Do you have an iPhone? Then stop what you're doing right now and download the Nirvino (my preferred online drinking community) wine ratings guide. With over one million wines listed by name, price, grape varietal, flavor profile, region, and producer, the wine application is an amazing resource to always have at your fingertips.

Not only does it provide food pairing suggestions, but there's also lots of fun lists to browse. Food Network's Aida Mollenkamp shares her favorite wines to drink while cooking, Sommelier Mark Bright rounded up his top bottles from Whole Foods, and yours truly has even created a list!

I headed to Safeway to pick out the best wines — all of which are under $20 — for hostess gifts. I've tasted and enjoyed these wines and would bring them to a party. Be it a birthday bash at Hog Island oyster farm, an intimate Thanksgiving dinner, or an upcoming holiday soirée, there's a bottle for every occasion. To check out my list, keep reading.

With holiday parties looming on the horizon, I've had killer apps and hors d'oeuvres in the back of my mind. Since no party is complete without a meat, cheese, and crackers platter, it's only appropriate that Nabisco has come out with a new variety of Ritz cracker, Brown Sugar Cinnamon, that's sure to be popular come Christmastime. Ritz crackers were an after-school pastime for me growing up, so I couldn't wait to try the new flavor. Did it live up to its highly-regarded name? Find out when you read more.

• Time to stock up: Looks like pure canned pumpkin is in short supply this year. — Los Angeles Times
• Don't miss out on the Beaujolais Nouveau celebrations. — Wall Street Journal
• Catching up with rapper Coolio, who's come out with a new cookbook, Ghetto Gourmet. — Boston Globe
• Starbucks has raised its coffee prices in the Windy City. — Chicago Tribune
• Complementary wine pairings for every Thanksgiving dish. — San Francisco Chronicle
• If you have to reach for frozen pie shells, which brands are the best bets? — Washington Post
• French legend Pierre Gagnaire is gearing up for Twist, his first restaurant in the US. — New York Times

Finish your almost meatless Thanksgiving with a decadent sweet potato pie. This pie is a dessert traditional to the South, but with its smooth creamy filling and rich sweet flavor, sweet potato pie is welcome on Thanksgiving tables all across America. The dough calls for shortening, however, if you prefer to bake with butter, use that instead. Although the ingredient list includes a whiskey-spiked whipped cream, you can omit the alcohol and employ vanilla extract. To get the recipe which should be made in advance, read more

Who says a burger has to be served between two buns? This recipe takes the traditional notion of the cheeseburger and turns it on its head. Instead of crumbling cheese over the patties, the feta is stuffed into the middle of a ground meat mixture. A soft pita replaces the classic bun and spicy arugula stands in for the usual slice of lettuce. The resulting dish, which is full of Mediterranean flavors, would be great for impromptu weeknight entertaining. To create a meal, serve with store-bought hummus, pita chips, and kalamata olives. Want to see the recipe? Keep reading.

This Thanksgiving, surprise guests by offering a main dish that's a slight departure from the typical turkey roast: a turkey roulade. In case you aren't familiar with the term, it merely refers to any kind of meat that's been rolled around a filling and then cooked. The result? A platter that looks more elaborate and grand than any run-of-the-mill roasted turkey.

Ironically, despite the dish's opulent appearance, a roulade is rather simple, and can make for an ideal entree at a beginner's Thanksgiving. Lean on gourmet canned vegetables, like marinated artichokes and mushrooms, to create the filling for your rolled turkey. Or, if you're up to the challenge, make a traditional roulade that's served with from-scratch stuffing and a cider gravy. Does either interest you? Then read more.