Blog Posts by Sarah McColl, Shine staff

See how this omelet isn't at all brown? That's what you're going for.Omelets are kind of like parallel parking. They've got a reputation for being tricky, but once you've mastered them, you've got an official license for kitchen competence. We picked the brain of Marie Simmons, author of nearly two dozen cookbooks including the James Beard Award-winning The Good Egg, to learn how to master an omelet. (It's not as hard as you might think!)

Watch: Fabio Viviani makes a creamy, salty Italian frittata

THE EGGS
Two or three eggs is the perfect size for a single-serving omelet. "If making an omelet for two people, make two separate omelets or use 4 or 6 eggs for one larger, thicker, sturdier omelet. But an omelet cooks so quickly, it's easy to make one right after another."

When beating the eggs, some cooks swear by cream. Others by milk, water, or nothing at all. It's simply a matter of personal preference; experiment to see what you like best. "I prefer water because I find it steams the omelet and makes it fluffy and tender. Other cooks claim the same

There are some days--say, when it's raining and your shoes are decidedly not waterproof, or work is so insane you've been reduced to tears at your desk (again)--when only a bowl of pasta will do. In those moments, these comfort food recipes come to the rescue. Got an amazing pasta recipe that never failures to brighten up your evening? Join the Shine Supper Club by sharing it:

1. Write a blog post, on Shine or elsewhere, telling us about your favorite pasta recipe by Sunday 11:59PM PST, October 21st. Be sure to include a photo and a recipe.
2. Mention and link to the Shine Supper Club in your post: http://shine.yahoo.com/supper-club/
3. Tweet @yahooshine with a link to your post and include the hashtag #shinesupperclub. Aren't on Twitter? Email the link to shine_sarahmccoll@yahoo.com. We will compile the links and send them out to all participants to include in their post so all Supper Club members can share in the link love.
4. The community will vote on the

To the never-ending question of what's for dinner, allow us to offer three easy answers--in the form of one favorite ingredient--from the cookbook Weeknight Fresh + Fast: pasta. It's already one of our weekly go-to's (and the theme for this month's Shine Supper Club) but author Kristine Kidd ups the ante by smartly adding the flavors of fall to each of these recipes, making them just right for right now.

Penne with Mushrooms and Turkey SausageRecipe: Penne with Mushrooms and Turkey Sausage

"Woodsy mushrooms and fragrant rosemary say fall to me," Kristine told us, "and this is one of the first recipes I make each year when the weather starts to turn cool."

3/4 oz dried porcini mushrooms
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3/4 pound hot Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
10-12 oz button mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
coarse kosher salt and freshly-ground pepper
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 bay leaf
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
12 oz penne pasta, preferably

You know what I love about these two recipes? They are as different as different can be, but both inspired by the same Shine Supper Club theme: pasta. That's one of the beauties of cooking, and what a blogging collective like the Supper Club can showcase: cooking is a springboard for creativity, and an opportunity for us to bring our ideas, personal preferences, and whatever we are hungry for at that moment to bear at every meal. Join us this month for a chance to win a copy of Weeknight Fresh + Fast. Here's how it works:

1. Write a blog post, on Shine or elsewhere, telling us about your favorite pasta recipe by Sunday 11:59PM PST, October 21st. Be sure to include a photo and a recipe.
2. Mention and link to the Shine Supper Club in your post: http://shine.yahoo.com/supper-club/
3. Tweet @yahooshine with a link to your post and include the hashtag #shinesupperclub. Aren't on Twitter? Email the link to shine_sarahmccoll@yahoo.com. We will compile the links and send them out to all

Happy October, Shine Supper Club! This month's theme is dedicated to one of our favorite cheap, versatile, and fast ingredients: pasta! Bake it in a casserole, toss it with a quick sauce, just be sure to join this month's club by sharing your favorite way to make those irresistible noodles. You and your blog could be featured on Shine. Here's how it works:

1. Write a blog post, on Shine or elsewhere, telling us about your favorite pasta recipe by Sunday 11:59PM PST, October 21st. Be sure to include a photo and a recipe.
2. Mention and link to the Shine Supper Club in your post: http://shine.yahoo.com/supper-club/
3. Tweet @yahooshine with a link to your post and include the hashtag #shinesupperclub. Aren't on Twitter? Email the link to shine_sarahmccoll@yahoo.com. We will compile the links and send them out to all participants to include in their post so all Supper Club members can share in the link love.
4. The community will vote on the winning recipe to be featured on the Shine

Oil-Free Autumn GranolaHow smart is this? Diana, blogger at The Chic Life, dreamed up another way for us to eat pumpkin (which we can't seem to get enough this time of year) that's smart and super healthy, to boot. Bake up a pan of your favorite granola, but replace the oil used to coat the oats and nuts with canned pumpkin puree. Clever, right? We love that this method nips some of granola's usual calories in the bud while still striking a perfectly seasonal note. If you're not into the all-pumpkin-all-the-time moment happening right now, you could also use applesauce instead.

Recipe: Oil-Free Autumn Granola

For all you pumpkin fans out there, what else are your favorite ways to use it?

As if the drop in temperatures didn't make us eager enough to close the grill, pack up the picnic basket, and get back in the kitchen, a new rash of fall cookbooks has us even more excited to tie our apron strings and turn on the oven.

The Smitten Kitchen CookbookThe Smitten Kitchen Cookbook Finally! Years in the making, the cookbook from one of our favorite food bloggers is here. Illustrated with the beautiful photographs we know and love (there's that familiar speckled counter) and Deb's easy-breezy writing, The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook is like having a friend sitting on your kitchen counter while you cook. Breakfast (whole-wheat raspberry ricotta scones) and sweets (salted brown butter crispy treats) especially shine--no surprise given Deb's baking prowess. amazon.com

Barefoot Contessa Foolproof
Barefoot Contessa Foolproof: Recipes You Can Trust We already trust Ina Garten implicitly. Her elegant upgrades to simple recipes somehow coax even more flavor out of common (but quality) ingredients. So duh, we can't wait to get our hands on

Jamie Sanders is the blogger behind Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom, and the cook behind the September Shine Supper Club's winning recipe, Peanut Sesame Noodles with Chicken. Peek into Jamie's cupboards and culinary brain:

What ingredient are you currently obsessed with?
I would have to say, beans! Black beans, pinto beans, white beans, even garbanzo beans. (I made a really good chocolate dip from garbanzos.) My entire family likes them and I add them to any dish I can.

Favorite food memory?
I am trying to make a few memories with my kids. We spend a lot of time in the kitchen and they frequently "assist." During the summer, we had a designated family cooking day each week and they loved it.

What's your go-to easy dinner?
Quesadillas. We always have tortillas, cheese and some sort of leftover to go in them.

Ketchup or mustard?
Ketchup

It's your last meal. What's on the menu?
A really good pizza, one with a deep dish/pan crust that is nice and crispy on the edges with mushrooms,