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We're starting to think about holiday entertaining, and for us, that means appetizers. Our hors d'oeuvre tables are usually filled with cheese, bread, olives and other no-fuss nibbles, but we like to do one or two special items that deserve a little special attention.

These candies may look like cookies and cream Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, but they're actually homemade treats that are packing some really interesting flavors. Read more about them below, plus how quince made a comeback and an easier way to make stock.

TV dinners! Natalie Portman! Vegetables! This week's episode of Top Chef brought us another movie star vegetarian challenge and some interesting interpretations of what constitutes a "protein."

Note: We reveal the winner and losers below ...

We know some of you like to listen to A Prairie Home Companion while you're cooking. Maybe you caught last week's episode when Garrison Keillor talk-sang a little song about late-night guilty pleasures like fried eggs with mustard, a familiar panini and chocolate bacon cake. If not, have a listen below.

Still have a few green tomatoes hanging around? This sweet pie would be glad to have them. Plus, more ideas for Eggs en Cocotte, the buggy reality of vegan wine, and rediscovering the fun of cooking with pork ragu.

The always exciting Restaurant Wars episode took on a few new twists in this episode, not the least of which was a focus on sustainable seafood.

Note: We reveal the winner and losers below ...

We usually think of deconstructed dishes as something best left for restaurants and Top Chef contestants. But this fondue recipe – made with just two ingredients and served with a shot on the side – may have changed our minds.

The new PBS show Gourmet's Adventures with Ruth will begin airing tomorrow in select markets, less than two weeks after Condé Nast announced it would cease production of the magazine. Are you excited to see this remaining extension of the brand?

Celebrate El Dia de Los Muertos with a cup of rich, creamy Champurrado. Plus, foods for the Hindu new year celebration Diwali, support for sustainable local farms in St. Louis, and a fall vegetable gratin.

We love a good pairing, so this week's episode was right up our alley. The challenges featured both high- and low-end combinations, both good and bad.

Note: We reveal the winner and losers below ...

We spent a chilly morning at the Dane County Farmers' Market in Madison, Wis., this past Saturday and despite a few early snow flurries, harvest season was still in full swing.

Twelve South Carroll
Madison, Wisconsin
(608) 255-2430
www.fromagination.com

A relatively new addition to the capital square in Madison, Wis., Fromagination is a cheese and specialty food shop with a real commitment to local food and producers.

At the risk of overdoing the post-mortem Gourmet coverage, we're looking back at one of our favorite vegetarian recipes from the magazine: Kemp's Black Beans from Executive Food Editor Kemp Minifie. If you're looking for the quintessential vegetarian black bean recipe, look no further.