There's snow, and then there's 28 inches of snow.

To be honest, I've always had a soft spot for the white stuff. Only a particularly prodigious storm can turn the city into a pastoral winter landscape worthy of the collective Pieters Bruegel -- and yesterday's precipitation did just that. That being said, enjoying the snowfall doesn't mean I like the aftermath; a solid week of ice, wind, and muddy sludge collecting in storm drains. It doesn't take long to go from cabin-like security to cabin fever. The cold alone will do it to ya.

The point is this -- February can be a demanding month. Spring is just around the corner, and yet so far away. For that reason, this week's recipe gives you a reason to look ahead, a reason to remember that sunshine, green leaves, and maybe even tall, cool glasses of lemonade are only about 10 weeks away. Let's get to it.

Oh, man.

Mulled apple cider, the smell of burning leaves, touch football -- what isn't there to like about fall?

[Editor's Note: Or, as the Pasta Burner calls it, "the last few days while it's still not winter."]

It's a great season, especially for those of us in the Northeast. One of my favorite things about the season are the preponderance of apple festivals around the region -- but it's not the apples that I'm excited about. You see, where there's apple festivals, there's kettle corn; delicious, hot, just slightly sticky-sweet kettle corn.

The big secret, however, is that you don't have to wait for the whims of Mennonites to enjoy this delicious fall snack. Do you have five minutes and a pot that has a lid? Oh, good. Let's get cooking.

This week, we've got yet another recipe for the students out there.

Like last week's soup, this isn't a fast recipe; that being said, the labor required is minimal, and the end results are truly fantastic.

Bagels are a staple of the student diet -- smeared with peanut butter and filled with banana slices, they're the perfect snack; piled high and broiled with cheese, they make an open-faced sandwich like no other. And on the weekends? A couple slices of lox, a schmear of Neufchatel, some ringlets of red onion, a little tomato, some capers...are you getting the idea?

Indeed, few foods are consumed by students more often, which makes the sad state of most bagels truly unfortunate. If you're going to eat lots of something, shouldn't it at least be good?

To that end then, this week, we're showing you how to make bagels -- easy, versatile, and better than any of the anemic specimens you'll find hanging around your local grocery store. Let's get to it.

As you can see, the Pasta Burner is very excited about the spinach we've been recently getting from the Clark Park Farmer's Market. She wanted me to write a blog entry about it, but I've got a few posts back-logged before I can write an entry on just how freaking delicious it is. In fact, we just signed up for a CSA (or "farm share") with a local grower, so we'll be getting lots of great leafy greens and other locally produced food all winter, and, believe me, a lot of those recipes will end up here. So consider this photo a preview of sorts.

On to today's recipe...no, wait...two recipes.