Patricia Cobe

Seafood is in high demand by Americans—total consumption rose by 45 million pounds in 2009 over 2008, states the National Fisheries Institute.

While tricksters are carving pumpkins into scary faces for Halloween, chefs are busy chopping, cooking, pureeing and baking them for seasonal treats. Their orange flesh is flavoring both sweet and savory dishes, with a host of different ethnic influences.

When you take three Iron Chefs out of Kitchen Stadium and place them before a live audience of avid listeners, they are very willing to forget their TV rivalry and battle scars. That was quite evident when Bobby Flay, Masaharu Morimoto and Jose Garces traded quips on a Times Talk panel during the TV Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival on October 9.

It used to be that spring and summer menus had the monopoly on fresh fruits and vegetables—especially in restaurants north of the sunbelt.

When the first Europeans landed in America, the natives they encountered relied on three staple crops—corn, beans and squash—along with wild berries, fruits and other plants. Fishing and hunting filled out their meals.

Cooler autumn weather brings the urge to turn on the oven and serve warm, comforting desserts. Bread pudding fits the bill. These places are giving the old-fashioned dessert some modern twists.