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This week it's the story behind the wine world's most revered and feared critic. One bad review from him can take a wine down. He's Robert Parker, Jr. and his power is both rare and absolute. We'll find out what shapes and informs his legendary palate. Look for the 7th and latest edition of his classic Parker's Wine Buyer's Guide in bookstores now.

Who but the Sterns would go for apple pancakes with potato pancakes on the side? They're at the Northside Grill in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Christopher Kimball of America's Test Kitchen stops by with this year's crop of top kitchen gadgets just in time for holiday gifting.

Food scientist to the pros and award-winning author Shirley Corriher is back and she's talking cookie control - what we need to know for successful baking that no one else tells us. Her wonderful book, BakeWise: The Hows and Whys of Successful Baking, is hot off the press.

Tea merchant Bill Waddington shares some interesting tea customs, and Hillary Carlip (www.hillarycarlip.com), author of A la Carte: The Secret Lives of Grocery Shoppers, lets us in on an unusual kind of culinary collectible.

Recipes

Coriander-Orange-Scented Red Lentil Soup

This is not your grandmother's lentil soup. Light and fragrant with two kinds of coriander (ground and fresh), this soup's citrus finish is a modern take on a very old idea. True to tradition, there is no meat. Get the full recipe

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Striking snow-white and black, these wonderful cookies are slightly crunchy on the surface but gooey chocolate inside - oh, yum! Get the full recipe

Features

Jane & Michael Stern: Northside Grill and Zingerman's Next Door, Ann Arbor, MI

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Great breakfasts were the discovery of the Sterns' latest foray to Ann Arbor, Michigan, home of Michael's alma mater.

At the Northside Grill it was pancakes: apple oat bran with big chunks of caramelized apples that Michael ordered with a "side" of crispy-on-the-outside, creamy-on-the inside potato pancakes! Jane says spend the extra dollar or so for real maple syrup. The coffee here is fair trade organic.

At Zingerman's Next Door, which adjoins the legendary Zingerman's Delicatessen (where there are so many good things to eat it could make you dizzy), the excellent coffee is strong and the assortment of pastries will put you in a quandary. Chocolate cherry bread is unusual and delicious and the fabulous sticky buns have cherries tucked inside instead of raisins. This is Michigan, after all.

Leave room for Jane's favorite Dobos Torte, or a piece of the flaky and perfect apple strudel.

Northside Grill
1015 Broadway Street
Ann Arbor, MI
734-995-0965

Zingerman's Delicatessen and Zingerman's Next Door
422 Detroit Street
Ann Arbor, MI
734-663-3354
www.zingermansdeli.com

Essential Kitchen Gadgets for Holiday Gift Giving

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Those who know Lynne well know she's not one for lots of kitchen gadgets. To her, they're a waste of money. When Christopher Kimball of Cook's magazine and PBS's America's Test Kitchen stopped by the studio recently toting his picks for the top five gadgets of the year, he was determined to change Lynne's mind about kitchen toys. Here's what he had in his bag. Any of them would make a fine holiday gift for a cook on your list. But did he win Lynne over?

• Thermapen 5 digital instant-read thermometer by Thermoworks: More accurate than analog and pricey at about $89.
• AccuSharp knife sharpener: Does a remarkable job of sharpening knives (the angle is permanently set at 20 degrees). You hold the knife on a counter with the sharp side of the blade up then draw the sharpener across the blade. About $12.
• Professional chef's quad timer by American Innovative: Attractive and well designed (it resembles an iPod) but there's a learning curve with this gadget. Intuitive it's not. About $20.
• Progressive collapsible funnel: Just the thing for kitchens short on storage space. Collapse it down to about two inches and toss it in a drawer. About $6.50.
• Oster "Inspire" electric wine opener: Press a button one way to remove the cork, press it the other way and the cork is released. Clever for about $20.

Tea Customs

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Tea is a national beverage in nearly every country and all have a different way of drinking it. Tea merchant Bill Waddington, owner of the TeaSource stores in Minnesota, revealed some interesting add-ins you might find in your tea cup depending on the country you're in.

• England: milk and sugar.
• Northern Germany: brown sugar and maybe a splash of rum.
• Russia: a dollop of great preserves, or you might sip your tea through a sugar cube held in your mouth.
• Japan: toasted brown rice.
• China: flower blossoms or garlic and onion
• Tibet: yak butter and salt

TeaSource Web Site: www.teasource.com

Retail Stores

752 Cleveland Avenue South
St. Paul, MN 55116
651-690-9822

St. Anthony Shopping Center
2908 Pentagon Drive NE
St. Anthony, MN 55418
612-788-4842

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