Food News

October

EVERYDAY FOOD

on our bookshelf

Family Matters

Lucinda Scala Quinn—chef, author, and our beloved former food director—is at it again, this time with Mad Hungry Family. The final cookbook in her Mad Hungry trilogy is chock-full of “lifesaver lessons” and quick recipes for family meals. In this “Pinky Pasta,” seasoned tomato paste stands in for sauce, which embodies Quinn’s resourceful approach of turning pantry staples into delicious dishes: “If you have some dry pasta in the cupboard, plus water, salt, a pot, and a flame, there’s not much else you need to make a decent dinner,” she says. (For the recipe, go to marthastewart.com/pinky-pasta.)

Mad Hungry Family (Artisan, $28).

No canned tomatoes? No problem! This flavorful sauce is made with chicken broth and tomato paste.

treat to try

OPEN SESAME

Finding high-quality halvah, a crumbly Middle Eastern sweet made from sesame paste and sugar, is getting easier, thanks to purveyors like New York City’s Seed + Mill (seedandmill.com), whose inventive flavors include pistachio (shown). Eat it in small pieces, sprinkle it over brownies before baking, or pair it with dates and cheese for a sweet-salty bite.

sip & repeat

BEYOND BEER

Tailgate season is upon us—but why stick to just Pilsners and pale ales? We sampled dozens of bottles to select three new fall favorites.

CRISP & BOLD

Hollows & Fentimans Alcoholic Ginger Beer Based on a family recipe dating back to 1905, this aromatic drink is made with fermented Chinese ginger root, which gives it a spicy bite.

SWEET & SMOOTH

Small Town Brewery Not Your Father’s Root Beer For the taste of soda but the buzz of beer, we love this earthy sarsaparilla sipper.

LIGHT & FLORAL

Wölffer No. 139 Dry White Cider The most delicate of the bunch is a blend of apples and pears from Long Island, New York.