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A bit of a tough Dining Section in today's New York Times. The count-down to spring has started, but until there's more than last fall's apples and onions in season, we're still waiting for some culinary inspiration to hit. So is the staff of the Dining section: heading to New Orleans for stories, drumming up winter squash recipes, and ordering wine through the mail.

Slices of a Southern Summer: New Orleans chef Ken Smith of Upperline has his way with Fried Green Tomatoes - he tops them with shrimp rémoulade, an idea that came to the owner of Upperline in a dream.

A Vegetable (Well, Fruit) That Deserves Attention: The Minimalist wiggles out of his skinny left column this week for a full-page exploration of winter squash, beyond the old toss in butter and brown sugar and bake it approach, with recipes like Winter Squash and Pork Stir-Fry, Masala Winter Squash, and Raosted Winter Squash with Seared Cod. But we're wondering why he's depressing us, in the 11th hour of winter, with talk of winter squash.

For Salmon, Another Chapter in Farmed vs. Wild: A multilateral effort to lessen the environmental impact to coastal waters by salmon raised in open cages.