Autumn Baking: Baking with late summer produce like eggplant, figs, and tomatoes.

School Lunch: M.S. 137 in Queens manages to serve a fresh-cooked lunch to thousands of students each day.

West Virginia: John T. Edge on the pepperoni roll, "a yeast-risen stub of white bread, seams bursting with coins of Hormel pepperoni, bottom tinged russet by the meat's aromatic grease."

Standard: Pete Wells gives the Standard Grill one star. "It is not the place I would send friends who want to study the latest contortions of the yoga masters of haute cuisine. But it is exactly where I would direct anybody who needs to recharge by plugging straight into the abundant, renewable energy source that is downtown Manhattan."

On Riesling: Asimov and co. taste twenty bottles of the sweet white wine.

The Temporary Vegetarian: "An orzotto is like a risotto except that orzo, the rice-shaped pasta, is used instead of rice."

Joseph Leonard: The carefully aged, beautifully designed West Village bar and restaurant has some promising dishes but ample space for improvement.

Two Barks: Bark Hot Dogs, according to Kim Severson, "takes a fearless leap into the ever-closing gap between artisan chic and fast food."

The Minimalist: Southwestern sweet potato salad.

Now It's News: The Times reports on the Vendys.

Happy Birthday: The 25th anniversary edition of "Windows on the World Complete Wine Course" will be published this week.