First Course: Keeping your list at hand

This is something that should be standard gear on a grocery cart: a List Caddy.

The List Caddy is a plastic clip that snaps to the handle of a grocery cart. You use it to hold your shopping list, coupons and a pencil or pen while you shop. It also has magnets on the back so you can attach it to your refrigerator to hold the list-in-progress.

It's a handy little tool, but most of us would forget to take it with us when we checked out at the grocery store. If you are not as forgetful as I am, you can order the List Caddy at www.listcaddy.com. They cost $6 apiece and come in a variety of colors.

Remembering a kitchen wit

We were sad to hear that Peg Bracken, author of "I Hate To Cook," passed away last week. Bracken, who was 89, lived in Portland, Ore. She published her book in 1960 and became an instant hero among working women and people who didn't enjoy spending hours in the kitchen.

Bracken's cooking instructions included such dry wit as "Brown the garlic, onion and crumbled beef in the oil. Add the flour, salt, paprika and mushrooms, stir, and let it cook five minutes while you light a cigarette and stare sullenly at the sink." As Bracken wrote, "Some women like to cook. This book is not for them." Her recipes included stayabed stew, sole survivor and spinach surprise, and were often based on canned soup and cornflake crumbs.

Thanksgiving assistance

Now that Halloween is under our belts – well, after tonight, anyway – the next big challenge is Thanksgiving. If you are already dreading all the chopping and mixing until your arms feel as though they will drop off at the shoulders, check out "Thanksgiving 101" by Rick Rodgers (William Morrow, $15.95, 184 pages). This isn't a new book, but it has just been released in paperback in a revised and updated version, so it's worth checking out if you don't have a copy on your bookshelf.

"Thanksgiving 101" is filled with foolproof recipes, timetables and good advice that will help you sail right through the feast, even if you are a novice cook. There are recipes for cocktails, nibbles and traditional fare as well as some creative options such as chestnut, mushroom, oyster or sausage stuffing.

We especially like Rodgers' do-ahead tips for things like gravy and side dishes, and his organization and checklist suggestions are the best. There is even some counseling advice to help you stay calm and manage friends who want to help.

Create a cookbook online

For years, I've been meaning to put together a collection of my favorite recipes to share with friends. This may be the year that I actually get the project done in time for Christmas gifts.

TasteBook is a new Web site (www.tastebook.com) where you can create a personal, hardcover cookbook filled with your own recipes or your favorite recipes from Bon Appetít and Gourmet magazines.

You can use the site to organize and store your recipes. If you have bookmarked favorite recipes from www.epicurious.com, you can import those along with photographs into your personal collection. You can also type in recipes from other sources.

As long as you work online, there is no fee, and you can share recipes with friends via e-mail.

Once you decide to print a hardbound book, you select a cover from 48 different designs and add a title. A hardbound book costs $34.95 with 100 recipes from your online collection. You can add more recipes over time. It takes about a week to get your book in the mail.