It’s cold. It’s rainy. Time for a hearty stew.

When you’re done making pies and sauce, try chutney

A seasonal dish that combines pasta and winter squash

You can learn to make Rhode Island clam chowder, which features freshly ground quahogs, potatoes and other vegetables in a clear broth.

Last night, it was particularly cold outside and I wanted homemade soup. My son, however, had been eyeing a package of frozen cheese ravioli in the freezer.

Besides apples, these tarts contain custard. Need we say more?

Chances are you’ll find little square cellophane packets of those coiled, dehydrated noodles with the tiny flavor pouches full of salt and “beef” or “chicken” or “shrimp” flavor that you stir in at the end of cooking.

Just as my last blog on popcorn hit the Web, my editor received a package from none other than The Popcorn Board.

The United States is number two in apple production in the world, second only to China.

I’ll be bringing food, of course. Parents of newborns shouldn’t have to worry about what they’re going to eat — or what big brother Jonah’s going to eat — at an exhausting time like this.