Winter Squash

I heard about it from an O.C. friend: a new restaurant and lounge just opened in Costa Mesa. It's one of those clandestine deals, he told me. No listed phone number, no sign, no address out front. A friend of a friend who knows the sommelier told him...

Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes Servings: 4 to 6 2 pounds winter squash (such as 1 large acorn squash) 1 tart apple (about 1/2 pound) 1/4 cup whipping cream 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger 1/4 cup butter, cut in cubes Salt 1. Heat the oven to 400...

Sometimes the best gifts come wrapped not in glittering paper and bows, but in the cloak of life experience. Such was my dinner at Ixora — an evening of dining pleasure and culinary discovery that long will be remembered for its exciting menu, impeccably...

For those who can't bear to say goodbye to another summer just yet, there is a delicious way to prolong the season. Native melons, the juicy muskmelons and brilliant red watermelons that are so refreshing on a hot day, will turn up at farmers' markets...

The recipe is one of 150 in Darra Goldstein's book ``The Winter Vegetarian: A Warm and Versatile Bounty'' (HarperCollins, $16 paperback), a selection ranging from soups to desserts. No strict rules govern this recipe, she says. ``Just keep the color...

A mound of peppers, tomatoes and eggplants glows scarlet, gold and lavender at the farmers market, a reminder of lingering late summer. At the stand next door, the first sweet winter squash and delicate fresh shelly beans catch early autumn's glimmering...

Sweet dumpling, buttercup, butternut, delicata - even the names of winter squash are tempting. And, these winter squash live up to their names. From appetizer to dessert, winter squash fit in anywhere. Their sweet flesh ranges from deep-golden to darkest...