Thought I would share an update.... I made Ruthanna's apple cake with caramel icing to take to our church function. Only change was- I put chopped pecans in the cake, too. Everybody liked it. The icing is RICH! One guy came by and kept raving about how good it was and how much he loved it until I gave him the leftovers.(ok, I saved a piece for me to bring home. Shhh...) Alfred (Hubby) loved it, but said he liked his cake best without icing. I'm going to try LindaC's apple cake with the cake gravy on the side next. Our son loved it, too. He is happy he got his caramel fix. He said it was even better with bottled caramel sauce drizzled over his piece. Yes he did! (I tried a bite. Wasn't bad.) I sneaked in Walmart without son after church today to grab a couple of things on his Christmas list and found a Fine Cooking magazine in my basket at the checkout counter. :) Jude, My best successes have been with the T&T recipes I've found here. My guys will eat anything that doesn't eat them first! Feeding them is the easy part. The hardest part is filling them up for longer than an hour! Especially our son who is 17, 6'2" and is on the track team. Runs off everything he eats and is ALWAYS hungry! Momj47, I MUST read something all of the time! I can't take my laptop everywhere with me, but I NEVER leave home without a book or magazine. A donation would have been nice, but this was a perfect excuse I MEAN opportunity to expand my horizons in the culinary world AND help my Grandson's school. Win/Win. Hubby will be happy if I get a few good recipes from the subscription. See the part above about not filling them up! Thanks again, everyone. Don't know when I've had so much fun buying magazines. Betty

Cutting and pasting this one AM as we're salmon fans as well and are always happy to try doing it another way. Thanks for posting! SharonCb

San, Fine Cooking magazine is always a great source for new ways with vegetables. We love the recipe from them for Roasted Green Beans: Roasted Green Beans with Garlic Source: Marilyn (from Fine Cooking) 1 1/2 pound fresh green beans 1 small head garlic (I use only 6 to 8 cloves) 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon kosher salt Fresh ground pepper to taste 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese Wash, trim and dry green beans. Position oven rack in the top third of the oven and preheat to 450° (425° is using dark pan) and place a baking sheet in the oven. Peel each garlic clove and cut each into 4 pieces. Place green beans in a large bowl along with garlic, oil, salt and pepper; toss to coat evenly and pour onto hot baking sheet in a single layer. Roast beans for 10 minutes, stir and continue to roast another 5 minutes if beans are slim and another 10 minutes if beans are thick. Remove to serving dish and sprinkle with toasted pine nuts and grated parmesan cheese. And yesterday I made a wonderful cauliflower dish from them. The cauliflower is browned first so it makes a beautiful carmelized combination: Browned Cauliflower with Anchovies, Olives and Capers 1 medium-small head cauliflower (about 2 pounds) 1 large clove garlic pinch coarse salt- sea or kosher 6 oil packed anchovy filets, drained (I used 1 tablespoon anchovy paste) 1/4 cup EVOO 15 black olives, pitted and roughly chopped 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, more to taste (this really made the dish pop!) 2 teaspoons capers, roughly chopped (I left these whole) 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (I left out) Large pinch crushed red pepper flakes Clean and cut cauliflower into chunks, keeping florets attached to pieces of stem. Crush garlic with salt into a paste and add anchovies and pound them to a paste as well (since I used anchovy paste I just stirred it into crushed garlic). Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, olives, lemon juice and zest, capers and red pepper flakes; stir well. Heat 2 tablespoons EVOO in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat and add half the cauliflower pieces in a single layer, cut side down. Cook until cauliflower is well browned on all sides then transfer to plate. Add the remaining cauliflower and more EVOO if necessary and brown on all sides. Add cauliflower from plate to cauliflower in pan and turn the heat down to low. Carefully add 2/3 cup (I only used 1/4 cup) water; cover and let steam until the stems are just tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and pour off all but about 1 tablespoon cooking liquid (or place in a serving bowl). Gently fold in anchovy mixture. Serve warm or room temperature. *This is my new favorite way to eat cauliflower! Marilyn

Marilyn, that's such a pretty cake. I've only made once before, but this one is completely covered with the glaze (it's a recipe I tried from Bon Appetit). You're right - they're not difficult at all to make, but they sure do have a "wow" factor to them, don't they?! For cake 12 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces 6 large eggs, separated 12 tablespoons sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract For glaze 1/2 cup whipping cream 1/2 cup dark corn syrup 9 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped Chocolate shavings Make cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper or waxed paper; butter paper. Wrap outside of pan with foil. Stir chocolate and butter in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Cool to lukewarm, stirring often. Using electric mixer, beat egg yolks and 6 tablespoons sugar in large bowl until mixture is very thick and pale, about 3 minutes. Fold lukewarm chocolate mixture into yolk mixture, then fold in vanilla extract. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in another large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 6 tablespoons sugar, beating until medium-firm peaks form. Fold whites into chocolate mixture in 3 additions. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake cake until top is puffed and cracked and tester inserted into center comes out with some moist crumbs attached, about 50 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack (cake will fall). Gently press down crusty top to make evenly thick cake. Using small knife, cut around pan sides to loosen cake. Remove pan sides. Place 9-inch-diameter tart pan bottom or cardboard round atop cake. Invert cake onto tart pan bottom. Peel off parchment paper. Make glaze: Bring cream and corn syrup to simmer in medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Place cake on rack set over baking sheet. Spread 1/2 cup glaze smoothly over top and sides of cake. Freeze until almost set, about 3 minutes. Pour remaining glaze over cake; smooth sides and top. Place cake on platter. Chill until glaze is firm, about 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome; store at room temperature.) Garnish with chocolate shavings or leaves. Serve at room temperature. Serves 10 to 12. Bon Appétit January 1999 Lori