SMORGASBORD: 'Best Lost Suppers' . . . Stocking the pantry . . . Sweeten the deal . . . Hot whole grain

'Best Lost Suppers'

More than 1,000 entries were submitted in response to a call-out for lost supper recipes.

Now, 117 family treasures once tucked away in old cookbooks or hidden in dusty recipe boxes are yours for the making, thanks to "Best Lost Suppers" by Cook's Country (America's Test Kitchen; $29.95). Learn the stories behind dishes such as Cheese Frenchies, Kotlety and Glop, and how to whip them up. Find it at bookstores or at amazon.com.

Stocking the pantry

There's more to the college experience than fascinating lectures, frat parties and pricey textbooks. There's all that ramen, for one thing.

Here are some other fresh cooking ideas for students who find themselves on the wrong side of campus, or still in class, when the cafeteria closes.

-- In the cupboard: Good quality olive oil and balsamic vinegar, sea salt and black pepper, garlic, dried pasta, couscous, marinara sauce, lemons, peanut butter and chicken or vegetable broth.

-- In the minifridge: Milk, butter, yogurt, eggs and cheese.

-- On the window sill: Fresh herbs, such as basil or parsley.

-- Don't forget: A microwaveable bowl and mug, a small cutting board, utensils and a small, sharp knife.

-- Don't bother: Leave those microwaveable popcorn packets behind. They're expensive and they contain dicey chemicals. Instead, buy popcorn kernels in bulk.

Sweeten the deal

Sweeten the deal at your next bash by throwing a few of these hand-crafted sodas, made with cane sugar and natural flavors, from Goose Island, into the mix. The Vanilla Cream is a smooth substitute for a sugary dessert, while the Spicy Ginger will throw your tongue a kickin' curveball while you're noshing on apps.

The sodas are available online at beveragesdirect.com for about $30 plus shipping for 24 (12-ounce) bottles.

Hot whole grain

Compared with Quaker, it's been quiet at Cream of Wheat; there are only the original, quicker-cooking stovetop versions and an instant line with five flavors.

But now, there's Instant Cream of Wheat Healthy Grain whole-grain cereal, with 7 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber in a serving of about seven-eighths of a cup, compared with about a three-fourths-cup (thinner) serving of regular Instant Cream of Wheat, with 3 grams of protein and 1 gram of fiber.

At one store the 8-serving 12.7-ounce box of Healthy Grain costs 56 cents more than the 12-serving 12-ounce box of regular Cream of Wheat -- that's 73 percent more per (thicker) serving.