Easy does it
A year ago, Doug Organ opened Cafe D in the space where he had run Arbor, a fine dining restaurant, since 2002. Arbor was refined and uppity, Cafe D is cool and relaxed. Easygoing can be exasperating, like when servers forget details of your order or just go missing for long chunks of time. But the whole lovely menu is available for takeout, including a silky cremini mushroom soup ($7.50) drizzled with Parmesan cream and rosemary oil. Organ says the switch to a more casual spot has allowed him to move his business in directions he couldn't before, and he hopes to expand his to-go offerings. Fantastic! Great food to take home, and no late waiters. Cafe D, 711 Centre St., Jamaica Plain, 617-522-9500. -- LEIGH BELANGER
Healthy trans-ition
Many pie bakers swear by shortening for the flakiness it imparts to pastry. Without it, devotees say, the bottom crust of a fruit pie can get mighty soggy. But widely-used Crisco and other shortenings have contained, until now, trans fats, chemically treated hydrogenated oils. Banned in New York restaurants, trans fats are red flags to nutritionists. So just as we were resigning ourselves to all-butter crusts, Crisco got smart. The company, which had a trans-fat-free version of its shortening in limited production, has now reformulated all its packages to remove the offending fats. Now the big blue can, the shortening sticks, and even the butter-flavored versions contain zero trans fats. It's enough to send you racing to the kitchen to whip up a couple of pies. Crisco 0 Trans Fat is available at all major groceries. -- ALISON ARNETT
A St. Patrick Day favorite that's available all year
So called because it's leavened with baking soda rather than yeast, soda bread has been popular in Ireland since the 19th century. Though St. Patrick's Day is coming up this weekend, delectable Irish soda bread appears all year in bread baskets at Harvest Restaurant. The loaf here is not too sweet, studded with traditional currants , and infused with the not-so-traditional orange. A bit of whole wheat flour gives the breads an appealing nuttiness. Pastry chef Liz O'Connell notes, "It's one of my favorite breads." In both the bar and the restaurant, slices come with the meal. And, if you call in advance, you can buy a hefty 1 1/2 - pound loaf for $7. Harvest, 44 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge, 617-868-2255. -- LISE STERN
Into the mouths of babes, naturally
If you've ever tasted baby food, you know it's bland with a horrid texture. That's why English-born Sara Cabot, a Cambridge mother of four and founder of Little Lettice, calls her frozen organic products "real food for babies." The company is named for Cabot's 5-year-old daughter . Food comes in 4-ounce plastic containers ($2.69 to $3.99), and tastes include apple or sweet potato purees, and lentils and vegetables. All the mixtures rely on the natural flavors of the primary ingredients; no sugar, salt, or preservatives added. This is Cabot's second baby-food venture. The first, Orgagaganics, which she and a partner began two years ago, closed when the other woman left to give birth to her fifth child. Cabot immediately made plans to start again. One of her goals is to spiff up hard-sell veggies so your kids will eat them. If they do, there are no guarantees that some won't end up on the kitchen wall in the process. Available at Debra's Natural Gourmet, 98 Commonwealth Ave., West Concord, 978-371-7573; Fresh Pond Market, 360 Huron Ave., Cambridge, 617-876-3916; Savenor's Market, 160 Charles St., Boston, 617-723-6328; South End Formaggio, 268 Shawmut Ave., Boston, 617-350-6996; and Whole Foods Markets in Bedford (170 Great Road, 781-275-8264) and Cambridge (Fresh Pond and River St. , 617-491-0040, 617-876-6990 ), or go to littlelettice.com. -- EMILY SCHWAB
