Scones should be golden brown and firm on the outside, with a soft crumbly texture hidden inside—a little treasure, of sorts, for your mouth. They can be savory or sweet and served for breakfast or dinner. I know, this sounds like the most perfect little quick bread in the world.

Scones appeal not only to my palate but also to my fantasy-prone mind. Even though they are extremely easy to make, they somehow feel like a fancy treat that I—a character in a Jane Austen novel, maybe a long-lost Dashwood sister—am enjoying on a dreary day in the British countryside. When eating them, I am likely to bust out my best British accent, just as Jack does while on the phone with family. Both are quite amusing.

The recipe I used for my chocolate chip scones was adapted ever so slightly from one posted on About.com, and the result was delicious. Crispy outside, soft inside, sweet, and accent-inspiring—perfect.

Evidence of cider consumption dates back to Caesar and Charlemagne and was made popular in the U.S. with a little help from ole Johnny Appleseed. I'm pretty sure that the cider these folks were knocking back would require you to show a proof-of-age ID today—or at least a fake.

In recent years, alcoholic and non-alcoholic ciders alike have been gaining popularity, and just as with all other foods and beverages, people are looking for new and exciting ways to serve up these classics.

The non-alcoholic spiced cider recipe given to me is made largely from pomegranate juice—maybe for an even bigger antioxidant punch—and incorporates dried fruit and zesty lemon. The flavors combine to offer a nice kick—certainly very different from what Caesar was used to.

I agree with chef Bonnie Tees that stir-fries are one of the most poorly prepared (and, in my opinion, over prepared) vegetarian menu items out there. If I have to eat another bland burrito, stir-fry, or plate of spaghetti with marinara, so help me God…

With that said, it's nice that in today's food world, vegetarian options have finally expanded beyond the three fallback items above. Restaurants around the world are now more willing to take chances with vegetarian dishes—even if that chance is just an updated version of an old classic.

Chef Bonnie, from Bonnys in Montréal, was sweet enough to share this recipe for cannelloni—the classic tube-shaped pasta that is often stuffed with a creamy filling before being covered in tomato sauce and baked.

I opted to add extra sauce to my "cannelloni" (I had to follow Bonnie's advice and use rolled lasagne sheets because I couldn't find cannelloni), which I learned is now acceptable because The New York Times says so. The result was a comforting dish that surprisingly had even more flavor than I had expected from the minimal ingredients.

A few months ago, I wrote about a fantasy involving a swimming pool filled with vegan Twinkies. That fantasy may soon become a reality, thanks to Vegan Honey, the Brooklyn-based bakery that offers up mouthwatering treats online at Etsy.com.

Vegan Honey sells pies, pastries, doggie treats, and more and even has a "Fauxstess" line, which features chocolate-covered vegan Twinkies! Just about every dessert I can think of is available on the site, and lucky for you, you now have a chance to win some of them.

Vegan Honey has been kind enough to donate a $40 gift certificate to Etsy.com that will go to one lucky winner. All you have to do for a chance to win is leave an interesting comment about your favorite vegan dessert—we'll keep it simple. The most unique, witty, inspiring, or delicious comment wins.

The contest ends on November 27, and the winner will be chosen and by November 30.

Just so you know…by giving us your details here, we're taking that as acknowledgment that you've read and agreed to our privacy policy. And by commenting, you are agreeing to the following terms and conditions.

All the overachievers of the world are already preparing for their big Thanksgiving dinner—this one's for you guys. I, on the other hand, will probably not walk into a grocery store to start my shopping until the day before. Still unable to shake the procrastination bug.

Those of you who are already preparing and are in the mood for more than just a faux turkey for Thanksgiving—or worse, just a medley of side dishes—stuffed squash is a festive alternative.

The adorable little flower-shaped squash is baked until the flesh is bubbly, browned, and tender. The center is then loaded with a mixture of nuts, herbs, and the oh-so-healthy quinoa. If this filling seems a little too "crunchy" for you, try one of the many other unique holiday entrées in the guide to celebrating a vegetarian holiday.

Making soba, the popular Japanese buckwheat noodle, is definitely an art form that takes great skill and much time to perfect. The high buckwheat content can make this a tricky little—er, big—dough to work with. The work must all be done by hand, which can be uber time-consuming but also great fun, if that's what you're into—and I am.

After using the proper techniques to mix the flour and water—you have to know how to work it—the dough must be rolled out into a circle and then rolled out again into a rectangle that's 1.5 millimeters thick. Of course, this requires a huge rolling pin, and then cutting the dough requires a huge knife. Getting the precise measurements correct and knowing how to work the dough can be difficult, unless you're a soba master—and I am not.

It's shameful, I know, but that is why I stick to store-bought noodles that can easily be cooked in minutes. Eating the healthy and tasty noodles makes me feel balanced and energized. I know it sounds crazy and hippyish, but it's true.

Soba can be enjoyed hot or cold; both ways are good. The Spicy Soba Noodles With Shiitakes and Cabbage pictured here is right in the middle, with cold noodles tossed in a warm sauce. Pair this with a little unfiltered sake—I like to say "sake to me"—and you'll have a little Japanese feast.

For more info on the art of soba, check out these great resources: FXCuisine.com, Soba Advice, Wikipedia, and Japan-Guide.com.

Chances are, if you're hosting the Thanksgiving feast this year, you'll have at least one friend or family member at your gathering who is vegan or vegetarian. No need to stress over what you could possibly feed these people, because I have put together a little list of the top 10 tips for hosting veg visitors. The easy tips will help you create vegan offerings that go beyond just canned veggies—and will certainly give your vegetarian visitors something to be thankful for.

1. Offer a Veggie Turkey. Faux turkeys, such as Tofurky, Celebration Roast, and Garden Protein's Veggie Turkey, can now be easily found in grocery stores all over the country. Better yet, you can win four free Garden Protein Veggie Turkey breasts here.

2. Stuff This. Vegans, too, love to stuff themselves with stuffing. Load the stuffing with your favorite bread, veggies, and nuts, and use canned vegetable broth to moisten.

3. Veganize the Gravy. Fill the boat with brown gravy, red wine and shallot gravy, or roasted garlic gravy. You can also opt for canned Franco-American mushroom gravy or Hain instant vegan gravy, available in traditional brown or "chicken" flavors. Just add water and simmer.

4. Get the Party Started—with vegan hors d'oeuvres. Find easy recipes for Hot Artichoke Dip, Mushroom Pâté, and Potato-Stuffed Artichoke Bottoms here on VegCooking.com.

5. Bread It and Bake It. Your breads and other baked goodies will be just as yummy when you use egg replacer and soy milk in your favorite recipes.

6. Mash It Up! Nonvegetarian visitors won't even notice if you whip up a batch of potatoes using soy milk and vegan margarine. They'll just be thankful they taste so good.

7. "But…but…What About Butter?" Use soy-based margarine instead. Try Earth Balance Buttery Spread—it's better for you, and it tastes better too.

8. Check the Dressing. Swap Caesar salad for a salad with lemon-tahini, Italian, or balsamic vinaigrette dressing. The dressings can also double as dips for fresh veggies. If you don't have time to start from scratch, pick up bottled Annie's Goddess Dressing or a variety of Newman's Own dressings, including Red Wine Vinegar and Olive Oil.

9. Let Others Do the Dirty Work. Give yourself a break and get your guests involved in your vegan smorgasbord. Ask a few of your guests to prepare a vegan side dish—you could even include simple recipes with invitations you send out.

10. Don't Forget About Dessert! Use soy-based margarine or shortening to create flaky crusts for your holiday fruit pies. Get crazy and go à la mode by topping each slice with vanilla Tofutti or So Delicious nondairy frozen desserts.

If you still need more help, check out vegetarian holiday recipes, vegetarian cooking tips, and Vegetarian 101 for a little extra guidance.

The chatter will be kept to a minimum in this entry because the recipe itself is quite long. It's not difficult or all that time-consuming—it just needs a lengthy explanation.

On Gourmet magazine's site, I found an interesting recipe by David Chang that pairs sautéed mushrooms with a pistachio purée. I made just a few changes to his recipe—mostly just to make it easier—without greatly altering the main components of the dish. Enjoy.

I'm really not trying to bombard you with contests. Seriously. But there are only two days left to enter our veggie turkey giveaway, so you better hurry! If you're the lucky winner, you'll receive—in time for Thanksgiving—four "turkey" breasts that are loaded with rice and cranberries.

Having these little prepackaged wonders delivered to your door will give you more time to get creative with your preparation. My friend Corey recommends baking them, but after I did a little more questioning, she fessed up that they can be deep-fried! Now that's right up my alley.

I have been told that you need to bring the oil to temperature before adding the still-frozen breasts. As they cook, the outside will become crispy and golden brown—an updated version of a Southern classic. I think even Paula Deen would be proud.

If you're not chosen as the contest winner, you can buy the "turkey" at most Whole Foods through January. Let me know how you end up preparing it or if you have creative suggestions for other ways to serve a faux turkey for the holidays.

There is some debate over the correct technique for making risotto. Some say to add your broth all at once, while others say only one ladle at a time. Most recipes say to stir constantly, others say frequently, and some even say to let the risotto simmer untouched for almost 15 minutes. In Bill Buford's book Heat, I think there was even a mention about a technique that involves letting the risotto stick to the pan while cooking.

I interpret the debate to mean that there are fewer ways for me to go wrong when making the dish. Yes, people say that risotto is one meal that is practically ruined if not perfect, but I disagree. I've never met a risotto I didn't like.

The "comfort food that seems fancy" angle that risotto has going for it makes it a perfect candidate for a holiday entrée. Add in a little seasonal pumpkin, ginger, and nutmeg, and your guests won't be able to resist. They will bow down to you—and the risotto.

Check out the vegetarian holiday recipe guide for more ideas on unique Thanksgiving entrées.

Inspired by chef Symon's first victory in the Thanksgiving challenge on Iron Chef America—OK, and the impending holiday—I decided to get started preparing Thursday's meal.

Every year, my family has cranberry sauce in a can, and to that I just have to say, "No, thanks." Something about a gelatinous blob of food falling out of a can and maintaining its shape is unappetizing. So, I decided to take on the task of making the cranberry sauce this year because not only will it taste better, it'll also be very easy to make.

For my Thanksgiving "challenge"—secret ingredient: cranberry—I went with a recipe that is full of extra fruit, like apples and raisins. You can even add cubed pears and a dash of ginger, or just omit all the extras for a simple cranberry sauce.

I'm pretty sure that this recipe isn't fancy enough to put me in line as the "Next Iron Chef" on the Food Network, but at least it will make the mouths and stomachs of my Thanksgiving guests happy.

Around the holidays, new sides of your loved ones' personalities come shining through—and sometimes it can be frightening. My family has revealed this new "stickler for tradition" alter ego, whom I don't think I want to battle.

After seeing the last two posts, and fearing that a pumpkin risotto or fresh cranberry sauce may end up on their table, my family started calling. They just had to ensure that I wouldn't "mess" with their meal and that my dishes would be traditional.

I have taken on the task of green bean casserole this year, which seems easy enough. The classic is a must-have on Thanksgiving and always a hit—along with the stuffing, and the gravy, and the pecan pie, and the cranberry sauce—but back to the casserole.

It really is an oddball dish if you think about it. The original (and still commonly used) recipe involves multiple canned, processed goods, with not a fresh ingredient in sight. It's quite surprising to me that the recipe has survived and thrived since 1955.

Now that I've been warned about tinkering with my family's traditional dishes—well, tinkering too much anyway—I've decided to go with the tried-and-true green bean casserole below. It's only slightly different from the original, and I bet my family will never know.

For more info on holiday recipes—some traditional, and some not—check out the guide to celebrating a vegetarian holiday.

The VegNews 2007 Veggie Awards have been announced. They cover all things vegetarian-related, including food, beverages, restaurants, books, nonprofits, and even blogs! That's right. VegNews lets the readers pick their favorite veg blog, and this year's winner is…FatFree Vegan Kitchen.

Yes, much to my surprise and great disappointment, the VegCooking blog was not named the winner, but there is always next year. I should follow the lead of our current presidential candidates, who seem to have the "it's never too early to get started attitude," and start campaigning now.

Before I go to start working out the details of the campaign, I'll fill you in on a few of the highlights from the winners list:

•Favorite Cookbook Author: Isa Chandra Moskowitz (of Post Punk Kitchen and now Veganomicon fame

•Favorite Non-Dairy Milk: Silk

•Book of the Year: Committed by Dan Mathews

•Cookbook of the Year: The Joy of Vegan Baking (more to come on this book later in the week)

•Best Excuse to Visit the Valley: Chef Dave Anderson of Madeleine Bistro

The above winner I agree with the most is Madeleine Bistro as the best reason to visit the Valley. Actually, I think the restaurant's desserts alone are reason enough to visit the Valley. The menu includes perfected versions of those fantasy desserts many of us wouldn't attempt at home, such as vegan crème brûlée and even a vegan meringue. I know someone who works there and is sworn to secrecy on the recipes, but if he ever budges, I'll let you know.

What I love most about the restaurant—and what I think is needed to raise the bar for all vegetarian restaurants—is that it creates high-quality and creative food that stands out amongst all cuisines, instead of just being "good for a vegan restaurant." Now that is worthy of an award.

What would make my list of requirements for the perfect cookbook? Let's see…

•Tasty, reliable recipes, obviously.

•Tips throughout that explain all those small steps that most cookbooks assume you already know how to do.

•Beautiful pictures that rival the artistic photography in even a Charlie Trotter cookbook.

•But not just pretty pictures, also part instructional text—think a toned-down version of a CIA textbook.

•Oh, and all the recipes are vegan.

If I were writing a cookbook, these are all the elements I would want to include to make the perfect book. Luckily, I've already found a book on baking that has all of the above.

The Joy of Vegan Baking: The Compassionate Cooks' Traditional Treats and Sinful Sweets by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau is by far one of the best vegan cookbooks I've come across. Don't be fooled by the "average Joe" cover, because there are culinary treasures to be found inside the book.

It is loaded with reliable recipes for classics such as chocolate chip cookies, lemon bars (see the recipe below), pumpkin pie, and caramel popcorn—but the author ventures away from the norm as well. Colleen mixes it up a bit with recipes for Mexican horchata, melonpan (a Japanese cookie bread), and chocolate babka (Polish bread). I can honestly say that I was not disappointed by one single recipe in the book—and I tried many.

I must admit that I am very much a cookbook junkie—let's just say "connoisseur." I look at not just the recipes and photos but also the quality of the paper, the font, the binding—I look at it all. Sadly, many vegan cookbooks just aren't up to par with where vegan food is. The books sometimes look like children's homemade Christmas presents for their parents—not exactly an accurate portrayal of the best vegan recipes there are to offer. But that is not the case with The Joy of Vegan Baking. It's a beautiful book with delicious recipes, and I give it the "Amy, Cookbook Connoisseur" seal of approval.

I couldn't resist the urge to try Sublime's mushroom stroganoff when I noticed that the recipe calls for espagnole sauce and contains all my favorite mushrooms—cremini, oyster, and shiitake.

Espagnole is a classic brown sauce, typically made from a dark roux, a brown stock, and tomato sauce. The French master sauce is often used as a base for other sauces, such as Madeira and bordelaise, and has a super-rich flavor whether it's on its own or just a base. The richness is exactly why I was happy to see that this recipe asks you to practically smother the mushrooms in the espagnole sauce—I can't get enough.

My local Whole Foods had all the ingredients for the espagnole, but I must admit that making it on your own can be rather labor intensive. If that is out of the question for you, just use a high-quality tomato sauce for this stroganoff instead.

I'm willing to bet that most people have heard of—and many have tried—the traditional pineapple upside-down cake. I remember thinking as a child that it was just about the coolest thing that my mom ever made—and I loved stealing the extra pineapple rings from the can. But most people, myself included, don't look beyond pineapple for the ingredient that will go on top (or is it the bottom?) of the cake.

After a friend made this Apple-Cinnamon Upside-Down Cake for me, I decided to research more interesting recipes for the flip-flopping cake. Very slowly, I came across recipes for cakes (and muffins) that cried out to be veganized. Here are a few of the highlights: Banana-Maple Upside-Down Cake, Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake, and even a Broccoli-and-Cornmeal Upside-Down Cake.

And here are a few that are already vegan: Peach Upside-Down Cake and Cranberry Upside-Down Cake.

Let me know if you have a recipe or an idea for a creative—or just plain weird—upside-down cake.