By MARY CONSTANTINE, Scripps Howard News Service

Have you ever swiped molten cheese off the side of a sandwich so as to not lose one ounce of that gooey goodness?

Me, too, and pain from the scorched finger was worth every bit of pleasure I received from that melted morsel.

There's just something about hot melted cheese that makes a person lose her senses, or ignite them, as the case may be.

When you host a holiday meal, it's imperative that your dinner table is filled with dishes that everyone enjoys.

In most homes the meat takes center stage, with side dishes chosen to complement. That can leave the vegan/vegetarian in the family with limited options.

As the leaves change color and the temperatures drop, I yearn to prepare hearty meals. Chicken and dumplings, hot tamales and chili, beef stew and French toast are at the top of my list.

The sad thing is that after I've consumed one of these fabulous dishes, I'm more prone to hibernate than I am to get up and be productive.

Just as certain as daffodils sprout in the spring, I can count on stacks of new cookbooks to blossom on my desk this time of year. Here's a look at two Southern-themed books.

Tell a friend you took a trip to Asheville, N.C., and inevitably the following questions will be asked: "Did you visit Biltmore Estate?" "Did you stay at the Grove Park Inn?" "Did you eat at Tupelo Honey Cafe?"

Looking for some untraditional Thanksgiving recipes? Here are two possibilities.

PEAR AND ONION GRATIN

1 large red onion

3 ripe Bosc pears

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

1/4 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper to taste

1 cup coarse whole-wheat Panko breadcrumbs

An apple stack cake is as individual as the person who makes it.

Apple stack cake is a traditional Southern Appalachian food whose purpose has changed over the years.

"The story goes that the cakes were served as wedding cakes," said Norma Idom, a volunteer re-enactor at the Mountain Farm Museum at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day; that's why moms make sure their children are fed each morning.
For Mother's Day, May 10, the roles are reversed. It's a day for children to nourish their moms, both physically and emotionally.

Lisa Smith will tell you that the key to maintaining a viable restaurant is working hard and being creative. After shadowing her for most of a day, this reporter can attest that those elements are in place.
The owner of Big Fatty's Catering Kitchen Restaurant in Knoxville, Tenn., works seven days a week, and she begins each day with a 5-mile walk.

There's sure to be green mashed potatoes, green peas, green Jell-O, green pudding and/or green milk placed in front of a child this St. Patrick's Day.
Here are some other ideas to add a splash of green to your child's meal.

When the witches of Shakespeare's "Macbeth" concocted a brew, it was quite a to-do: "Eye of newt, and toe of frog, wool of bat, and tongue of dog, adder's fork, and blind-worm's sting, lizard's leg, and howlet's wing, for a charm of powerful trouble, like a hell-broth boil and bubble."