At long last, cherry tomatoes are here, pay dirt for every ghastly love apple we've had to eat out of season. Whether Italian heirlooms or American hybrids, Ciliegini or Principe Borghese, Sun Golds or Black Pearls, Sugar Snacks or Honeydrops, these babies are tomato candy.

It's that time of year when a rash of stories appears to suggest, despite hard science to the contrary, that certain foods -- oysters, chocolate or what have you -- fire up the libido.

There are endless recipes for tomato sauces in Italy.

Corn polenta has traveled the globe to become a staple in world-class restaurants.

The other secret to roast chicken is the size and freshness of the bird, along with a few roasting techniques that are traditionally practiced by French home cooks and professionals alike.

Good fruitcake is another story, one that evokes Christmas probably more than any other sweet.