We also enjoyed some of the essays on cooking and eating alone in Jenni Ferrari-Adler's Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant, particularly Steve Almond's hilarious anti-snotty take on how to make a quesadilla. That led us to add Almond's Candyfreak to our online reserves and spend a happy day wondering at the chutzpah and skill of indie candy makers. Did you know that the Big Hunk is made in Hayward? We didn't either, but we were pleased to learn that the Annabell Candy Company not only makes the Hunk, but the Abba Zabba and U-No bars as well!

If you're looking for a Labor Day grill-book recommendation, don't look here. The cool kids now go whole hog in a rock-lined fire pit.