A good chunk of real Parmigiano-Reggiano (or other Italian grating cheese) can be found in pretty much any grocery store across the country. When it comes to quality and flavor, there truly is no comparison.

If you don’t already buy your Parmesan in wedges, get some of the good stuff on your next trip to the store and grate it over your pasta. The difference is undeniable.

With a wedge of hard cheese, you get two uses for the price of one.

When you’ve grated the cheese down to the rind, don’t throw it away! The rind can be an amazing flavor booster for soups, stocks, sauces and even pasta water.

Don’t throw away the rind of Parmigiano—or other fine cheeses. Photo courtesy AG Ferrari.

Pull the rind out before serving.

If you’re not planning to cook anything appropriate when you get down to the rind, wrap and save it until you do.

Or, you can toast the rinds and eat them.
FOOD 101: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PARMESAN AND PARMIGIANO?

Anyone in the world can make a cheese called “Parmesan,” using a recipe similar to authentic Parmigiano-Reggiano. While there are some perfectly fine Parmesans made in America and elsewhere, the same name is also used for that dried-out grated cheese sold in cardboard tubes.

The real-deal Parmigiano-Reggiano is regulated by law and must be produced in the Emilia Romagna region of Italy, and made by a cheesemaker who is a member of the Consorzio Formaggio Parmigiano-Reggiano (Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese Consortium, a self-governing body of dairies). The cheese is produced in accordance with strict regulations: Cheeses deemed not good enough to bear the stamp of Parmigiano-Reggiano are removed from the aging caves and declassified.

Parmigiano-Reggiano is one of the glories of the cheese world—and that includes its rind. Read more on the history and production of Parmigiano-Reggiano.
  

For better flavor, pop your corn from scratch!
Photo by Katharine Pollak | THE NIBBLE.

Everybody loves popcorn. It’s great for watching movies, you can fill a ziplock bag of it for an on-the-go snack and it’s a much healthier alternative to potato chips and other high-calorie snack foods. (Popcorn is a whole grain that helps you eat the recommended 48 grams daily.)

But with the modern convenience of microwavable popcorn, it seems much of the world is eating popcorn from nuked bags that are lackluster and artificially flavored (not to mention artificial-tasting).

By making your popcorn at home on the stove instead of in the microwave, you’ll find that it tastes more like popcorn and less like hydrogenated oil.

How To Get Started
All you need is a large, heavy-bottomed pot with a lid, some vegetable oil (preferably canola oil, a healthy, monousaturated fat with a good smoke point) and popping corn (which you can find at any grocery store, although we prefer the better flavor of gourmet popcorn kernels).

To yield about two quarts of popped popcorn, you need roughly half a cup of kernels and two tablespoons of oil.

Preparation
1. Start by cranking your stove up to high heat.

2. Toss the oil in the pot and add the popcorn kernels, then cover with the lid. As everything begins to heat up, you’ll hear the oil start to make some noise.

3. Keeping the lid on tightly, give the pot a good shake every 30 seconds or so to evenly distribute the heat and keep the kernels form burning. You will hear and see the popcorn start to pop, which is far more entertaining than in the microwave version!

4. Once the popping slows to one pop every three seconds or so, pull the pot off the heat and let it sit for a moment to let any stragglers catch up. At this point, you have a light, fresh, healthy snack.

But why stop there?

How To Make Gourmet Popcorn
Your microwave is probably jealous at this point, so bring it back into the mix by melting a couple tablespoons of butter to drizzle over your popcorn. (Want to avoid cholesterol? Use extra virgin olive oil or other flavored oil. Our favorite is truffle oil.)

Want even more flavor? Spend a moment foraging though your spice cabinet to punch up the flavor. Here are some flavor combinations to start with. For best results, start with butter and salt, and then continue to dress up your popcorn to make it:

Glove manufacturer Clean Ones researched consumer dissatisfaction and launched a new “premium” household glove, the Ultimate Latex Free Glove. It’s odor-free and allergen-free: no BPA , no phthalates and, of course, no latex.

The gloves are pink, and 10% of proceeds benefit the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation. The foundation funds breast cancer research, education, advocacy, health services and social support programs.

Here’s what else you get with these nifty household gloves:

Pretty in pink, and it contributes to
the Cure. Photo courtesy Good Ones.

The gloves are available at major retailers nationwide. Here’s a store locator.
  

Add pumpkin to your pasta. This delicious
baked ziti recipe uses sausage and spinach as
well. Photo courtesy Libby’s.

Not to mention pumpkin brownies, pumpkin cake, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin crème brulee, pumpkin crème caramel, pumpkin cupcakes, pumpkin fudge and chocolate truffles, pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin mousse, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin pudding, pumpkin tarts and pumpkin waffles.

(Are you ready to start cooking? See our recipe resources below.)

But pumpkin flesh, also called pumpkin meat, can—and should—be used for more than desserts and sweet treats. See how many different savory pumpkin dishes you can put on the table this season.

“Pumpkin season” doesn’t end with Thanksgiving dinner, either. This nutritious* vegetable is available through the winter. And it’s only 49 calories per cup, steamed or boiled. (Keep the calories down and the cholesterol away by seasoning with salt, pepper and your favorite spices (from cinnamon to chipotle), and using olive oil instead of butter.)

Pumpkin can be baked, boiled, microwaved, roasted, steamed, stir-fried and stuffed.

 
 
SOURCED FOR PUMPKIN RECIPES

 
See the different types of squash in our Squash Glossary.

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*Pumpkin is fat-free, cholesterol-free and an excellent source of vitamin A. The orange pigment is beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant that converts to vitamin A in the body. A diet rich in beta-carotene may reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancer, and offers protection against heart disease and other diseases, including some degenerative aspects of aging. Pumpkins are also a good source of vitamin C, a second powerful antioxidant, and deliver calcium and dietary fiber.

Need help teaching table manners to kids?

It can be trying, or it can be fun.

Golly Gee-pers! Table Manners Cards choose the fun way—one that eliminates nagging and prodding.

And you can get them just in time to impress relatives and friends at upcoming holiday dinners.

These easy-to-use “manners cards” make sure that kids are on their best behavior during every dining experience—at home, at other people’s homes and at restaurants. Children learn proper manners via fun games.

The funny-yet-respectful cards depict 14 different table manners, proper and improper, designated with a thumbs-up or a thumbs-down. Kids and adults alike compete for Ready To Dine Out awards.

Extra blank thumbs-up and thumbs-down cards can be used to address specific age groups, cultures, family rules, etc.

And surprise: adults will improve their table manners in the process, too.

Get your Golly Gee-pers! and have fun learning how to eat genteelly.

See how easy it is to turn your family into a class act at the table.