Recipes:
Diabetic Corner - Apple Cherry Cobbler,  Vegetarian Corner - Greek Pasta with Tomatoes and White Beans,  Halloween Treats - Scary Flying Creatures

Beef Info and Advice
Name that beef from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

USDA Prime, Choice, Select? “Young beef with the most marbling is given the Prime or highest quality grade. Prime is usually sold to restaurants, but may be available in some specialty markets. Choice is the most widely available grade in the retail market. Select has the least amount of marbling, but may not be as tender, juicy or flavorful as the Prime or Choice.”

A Porterhouse steak differs from a T-Bone in that the Porterhouse tenderloin is no less than 1-1/4 inches measured across the center compared to the T-Bone, which is not less than 1/2 inch.

“Delmonico” is a fancy name for rib eye. You’ll find the word Delmonico more commonly in the Northeast (the original Delmonico’s Restaurant was in NYC): rib eye is the label of choice in the Southeast and Southwest.

Buying Beef
Make sure the package is cold and has no holes or tears. Excessive liquid in the package may indicate improper storage or beef that is past its optimum shelf life.

Look for beef that is firm to the touch, not soft.

Choose beef with the bright cherry-red color, without any grayish or brown blotches. The exception is vacuum-packaged beef, which, due to the lack of oxygen, has a darker purplish-red color. When exposed to the air. It will turn to a bright red.

Cooking pumpkin for pies
Cut off the top of the pumpkin and scrape out all the seeds and strings (an old-fashioned ice cream scoop works great). Cut it into sections and with a paring knife, cut the skin off the flesh. Steam the flesh until tender and puree. (DO NOT immerse the pumpkin meat in water and boil – it will soak up the water and make a watery pie.)

Ordinary kitchen tools for carving the pumpkin
Ice Cream Scoop, especially the old-fashioned metal kind, will do a terrific job of scraping the seeds and strings. A Grapefruit Knife (the double –edged serrated type) is helpful for carving out larger areas. After you’ve cut the big chunk out with a grapefruit knife, smooth out the edges with a sharp, thin blade. An Apple Corer makes a clean and perfect circle. A simple Vegetable Peeler, if inserted into the pumpkin flesh and rotated, carves the perfect nostril. Have fun and be careful!

How to pick a pumpkin
There are two types of pumpkins available commercially. Sugar pumpkins are usually the smaller, deep orange variety. Field pumpkins, also known as Jack o’ lanterns, are larger, a brighter shade of orange and more suitable for carving. Although both varieties are edible, sugar pumpkins have a sweeter flesh and are better for cooking. If you can find it, I suggest using a variety called the cheese pumpkin for pies. It is a medium-sized to large pumpkin with a very flattened shape, a light tan shell, and orange flesh. Found most readily at farm stands and in New England, cheese pumpkins make delicious pies. Regular pumpkins - sugar and especially jack-o'-lantern – sometimes make a stringy filling.

Diabetic Corner
Here is a wonderful recipe for Apple Cherry Cobbler that is not just for diabetics.

This homey dessert rises to company status with the addition of dried cherries macerated in Calvados. Choose a tart apple with good baking quality such as Granny Smith, Gravenstein, or Jonathan.

Source: Reprinted with permission from The Joslin Diabetes Gourmet Cookbook. Copyright © 1993 by Francis Towner Giedt, Bonnie Sanders Polin, and Joslin Diabetes Center. Joslin's cookbooks may be purchased from www.store.joslin.org.

Ingredients:
6 ounces dried cherries (no sugar added)
3 tablespoons Calvados, apple brandy, or unsweetened apple juice
3 tart apples, about 1 pound
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 basic pie pastry
2 tablespoons sugar
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Combine dried cherries with Calvados: set aside for 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, peel and core the apples; slice thinly lengthwise. Sprinkle apples with lemon juice and cardamom. Combine macerated cherries and apples.
3. Roll out dough into a large, ragged circle about 14 inches (35cm) in diameter. Fit dough into an 8-inch (20cm) round ovenproof dish at least 2 inches (5cm) deep, allowing the excess pastry to drape over the edge. Place the apples and cherries in the prepared dish, mounding slightly in the middle. Bring pastry up and over apples and cherries. (It will not quite cover fruit.) Sprinkle with sugar.
4. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the crust is brown and filling is bubbling.

Nutritional Information:
Per Serving: Calories 173 (36% calories from fat)  Carbohydrate 28g  Protein 2g  Fat 7g  Dietary Fiber 1g  Cholesterol 18mg  Sodium 74mg  Potassium 323mg 
Joslin Exchanges: 2 bread/starch, 1 fat

Vegetarian Corner
Greek Pasta with Tomatoes and White Beans

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 15 Minutes
Ready In: 25 Minutes
Yields: 4 servings

Tomatoes flavored with basil, garlic and oregano go for a brief simmer with tender white cannellini beans and garden-fresh spinach. Serve over hot penne and spoon crumbled bits of feta cheese over the top for a creamy sharp bite with every mouthful.

Ingredients:
2 (14.5 ounce) cans Italian-style diced tomatoes
1 (19 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
10 ounces fresh spinach, washed and chopped
8 ounces penne pasta
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Instructions:
1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente.
2. Meanwhile, combine tomatoes and beans in a large non-stick skillet. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.
3. Add spinach to the sauce; cook for 2 minutes or until spinach wilts, stirring constantly.
4. Serve sauce over pasta, and sprinkle with feta.

Scary Flying Creatures
Donata Maggipinto book Halloween Treats — Recipes and Crafts for the Whole Family.

Use bat and other Halloween cookie cutters to create cute little flying, edible creatures. Place the cookie cutters on a baking sheet. Fill them with Jolly Ranchers or Lifesavers and bake until melted. Make a hole in the top for hanging, let cool and now you have scary candy!