Is there anything more comforting in winter than a pot of soup on the stove and bread in the oven? Bakers, by their very nature, possess the perfect antidote to winter’s cold and dark.

As the seasons turn, The Baking Sheet features original recipes to suit. I get lots of emails from readers telling me the arrival of their latest issue is an event that causes them to carve out some time in their favorite chair, hot beverage nearby, to read, enjoy, and plan meals to come.

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**hum**

Timer rings, are you listenin’?
On the tray, turkey’s glistenin’
A beautiful sight, we’re happy tonight,
Thinkin’ ’bout a big batch of buns…

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Ah, supermarket bread!

Beloved of children, remembered with nostalgia by their crusty-chewy-artisan-loaf-eating parents. Close-grained, soft, moist, dense, and perfect for sandwiches. And toast.

But not for rolling into bread balls and firing at the kid across the lunchroom table.

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Pork shoulder, simmered for hours in a vinegar/brown sugar broth, fall-off-the-bone tender…. this is barbecue at its best.

It’s so readily available in the South and Midwest; so UNAVAILABLE in most of the rest of the country.

Oh, sure, there’s probably good barbecue in metropolitan areas all over. And there may be pockets of barbecue scattered around, say, South Dakota.

And some expat may have set up his or her pit in Vermont – someone like Curtis Tuff, who’s been selling chicken and ribs at Curtis’ Barbecue (a.k.a. Curtis’ All American “9th Wonder of the World” Barbecue) in Putney, Vermont for years.

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This blog has been focusing on buns a lot lately.  And I confess – I’m the culprit for the monotony (if you’re not a bun lover); or inspiration (if you are).

I happen to love buns. Fat, golden little loaves, one-serving wonders that baby your burger, harbor your hotdog, or simply serve as a base for melting butter.

And buns aren’t just for cookouts.

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“Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure you, it’s much more serious than that.”

–Bill Shankly

Whether you see football as a sport, hobby, religion, or societal bane, you have to admit the association between football and good eatin’ is a big plus. Any sport where planning the tailgating menu is as important as knowing the players is A-OK in my book.

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As much as I love summer – with its respite from boots, icy roads, and heating bills – I’m never devastated to see it go. Because hard on its heels is my favorite season, fall: best baking time of the year.

Think about it. Fresh, crisp apples, ready to slice, dice, and chunk into a cinnamon-y apple pie, or streusel-topped crisp, an apple challah, or my favorite totally moist, ridiculously dense apple cake with over-the-top brown sugar frosting.

And then there’s all that zucchini, crying to be made into chocolate zucchini cake. And the butternut squash (and potatoes, and onions, and peppers), perfect for roasted vegetable pizza. (more…)

Do you find it hard to resist fast food?

When you drive by Mickey D’s, do you feel a sudden craving for french fries? Does the King sing you a siren song of Whoppers?

Are you finding it hard to resist sampling KFC’s new come-on, Kentucky Grilled?

My answers to the above are yes, yes, yes, and absolutely.

I confess – I’m a closet fast-food craver. (more…)