GOOD TASTES.

TRICK-OR-TREAT: Here's some Halloween trivia the National Confectioners Association shares from its 2006 Halloween Tradition Survey.

For kids, the most popular houses are the ones that offer chocolate treats. Most parents say their children pick anything made of chocolate to eat first when returning home from trick- or-treating (68 percent), followed by lollipops (9 percent), gummi candy (7 percent) and bubble gum (7 percent).

According to parents polled, when returning home from trick-or-treating the first thing kids do with their candy is sort it (30 percent), then savor it (20 percent), share it (16 percent), stash it (14 percent), swap it (7 percent) and other/don't know (14 percent).

The tradition of trick-or-treating dates back to the early All Souls' Day parades in England, during which poor citizens would beg for food and families would give them pastries called ``soul cakes'' in return for their promise to pray for the family.

The celebration of Halloween started in the United State as an autumn harvest festival. In pioneer days, some Americans celebrated Halloween with corn-popping parties, taffy pulls and hayrides.

For information on candy, party and recipe ideas and Halloween lore, go to www.candyusa.org.

-- Daily News

TWO-HOUR TURKEY: Vons is offering consumers three leaflets detailing how to make turkey day dinner preparations with convenience and ease in just three hours. The series of leaflets features a planning guide, another guide with six side-dish recipes ranging from Cranberry Ginger Sauce and Artichoke Sausage Dressing to Creamy Baked Mashed Potatoes and another leaflet -- The 2-Hour Turkey -- outlining the turkey prep and cooking steps. The turkey, from 10 to 24 pounds, is cooked using a preheated 475-degree oven. Times will vary depending on size. According to the company, 60 percent of Los Angeles residents have never used the high-heat cooking method for a turkey. Recipes were developed in the Sunset magazine test kitchens. Look for copies of all three leaflets in the meat and produce sections of Vons and Pavilions stores now through Thanksgiving.

--Natalie Haughton

MICHELIN N.Y.C.: The Michelin Guide New York City 2007 was just released. Overall, 526 restaurants and 50 hotels in every category of cuisine and comfort and at prices to suit a variety of budgets were included.

Three restaurants, Jean Georges, Le Bernardin and Per Se, received a three-star rating (all had the same rating in 2006) for providing ``an exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.'' Alain Ducasse, a restaurant that received a three-star rating in 2006 was dropped from this year's list due to an anticipated closing and move in January. Four restaurants received a two-star rating providing ``excellent cuisine, worth a detour,'' including Chelsea newcomer Del Posto and Masa, Bouley and Daniel. Danube went from a two-star rating last year to one-star this year. Thirty-one other restaurants received a one-star rating for being ``a very good restaurant in its category,'' and 487 additional restaurants were also selected for the guide (but received no stars).

-- N.H.

TWO-HOUR TURKEY: Vons is offering consumers three leaflets detailing how to make turkey day dinner preparations with convenience and ease in just three hours. The series of leaflets features a planning guide, another guide with six side-dish recipes ranging from Cranberry Ginger Sauce and Artichoke Sausage Dressing to Creamy Baked Mashed Potatoes and another leaflet -- The 2-Hour Turkey -- outlining the turkey prep and cooking steps. The turkey, from 10 to 24 pounds, is cooked using a preheated 475-degree oven. Times will vary depending on size. According to the company, 60 percent of Los Angeles residents have never used the high-heat cooking method for a turkey. Recipes were developed in the Sunset magazine test kitchens. Look for copies of all three leaflets in the meat and produce sections of Vons and Pavilions stores now through Thanksgiving.

--N.H.

HUNGRY DETECTIVE: Chris Cognac, a Hawthorne police detective and the Culinary Detective columnist for the Torrance Daily Breeze, now has his own half-hour television show. ``The Hungry Detective,'' Tuesdays at 10:30 p.m., premiered on the Food Network earlier this month. With a passion for food, Cognac travels across the country to uncover the best off-the-beaten-path restaurants -- those hidden gems serving tasty treasures -- like those he's uncovered for years in the Los Angeles area.

Some of Cognac's clues for finding good meals:

Look for a recently renovated restaurant in a run-down neighborhood. A spot that is starting anew and trying to bring something fresh to a faded area will often boast innovative menus. Also, look for an old stand-by in an area that is undergoing a renaissance.

Faded awnings and/or a faded paint job on a restaurant are tell-tale signs that it has withstood the test of time and/or is likely a good bet for some tasty grub.

It is always best to trust the advice of people in the know. For example, if you are looking for good Chinese food, a good bet is to ask the folks working in a local Asian market where they eat. Or look for crowds at restaurants.

Surprisingly, some of the best food can be found in strip malls. Familiy-run restaurants often inhabit local strip malls, because it's less expensive. The less obvious the location and the longer the restaurant has been open, the more likely it is that the food is going to be amazing.

-- Daily News

FREE RICE LEAFLET: If you're a rice devotee and are looking for new ideas, get a free copy of Surprisingly Simple, a colorful brochure from the USA Rice Federation. It features seven award-winning recipes (from the eighth annual Rice to the Rescue! contest) that can be prepared in 30 minutes using six ingredients. Among them are Salmon & Rice Packets With Fennel, Orange & Raisins from David Dahlman of Chatsworth. Mail a business-size, self- addressed, stamped envelope to Surprisingly Simple, c/o USA Rice Federation, 4301 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 425, Arlington, VA 22203 or visit www.usarice.com/consumer to download the winning recipes.

-- N.H.

CAPTION(S):

4 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) no caption (Vons leaflets)

(2 -- color) no caption (pumpkin)

(3 -- color) no caption (``The Michelin Guide New York City 2007'')

(4 -- color) no caption (`Surprisingly Simple'' dish)