Ravioli

Perky, bubbly Rachael Ray, who talks as fast as she cooks, is the little darling of the Food Network's cooking show lineup. The hostess of 30 Minute Meals apparently writes as fast as she cooks, because she's just released her sixth cookbook, three more are in the works, and she's been on the air only since 2001. Her latest, which shot up The New York Times paperback list for advice books, is Gettogethers (Lake Isle Press, 2003, $18.95) and is the perfect companion for America's new cocooning stage.

When it comes to crab cakes, I'm a modernist: Less is more. OK, you can put in a little seasoning and enough bread crumbs to hold the thing together. But forget all the extras - the little bits of green pepper, the parsley, the mayonnaise. I'm pleased to report that G&M Restaurant shares that view. G&M is a sprawling Linthicum institution with a sit-down restaurant, a lounge and a carryout operation that sells everything from hot pizza and hot dogs to seafood platters and strip steaks.

So close and yet so far. That could be the theme for the Cafe D'Italia, an unpretentious carryout that is separated only by President Street from the savory pleasures of Little Italy. The cafe sits in the ground floor of Scarlett Place and has a few tables inside and a few more on a nice brick patio with a distant view of the harbor. With a location like this, it's natural to expect a little gem of a lunch counter where homemade dishes and subs served on crusty breads draw a daily crowd.

For pottage and puddings and custard and pies, Our pumpkins and parsnips are common supplies. We have pumpkins at morning and pumpkins at noon; If 'twere not for pumpkins we should be undoon. -- Pilgrim verse, 1630 We're all familiar with pumpkins as pies, jack-o'-lanterns, pet names and even Cinderella coaches, but for dinner? "When we think of pumpkins in this country, we think of three different things: pies, carving and those giant pumpkin contests you have this time of year," says Michael Krondl, author of The Great Little Pumpkin Cookbook (Celestial Arts; $5.95)

When I last wrote about the Crossroads, before the Cross Keys Inn became a Radisson, I said that the waiter got the food on the table quickly; but given what most of our meal tasted like, that could be considered a minus. Harsh, but true.Three years later the fact that the inn has now become part of a large chain didn't mean the kitchen was going to be any better. But, I figured, at least it would be different.Although a couple of million dollars was spent renovating the hotel when CapStar Hotel Co. took it over last year, the dining room looks much the same.

There's going to be a lot of gazing toward the horizon this year to see what the future might bring, so let's jump in right now with a culinary prediction that is a pretty sure -- and very tasty -- bet:Nuevo Latino, or New Latin, cuisine.This combination of Mexican, Caribbean and Central and South American foods with a modern touch, which originated in Florida in the early 1990s, already has made an impact in California, Texas and New York. It was cited among the top 10 food trends of 1999 by Bon Appetit magazine.

Our timing was a little off when we visited the City Cafe recently. Not the kitchen's. Not the waiter's. Ours.As we left, we learned that this Mount Vernon eatery was about to change a third of its menu, as it does each season. The pastry chef, whose desserts we loved so much, was leaving, too. Oops.We enjoyed our meal so much, my guess is that Gino Cardinale's City Cafe will be serving food that is every bit as interesting and well executed as what we sampled.There's a confidence to the menu, the same kind of confidence that shows in the hip, New York-style personality of this spare black and white eatery.

* Item: Weight Watchers Smart Ones* What you get: 1 serving* Cost: About $3* Preparation time: About 8 minutes* Review: When a fellow shopper saw me plucking these from the frozen foods, she couldn't help but sing their praises. I was psyched for quick, epicurean, low-fat dinners. The penne pollo (strips of grilled chicken, tomatoes and broccoli in a basil garlic sauce with penne pasta) won my approval. It cooked quickly, looked appealing and tasted distinctive. But the ravioli Florentine didn't score so well.

* Item: Hamburger Helper Ravioli* What you get: 7.7 ounces, or 5 servings* Cost: $1.89* Preparation time: About 30 minutes, stove top or microwave* Review: Hamburger Helper, the skillet-dinner mix that rose to fame during the inflationary 1970s, is out to lure you with a new flavor. OK, so inflation's in check, but this ravioli practically cooks itself. I'd rate the taste halfway between ravioli from a can and the higher-priced refrigerated variety. Wish they'd put some cheese inside the pasta, but a sprinkle of your own mozzarella or Parmesan will suffice.

California cooking has come to Canton, care of Dooby's Bar & Grill, a new eatery tucked into a corner rowhouse on Elliott Street.It's a narrow stretch of a place, with booths up front, next to a bar illuminated by hanging lava lamps, and tables in back, overlooking the steel expanse of an open kitchen. We liked the purple ceiling and trim, and the beaded curtains hanging like iridescent arrowheads over the windows.Owner Tony Guarino opened Dooby's in May, bringing in chef Derek Broman, and a friendly, young staff dressed in khaki shorts and jean shirts.