French DipThe city of Los Angeles, California has changed a lot since 1908, but one LA eatery has withstood the test of time, and that is Phillipe the Original. Phillipe's is LA's oldest restaurant and also the home of the French Dip sandwich. Legend has it that a police officer ordered a roast beef sandwich and the server accidentally dropped the French bread for the sandwich into the roasting juices from the meat. After apologizing and asking the police officer if he would like a new sandwich, the police officer politely told the server he would take that one. To his surprise he loved it and recommended it to all of his friends, and that is how the French Dip sandwich was born.

French Dip Sandwich

Recipe courtesy Phillipe the Original

1 small onion, chopped

1 small carrot, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 small leek, white part only, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 sprig fresh thyme

1/4 teaspoon dried sage

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon

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Now who would have guessed pork and beans could be a holiday-worthy dish?

I love the grandeur of a full crown roast of pork, replete with Frenched bones and their little frilly paper hats, but until I get a bigger apartment, my grandeur has to be on the modest side. Which is how I've become so enamored of the half rack of pork, brined and then slowly roasted. It has giant flavor, excellent kitchen-, oven-, and table-space economy, and visual punch.

Plus: Favorite Fall Recipes

The fava beans are another story of modest grandeur. Baked, yes. Beans, no doubt. But there the similarities to the baked beans you've had at campfires or in school cafeterias end. These beans are bright and juicy and creamy all at once, with a remarkable fresh lift from mint and fennel. The traditional components of tomato paste and molasses are replaced by whole peeled tomatoes and clear mild honey, which make all the difference in the world and elevate this dish to holiday status. I have made it

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A Savoy cabbage at Heritage Farm in Decorah, Iowa. By Deborah Madison

Recently, I was at Heritage Farm in Decorah, Iowa, getting some last images for my new book, "Vegetable Literacy." Although the late summer days were hot, it was chilly at 6 in the morning. Dew wet our feet and hems while gloves and socks, unthinkable until that moment, were very much desired. But the display garden at dawn mitigated any discomfort, especially the beds of Brassica vegetables - kale, collards, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbages - which had the whole summer to grow and were now displaying their enormous leaves.

RELATED: The best recipes for brassicas from the garden.

There's always that moment when a garden starts to sigh and sink and say, in so many plant expressions, "Enough. We're done." It looks so exhausted that you can't imagine there's much left to harvest. Probably all our gardens are looking this way about now. Yet if you dig around you often discover there are still a few more tomatoes yet to ripen, the Jerusalem artichokes are

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Hi, at least six weeks ago I nominated Maryanne Carrole for healer and I do not see her any where on your site. What should I do? She is not under any category anywhere. Why?

graham elliot at geb_2

Anyone who uses the phrase "Butter is [INSERT FOOD NAME HERE]'s best friend" is a man after my own heart. That's why talking bacon, branding, and yes, butter, with Graham Elliot was one of the most exciting experiences of my blogging career. The fact that he's down-to-earth, warm, passionate and eloquent was the buttercream icing on my cake.

Better with Butter: What would you say to home cooks who want to go "off recipe"?

Graham Elliot: I think the most important thing is unlearn everything you've been taught, and that's similar to anything that has an artistic bent to it-music, sculpture, poetry, etc., etc. To look at a recipe-a lot of people say, 'Use it as a blueprint and build off of it.' To me it's like, tear the recipe up and throw it away. Understand cultures and regions, and the idea of 'what goes together grows together,' and really start putting things together that way. Almost like jazz versus classical-don't read the sheet music, create it yourself.

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Halloween Recipe Ideas
Click above to take you to the What's Cookin' Italian Cuisine Site with more....

A versatile recipe Rice Krispie treats and always a favorite. I decided to use the original recipe and make these pumpkin pops, as usual they didn't last long! I added the recipe at the bottom of this post.



Some great ideas to make a haunting party! These are some fun things that adults and kids will love.

Here are some of the ideas past posts and the photo's above:

Ideas and more instructions? CLICK HERE


For more INSTRUCTIONS CLICK HERE


Mini marshmallows ghosts on toothpicks, nutter butter cookies with creepy sayings, oreo cookie crust with chocolate pudding pie filling



If your in a hurry and want something easy, even if your not a baker, anyone can make these 1,2,3 cake mix brownies Click HERE

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Claudia's Funnel Cake Recipe Click the title for the recipe

What better fried cake than this one in the South? No other! Here's a great recipe... easy and your kids will love it!



Funnel cakes are fun to make with the kids and also eat! Here in the South, these are popular at feasts, flea markets and other social events. You can make these for your family and friends when having company or a breakfast treat! Check out the photo's how easy these are, all you need is your index finger and a large holed funnel or zip lock baggie to make the design!

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Candy Corn Cake in a Jar

Baking cakes in jars has become the new favorite activity at our house. This is not exactly a big surprise; what preschooler wouldn't like to have fun baking brightly colored cakes for the holidays? Last month we did spiderweb cakes in jars, so this time we did candy corn colors. Candy Corn is also a favorite in our household, though I don't let my daughter have it very often. But what better time than Halloween? Here is how we have fun making candy corn tie-dye cake in a jar. Happy Halloween!

Related: 10 meals made with your favorite snack foods

Candy Corn Tie-Dye Cake in a Jar
Ingredients:
1 box white or yellow cake mix
Orange food paste
Yellow food paste
3 one-pint canning jars
1 can vanilla frosting
Candy corn

Directions:

1. Mix the cake mix according to directions and divided into three bowls. Use the orange food paste to make one of the bowls of batter bright orange. Make the second bright yellow. Leave the third bowl white.

2.

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