TIDBITS

LITTLE ROCK — CARVE NOT

Pumpkins are one of the few truly seasonal foods left in the U.S., and now's the time for them. When you're buying them (to eat, not to carve), look for cooking pumpkin such as small sugar, New England or northern pie varieties. The larger, flatbottomed, strong-stemmed jacko-lantern pumpkins are great for carving and are edible, but not great for pie. Choose rockhard specimens with full stems and dull skin. If you're buying pre-cut chunks in the store, look for closely knit grain and moist flesh. Pumpkin can take a while to cook, so it's best to cook the flesh by boiling it (for about 20 minutes) or roasting it (at 350 degrees, for about an hour) before using it in pie, risotto, soup, or even ravioli. It's a natural match with bacon and sage; it's also lovely with brown butter and pine nuts.

- Food Network Kitchens

NUTTY BUTTER

Brown butter, or "beurre noisette," as it is known in French, adds a deep, nutty flavor to a variety of dishes.

Making brown butter is simple: Melt unsalted butter in a small saute pan over medium heat, cooking it until the water cooks off; then turn down the heat and continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the solids turn golden brown. The whisking ensures even browning. If you have a light-colored pan, that's the one to use, as it makes it easy to see the browning. Try it drizzled over steamed vegetables, stirred into mashed potatoes, mixed with lemon juice and served as fish sauce or stirred into frosting for a quick icing for cookies, bundt cakes and quick breads.

- Los Angeles Times