Since the Giants will be playing in the World Series this year, there's quite a buzz in the air in San Francisco. It only seems appropriate to celebrate with a quintessential ball park dish, Cracker Jacks. While there might not be a prize, the flavor is a home run! The recipe has you pop your own bag of popcorn, and I was amazed at how easy it was. All you need is a little bit of olive oil. The popcorn is fresh and ready for a deliciously easy caramel sauce. In less than a half hour, you'll have Cracker Jacks. Don't forget to occasionally stir the mixture once it's drying on the cookie sheets — this ensures that it won't stick. Enjoy the World Series this week with a homemade batch of Cracker Jacks: just keep reading for the recipe.

According to Nielsen, the volume of sparkling rosé produced has grown by nearly 22 percent in the last year — if you're looking for a solid jumping-off point for pink sparklers, a good place to start is Martini & Rossi. The Italian house is known for its Prosecco, Asti, and Vermouth, but this year also launched a reasonably priced Sparkling Rosé ($14).

The bottle's deep coral color is inviting, but it's the flirtatious blend of Malvasia, Brachetto, and Moscato Bianco that's unique. The Malvasia lent a hint of apricot, the Moscato Bianco: lingering sweetness, and red Brachetto: a bright salmon color. The end result was a bouquet of pomaceous fruit that ended with a very off-dry finish.

Martini Sparkling Rosé is also raising attention to breast cancer this month: Make a donation online to The Pink Agenda through the rest of October, and the wine house will match it. What's your favorite blush bubbly?

Did last year's canned-pumpkin deficit leave you in short supply? If you're starting to get worried come Halloween and Thanksgiving, simmer down: sources say pumpkin won't be in short supply this year.

Although 2009's wet Summer caused flooding and harvesting problems, less rain, a hotter season, and planting of a larger crop have helped out production at Libby's, the canned-pumpkin company that processes 95 percent of the solid pack pumpkin sold in America.
That's great news for the 50 million pumpkin pies that'll be made this holiday. Have you had a hard time locating canned pumpkin so far?

Happy Monday, and happy World Pasta Day! Celebrate by enjoying your favorite kind of pasta at home tonight. I was torn between making two dishes I'd never turn down: linguine with clams and white wine and the Roman classic cacio e pepe. But ultimately, I think I'll be settling in with a bowl of pasta carbonara. After all, there's nothing better than coating al dente bucatini with a gloss of eggs, cheese, and guanciale. What's your favorite kind of pasta?

Source: Flickr User cyclonebill

While Rachael Ray has taught the world the importance of a garbage bowl, a handy dumping bowl she leaves on the counter while cooking, it's 2010 and time for us to take it one step further. Meet the compost bowl! From garlic skins to mushroom stems, a lot of kitchen waste is compostable. To ensure that I remember to compost, I've started collecting unwanted scraps in a compost bowl. When the bowl is full, simply dump in the compost bin and wash as you would any other cooking bowl. Not only is it environmentally friendly, but it's quick and easy, and it promotes a clean-as-you-cook mentality.