Charles and Glenda Ferguson's Crazy Charlie's Salsa is already winning awards, even though they've been selling it commercially for not quite a year.

Halloween parties are taking a sophisticated turn from the quintessential kid treats to indulgences geared to adults as more grown-ups celebrate the annual event.

Once the sugar buzz from Halloween fades, get your taste buds ready for the annual Indianapolis Star Cookie Contest. The Star is looking for your best special holiday cookie, NOT a year-round cookie-jar cookie. And kids 12 and younger take note: This year we have a category just for you to enter a cookie you bake yourself. (Parents, that means no help from you.)

There's nothing like a great pair of wines to make you smile. By that I mean a white and red from the same maker done in the same spirit to elicit the same enjoyment.

There's a lot to be said for family meals that involve the food of Italy. Think about it: hot loaves of crusty bread and antipasto plates brimming with prosciutto, capacolla and salami, baked pastas filled with melted cheese, and the choice of spaghetti or miniature pizzas that even the pickiest eater in the small-fry brigade would love.

Java Jo'z Coffee & More has opened at 5135 S. Emerson Ave. It is strictly a coffee drive-through with no indoor seating but plenty of hot and cold espresso drinks and an assortment of non-coffee alternatives, including handmade sodas, teas and real fruit smoothies. Owner Christina Wilson said this is the first Java Jo'z location in Indiana. For more information, go to www.javajoz.com.

Scholars Inn owners Lyle and Kerry Feigenbaum are filling what they must have considered a hole in their bakery line.

Each sip of creamy pumpkin soup tastes decadent, whether it's served as a prelude to a formal dinner or accompanying a grilled cheese sandwich at lunch.

What Santorini Greek Kitchen has been doing to its customers' waistlines for two years, it finally did to itself: expanded.

Tony Hanslits lives for Italian cooking. Not some sloppy dish of pasta and meatballs, but authentic cuisine that impresses even folks just back from a vacation in Tuscany.

For a lunch-only restaurant that's been open about three months and is tucked in the back of strip mall, the line waiting for a table at Pipers Café and Catering last week was impressive and almost out the door.

Iaria's, which started as a deli and grocery and became an Italian restaurant in Indianapolis in 1933, has re-opened. Now being run by the great-grandchildren of original owners Pietro and Antonia Iaria, the restaurant, 317 S. College Ave., began serving on Oct. 9.

Give children a real Halloween treat -- let them play with their food. It's fun for them and fun for the one who puts together the imaginative fixings.

Reading the label on a wine bottle can be confusing. Each word reveals what is to come when the cork is pulled and the wine poured. Usually, the more information on the label means a better bottle.

With the accelerated grace of a track-and- field relay star, Dan Noble has taken firm control of the baton and run with it. Celebrated chefs Susan Goss, Tony Hanslits and Steven Oakley enjoyed memorable runs at the esteemed Something Different before handing it off to Noble 13 months ago. Based on a recent visit, it appears that Noble is anything but winded.

A fourth generation of the Iaria family has reopened Iaria's Italian Restaurant, continuing a tradition that dates back 90 years.

Let's give a hand to Bourbon Street Distillery owner Owen Brant for running a business that offers a unique atmosphere, good food and a hint of New Orleans to a neighborhood that hasn't yet benefited from Downtown's restaurant boom.

As I opened the door to let my dogs, Guinness and Harp, out the other morning, I was met with a rush of bright, crisp Indiana fall weather. Made me think of my favorite varietal, Sauvignon Blanc. Pour a glass and you get that same invigorating, in-your-face freshness.

Winter squash is rolling in as Indiana's growing season winds down. Whether the various varieties are baked, boiled or grilled, squash is a versatile way to enjoy Indiana produce in the winter.

The timing of a new Web site's debut is apropos, considering that most farmers' markets end their seasonal run in October. The site, www.indianafarmdirect.com, is designed to bring local farmers and the public together in cyberspace.

Skip the sandwich and try a deliciously different galette ("gah-leht") to accompany warm tomato soup or a crisp salad dotted with pear slices, Gouda chunks and toasted hazelnuts.

Downtown Indianapolis hasn't seen a hot ham sandwich like this since Weiss Delicatessen closed. Thick, carved slices overlap impressively high, forming an edible skyscraper domed in a hefty egg bun. Each meaty slab explodes with moistness and juiciness, with nary a dry spot. A slap of yellow mustard finalizes the simple but perfect creation made for white-collar workers with blue-collar appetites.

Making dinner was tough enough before Junior became a vegan and Dad got on his low-carb, meat-eater's diet. Now planning a meal and cooking it is not only time-consuming, it's complicated.

Tea's time may finally be arriving in the United States. Worldwide, tea long has been the most-consumed beverage other than water.

You know the night. You are hosting a dinner where you want guests to be both impressed and relaxed. Seated at the table are your future in-laws or your boss. Or that best friend you haven't seen since his wedding a year ago. Or it's the first night out for your favorite couple -- without their new baby.

It would have been easy enough for Greg Hardesty and Mike Sylvia to open an H20 Sushi South at their new spot on North Alabama. Their successful 3-year-old Broad Ripple sushi restaurant has become a consistent favorite with diners who love fresh fish and the simple elegance of sushi.

The Oceanaire Seafood Room opened its doors Sept. 20 at 30 S. Meridian St. with a menu dominated by fresh fish and shellfish.

A former teacher, Sandy Rogers can't avoid adding some educational angles to her A la Carte Entertaining event from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at Butler's Pantry, 213 S. Main St., Zionsville. Her store is a specialty shop with assorted items for the kitchen and home decor.

'Cooking From the Heart," by Michael J. Rosen (Broadway, $29.95), feeds the soul with its warm stories and cherished recipes from 100 of American's finest chefs.

A tattered sign behind the counter at Dick's Bodacious Bar-B-Q states, "Don't mess with Texas."

Chris Zachidny first went the route of a low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet about three years ago. "Back then, there was nothing for your sweet tooth," said Zachidny, who lives on the Northwestside. He could get diabetic candy, but not low-carb bread. When he craved something crunchy, the options were a "baked cheese" dish and some crunchy vegetables.

The cream of asparagus soup would have been delight enough for a first visit to Nature's Cottage in Westfield. The flavorful creamy broth was full- bodied without being thick. And the chef didn't merely hint at the asparagus, leaving small, tender spears for substance.

It's been a year of highs and lows for apple growers around Indianapolis and elsewhere. According to the U.S. apple industry forecast, the 2003 crop nationally will total 216.2 million bushels, slightly smaller than the average in recent years.

Fickle fall weather makes it hard to know what to put on the body and in the wine glass when the weekend arrives. It's 50 degrees and overcast when you leave for the football game and sunny and 75 by the time you tailgate. Game ends, sun sets, temperatures drop.

The fast-paced lifestyle of today's families means everyone is up and out the door early, even on the weekends. A leisurely breakfast is out of the question on such rushed days, but a Saturday brunch can be a possibility after morning activities, practices and errands are completed. Or if that doesn't work, the following dish is equally delicious for a casual weeknight meal. The eggs poach in a simmering, full- flavored tomato sauce that offers a hint of spiciness.

Conquer those midnight cravings by visiting www .foodies.com. Touted as "The Great American Food Festival Online," this site dishes up cooking tips, meal suggestions and shopping hints. It answers the pressing question "What is a foodie?" (A true foodie clings to all things culinary.)