Super soup ideas
Start a holiday feast with a selection from the new Garden Soup line from Dole Packaged Foods. The smooth textured soups are an easy first course. Perhaps Carrot Ginger (sweet, ginger kick) sprinkled with fresh herbs. Or Roasted Garlic Tomato Basil (delicious) with grated Parmesan. Or make Sweet Corn substantial with cooked potato chunks and crumbled cooked bacon. There's also a Tomato Vegetable and spiced Southwestern Black Bean & Corn. $3.49 for a 26-ounce carton (three 1-cup servings). Store locator: dole.com.
Sweet slice of history
Anne Haynie Collins stirs a few pie-making tips into the history and recipes of her new book, "Vintage Pies" (The Countryman Press, $21.95). At the heart of her book? A celebration of custard, fruit, cream, transparent (egg-sugar-butter fillings) and cake pies plus favorites such as apple, black walnut and chess. Her family's crust recipe dates to the 1880s (and uses lard). The author soothes bakers rattled by patched crusts and weeping meringues: "A pie's purpose is not to be beautiful; rather to be eaten and savored." At bookstores nationwide.
Sauced, spiced nice
If you enjoy sauces and marinades cooked up by Stubb's Legendary Bar-B-Q in Austin, Texas, you'll like the new line of Stubb's Cookin' Sauces: Smokehouse Bourbon, Bar-B-Q Slider, Chili Fixins and Hatch Chile. Each package comes with a spice packet and cooking sauce; Hatch and Slider have finishing sauces as well. They work in the skillet or slow cooker and we found the Hatch a snap to prepare (with chicken) and loved the flavors and spice level (not mouth numbing). $4.99. At supermarkets nationwide. stubbsbbq.com.
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