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"My fieriest burger yet! Some people, like me, love spicy burgers. My H-Bomb Burger is a great way to give them just what they want: the H-Bomb with fried serrano chiles, caramelized onions, habanero jack cheese, jalapeno, bacon, tomato, leaf lettuce and slathered with habanero relish and chipotle mayo all on a jalapeno-cheese bun. The devil made me do it!" - Richard Amiel, Cathedral City The H-Bomb Burger Total time: 2 hours, plus at least 24 hours marinating time for the relish and 2 hours chilling time for the burgers.

It's been years since Alto Palato closed, yet I can't drive down La Cienega past STK steakhouse without remembering the late Mauro Vincenti's last restaurant. I still see Vincenti in a cashmere golf sweater fussing over details. Danilo Terribili choosing the wines and running the dining room. Fredy Escobar in the kitchen. And Gino Rindone (now a manager at Angelini Osteria) manning the espresso machine and turning out authentic gelato. Gone, all gone. For the last few months, though, Alto Palato fans have slowly been finding their way to the new A1 Cucina Italiana on Robertson Boulevard, where some of the old team is re-creating the spirit of the old restaurant.

Dear SOS: I get to Denver a few times a year, and at Elway's restaurant in the Ritz-Carlton, they serve a terrific charred roasted red pepper soup. Can you get the recipe? Dave Wohl Sudbury, Mass. Dear Dave: Elway's was happy to share its recipe for this flavorful (and completely vegan) charred red pepper soup. I liked adding a little crumbled fresh cheese for garnish (which makes it not vegan but still vegetarian), but you can top it however you wish.

So I'm coming out of Staples the other night, and I look at the fan next to me on the street. "Katzenberg!!!" I yell, when it turns out to be just another one of those steely eyed bald dudes that L.A. produces like pigeons. I avert what could've been an embarrassing moment by skipping down the street shouting out famous names randomly. "Minnie Driver! Donald Duck!" as if suffering from some sort of celebrity-induced dementia. "Mel Gibson! Larry Hagman! Donna Reed!" Which brings us, obviously, to the Super Bowl, where language is also a powerful tool when used correctly, or preferably incorrectly.

Nikujaga (braised sukiyaki-style beef with potatoes and onions) Total time: 1 hour Servings: 2 to 3 Note: Nikujaga is a Japanese beef stew that tastes even better the second day, reheated. You can use ichibandashi or the thinner nibandashi for this. Thin slices of pork can be substituted for beef. Thinly sliced sukiyaki-style beef can be found at Japanese markets. 1 pound baking potatoes, preferably smaller 1 small onion 3/4 pound thinly sliced sukiyaki-style beef 2 tablespoons vegetable oil About 3 cups of dashi (enough to cover the ingredients in the pan)

Miso soup with crispy age tofu, nappa cabbage and green onions Total time: 30 minutes Servings: 4 Note: Do not reheat the miso soup after the miso has been added; the flavor diminishes with reheating. Miso paste is generally available in the Asian sections of well-stocked supermarkets, as well as at Asian markets; age tofu (deep-fried tofu) is available at Japanese markets. 1 quart dashi 3 to 4 tablespoons miso paste (red or white or koji miso paste)

Potato latkes with feta cheese and two onions Total time: 50 minutes Servings: Makes 1½ to 2 dozen latkes 2 pounds baking potatoes 1/2 cup boiling water 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra olive oil (or an olive oil/canola blend) for frying 1 1/2 cups finely chopped red onion 2 green onions, chopped 2 to 4 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour, potato flour or tapioca flour 5 1/2 ounces feta cheese (about 1/2 cup), finely crumbled 1 egg Salt and pepper 1. Scrub the potatoes (do not peel)

Coq au vin Total time: 1 1/2 hours Servings: 6 to 8 3/4 cup diced bacon 4 pounds chicken thighs and drumsticks 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided 3/4 teaspoon pepper, divided 2 sliced onions (halved lengthwise and thinly sliced lengthwise) 3/4 teaspoon thyme 3 cloves garlic, crushed 1 bay leaf 1/2 cup canned, chopped tomatoes 2 cups red wine, divided 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, divided 1 tablespoon oil 5 tablespoons butter, divided 24 pearl onions, peeled 1 pound mushrooms, quartered 3 tablespoons flour 1/4 cup chopped parsley 1. Heat the pressure cooker insert and add the bacon.

Austrian cuisine gets short shrift around here. But whenever I get to New York, I eat at Kurt Gutenbrunner's Austrian bistro Wallse, which is why I was thrilled that he's got a cookbook out this season. As soon as I got my hands on a copy of "Neue Cuisine: The Elegant Tastes of Vienna," I was planning menus to test the recipes. Roasted squash soup with a touch of honey, swirled with iridescent green-red pumpkin seed oil, makes an autumnal first course. I made spätzle (squiggly noodles)