooking Against the Grain .” I liked Lark chef John Sundstrom's idea of including a splash of apple cider, apple cider vinegar and a diced Granny Smith apple in the broth, along with thin rings of...

The shacks along the side of country roads that during the summer sold corn, tomatoes and zucchini are now overflowing with early apples. Their aroma reminds you that cooler weather is not far away.

WHEN Susan Herrmann Loomis decided to put together a cookbook, it was understandable that her first effort be devoted to the subject she adores: seafood--all kinds of seafood, including salmon from Alaska, blue crabs from the Chesapeake Bay and crawfish from Louisiana. Loomis--a chef, food writer, cooking teacher and admitted "seafood junkie"--began her research not at the kitchen range but aboard fishing boats in fishing communities from one end of North America's coastal waters to the other.

The first day of fall. Autumnal equinox. Whatever you want to call it, we're starting a new season today. You might even say we're turning over a new leaf. Get it? The autumnal equinox ushers in the change from summer to fall. You've no doubt noticed the shift of late. Dawn arrives later, making it harder to get out of bed in the morning. Night falls much more quickly. PHOTOS: Stunning fall foliage "The days are getting shorter, and day and night are approximately equal in length," explains the EarthSky website.

It's the weekend before Coachella and you're already plotting where and when you'll make your designated driver stop on your way there. A good place to start would be Ra Pour, Rancho Cucamonga's slick lounge and global cuisine haven, with cocktails created by mixology heavy hitter, Ryan Magarian. Take the appropriately named Rock & Rose (did Magarian know you were heading to a music festival?!), made with vodka, earthy apple cider, a hint of rose essence and fragrant Lillet Rouge, this drink is so light and pleasing that you just might write a song about it. -- Rock & Rose by Ryan Magarian 1½ ounces vodka ½ ounce Lillet Rouge ½ ounce lemon juice ½ ounce rose essence 1 ½ ounce cloudy apple cider 1 dash orange bitters Combine all ingredients in shaker with ice. Shake, strain, and strain into a martini glass.

It's the End of the Year as We Know It Servings: 1 Total time: 4 minutes Note: From Devon Espinosa of Ink. You can use your favorite apple cider; Espinosa uses Zeigler's organic. To make simple syrup, combine equal parts water and sugar in a saucepan and heat until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and cool before using. To juice the ginger, puree the ginger root and strain, discarding the solids. 1 1/2 ounces spiced apple cider 1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice 1/2 ounce simple syrup 1/2 ounce fresh ginger juice (from about 2 ounces fresh ginger)

Don't gasp. That bug floating in the soup is the entree. It is, anyway, if Ron Taylor served up the dish. The former UC Irvine entomologist, who gained fame as the Bug Chef for his cookbooks and public appearances promoting the benefits of insect-eating, held a cooking demonstration Saturday at the Fullerton Arboretum, serving his "worm oatmeal cookies" and "insect trail mix" to a largely grossed-out crowd of youngsters and their parents.

On a cold day in London, businessmen who don't rush home for dinner often pop into a local pub and sip a hard cider before hopping on the tube. Ciders are a fast-growing segment of the drinks market in England, accounting for about 10% of all alcoholic beverages sold in pubs. And now, almost overnight, cider is taking off in the United States--largely without fanfare. Indeed, the word "cider" itself isn't well understood; many people believe that it refers to apple juice.

The shacks along the side of country roads that during the summer sold corn, tomatoes and zucchini are now overflowing with early apples. Their aroma reminds you that cooler weather is not far away.

Ah, the lure of cold-weather culture. Where is it written that autumn comes clothed in brilliant reds and golds, chilly nights and brisk days? That children bundle up to pick out their pumpkins while grown-ups sip hot apple cider? Lots of books, that's where. It is the Official View of Autumn. It says right here in one of those books--published back East--that autumn is when Jack Frost softly glazes that land with icy dew, and kids get to jump into huge piles of gaudily colored leaves.

Marlene Dietrich walked into Cafe Linz wearing a silver fox stole and a wide-brimmed hat drawn over one eye. She slipped into a banquette against the wall facing the cuckoo clock. A puff of smoke oozed from red lips. Humphrey Bogart, with sad eyes and an enigmatic grin on his face, tipped his hat at Dietrich as if to give her a sign and sat near the carved table, his face partially hidden by the vase filled with paper flowers. He snapped open a newspaper and ordered schnapps.

Thanksgiving, among the most colorful of American holidays, was first celebrated at a dinner the Pilgrims served in 1621, with roast native turkey accompanied by Indian pudding and succotash, both made from native corn. The domesticated birds, said to have first been eaten by the Aztec Indians, were introduced in Europe in the early 16th Century, where they scored an immediate hit.

WHEN Susan Herrmann Loomis decided to put together a cookbook, it was understandable that her first effort be devoted to the subject she adores: seafood--all kinds of seafood, including salmon from Alaska, blue crabs from the Chesapeake Bay and crawfish from Louisiana. Loomis--a chef, food writer, cooking teacher and admitted "seafood junkie"--began her research not at the kitchen range but aboard fishing boats in fishing communities from one end of North America's coastal waters to the other.

Question: I recently purchased a beef melt. Can you give me instructions for basic preparation? Also, I remember my mother forming a pocket and stuffing this cut. Would you have such a recipe? Answer: For those unfamiliar with the cut, beef melt is the steer's spleen. According to information from the National Live Stock & Meat Board, spleen may be cut into small pieces, dredged in seasoned flour and fried with onion in hot oil.