Food and Beverage
Treat Guests to ‘Grape’ Fall Get-Togethers
‘Grape’ Fall Get-Togethers: Fall gatherings take many shapes, from special occasions with loved ones to neighborhood soirees and glamorous get-togethers. For hosts, these opportunities for entertaining to the fullest call for fresh, flavorful meals, drinks and ingredients that complement a season worth celebrating.
Last Updated on September 10, 2026 by Daily News Staff
(Feature Impact) Fall gatherings take many shapes, from special occasions with loved ones to neighborhood soirees and glamorous get-togethers. For hosts, these opportunities for entertaining to the fullest call for fresh, flavorful meals, drinks and ingredients that complement a season worth celebrating.
Whether you’re serving a showstopping main course, sharing small plates or playing bartender (or all three), an option like California grapes can be the versatile ingredient that elevates both dishes and drinks alike. Their juicy burst of flavor and pop of color bring fall recipes to life, such as roasted chicken, lettuce wraps or cocktails.
You can also try freezing them to replace ice cubes in drinks, serving as a topping for crostini or simply placing in glasses or bowls to enjoy as a healthy, fresh snack while breaking the ice and waiting for the meal to be served.
To find more fall entertaining tips, tricks and recipes, visit GrapesFromCalifornia.com.
California Grape Shallot and Thyme Roasted Chicken
Servings: 6
- 1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds)
- 1 tablespoon butter, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 2 cups red and black Grapes from California
- 1/3 cup finely chopped shallots
- 1/3 cup dry white wine
- fresh thyme leaves, for garnish (optional)
- Heat oven to 375 F.
- Rinse chicken and pat dry; place in 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Spread butter over surface of chicken and sprinkle with salt, thyme and pepper, to taste. Roast 45 minutes.
- Add grapes, shallots and wine to pan and roast 30-40 minutes, or until grapes are softening and thighs reach internal temperature of 165 F on meat thermometer.
- Remove from oven and tent with foil; let stand 15 minutes before carving. Place grapes, shallots and cooking juices in bowl and serve over slices of chicken. Garnish with fresh thyme leaves, if desired.
Nutritional information per serving: 260 calories; 29 g protein; 11 g carbohydrates; 9 g fat (31% calories from fat); 3 g saturated fat (3% calories from saturated fat); 90 mg cholesterol; 480 mg sodium; 1 g fiber.
California Grape Beef Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps
Servings: 6
Pickled Grapes:
- 1/3 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 1/2 cups Grapes from California, halved
- 2 tablespoons minced red onion
Beef Bulgogi:
- 1/2 pound beef round or sirloin steak
- 1/3 cup bulgogi sauce, plus additional for serving (optional)
- 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 12 larger hearts of romaine leaves, clean and dry
- snipped green onion tops
- To make pickled grapes: In small saucepan, stir vinegar, sugar, coriander seeds, mustard seeds and pepper flakes; bring to simmer. Remove from heat and stir to dissolve sugar; let cool to warm.
- Stir in grapes and onion and set aside to cool. Let stand 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
- To make beef bulgogi: Cut beef into small, bite-size strips.
- In medium bowl, stir 1/3 cup bulgogi sauce, vinegar and sesame oil then add beef. Let marinate 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
- In large skillet over medium heat, heat vegetable oil. Using slotted spoon or tongs, remove beef from marinade and add to skillet. Stir fry until beef is cooked through and golden brown, stirring constantly; let cool.
To serve: Place equal amounts beef and pickled grapes in romaine leaves and sprinkle with green onions. Serve immediately with additional bulgogi sauce, if desired.
Nutritional information per serving: 150 calories; 11 g protein; 20 g carbohydrates; 3.5 g fat (21% calories from fat); 1 g saturated fat (6% calories from saturated fat); 25 mg cholesterol; 65 mg sodium; 1 g fiber.
California Grape and Tamarind Whiskey Smash
Servings: 2
- 3/4 cup halved green Grapes from California
- ice
- 6 tablespoons (3 ounces) whiskey
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon tamarind paste
- bitters, to taste
- In medium bowl, muddle grapes until mashed and in small pieces. Transfer to two lowball glasses and add ice almost to top of glasses.
- In shaker or small bowl, combine whiskey, lemon juice and tamarind paste; shake or stir. Season with a few drops of bitters, to taste. Pour into glasses over grapes and stir briskly to chill and dilute slightly.
Nutritional information per serving: 140 calories; 0 g protein; 11 g carbohydrates; 0 g fat (0% calories from fat); 0 g saturated fat (0% calories from saturated fat); 0 mg cholesterol; 0 mg sodium; 1 g fiber.
SOURCE:
California Table Grape Commission
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Food and Beverage
ALDI Rolls Out Its First-Ever Line of Ready-Made Meals
ALDI is entering the ready-made meal market with seven fresh, refrigerated dishes priced under $15. The rollout begins in October, with nationwide availability expected by January 2027.
Busy shoppers looking for a quick dinner option will soon have something new waiting in the refrigerated section at ALDI.
ALDI is launching its first-ever collection of fresh, ready-made meals, introducing seven single-serve and family-size dishes designed to combine convenience, affordability and familiar comfort-food flavors.
The new meals begin rolling out at select ALDI stores in early October, with additional markets receiving them throughout the fall. ALDI expects the entire collection to be available nationwide by January 2027.
Seven New Meals — Ready to Heat and Eat
Unlike frozen dinners, ALDI says its new meals are delivered fresh and sold refrigerated in easy-to-heat trays.
The initial lineup includes five single-serve meals priced under $8:
- Beef Bolognese Spaghetti
- Beef Brisket with White Mac & Cheese
- Butter Chicken & Rice
- Chicken Burrito Bowl
- Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
Two larger family-size meals will be available for under $15:
- Chicken and Bacon Mac n’ Cheese
- Meat Lovers Pizza Bake
ALDI says the recipes were developed around ingredients including chicken breast, smoked beef brisket, real cheeses and made-from-scratch sauces.
The single-serve meals contain between 30 and 46 grams of protein per serving, according to the company. Family-size offerings provide between 16 and 22 grams per serving.
Convenience Without the Restaurant Bill
The move puts ALDI more directly into the growing market for prepared refrigerated meals — an increasingly attractive option for consumers who want something more substantial than a frozen dinner but don’t necessarily have the time or desire to cook from scratch.
ALDI cited the 2026 International Food Information Council Food & Health Survey, which found that 61% of Americans consider convenience an important factor when purchasing food.
“Our shoppers are looking for meals that fit into busy lives without sacrificing quality or stretching their budgets,” Joan Kavanaugh, Vice President of National Buying for ALDI U.S., said in the company’s announcement.
ALDI supplier Kitchen Food Company said hundreds of recipes were tested while developing the new collection.
Dinner in Just a Few Minutes
Convenience is a major part of the concept.
Depending on the variety, ALDI’s single-serve meals require roughly 3½ to 4½ minutes in the microwave. The company instructs consumers to heat the meals until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
The larger family meals can be prepared in a conventional oven at 350 degrees, with approximately 40 minutes of total cooking time.
Shoppers will find the meals in the refrigerated meals section near the front of participating ALDI stores.
More Meals Are Coming
The seven dishes are only the beginning.
ALDI says it plans to introduce additional ready-made meals through its rotating ALDI Finds selection every month during the next year. That could allow the retailer to experiment with additional recipes, flavors and seasonal offerings while expanding its presence in prepared foods.
The timing also makes the rollout noteworthy. With restaurant meals and takeout competing for household food dollars, prepared grocery-store meals occupy a middle ground: more convenient than cooking from scratch while potentially costing considerably less than feeding a family through restaurant delivery or takeout.
For ALDI shoppers, that means the familiar question of “What’s for dinner?” may soon have a few more answers — and they could be waiting just inside the front door.
Source: ALDI, September 22, 2026
Sources & Related Links
- ALDI — Official Announcement: ALDI Launches First-Ever Collection of Ready-Made Meals
- Original Press Release: ALDI Ready-Made Meals — PR Newswire
- Consumer Research: 2026 IFIC Food & Health Survey — Convenience Outranks Healthfulness
- More ALDI News: ALDI U.S. Newsroom
- More Food & Drink Coverage: STM Daily News Food & Drink
Hungry for More?
Looking for more easy dinner ideas, meal-planning inspiration, and affordable meals? Explore STM Daily News Food & Drink for the latest recipes, food news, restaurant stories, culinary trends and more.
A poached egg may look fancy, but it is surprisingly easy to prepare. With a tender egg white and warm, runny yolk, it makes a delicious addition to toast, salads, breakfast bowls or avocado toast.
Ingredients
- 1 large fresh egg
- Water
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar, optional
- Salt and black pepper
- Toast or English muffin for serving, optional
Instructions
Fill a saucepan with about 2 to 3 inches of water and bring it to a gentle simmer. Avoid a rolling boil, which can break the egg apart.
Crack the egg into a small cup or bowl. Add the vinegar to the water if desired—it helps the egg white hold its shape.
Gently slide the egg into the simmering water. Cook for about 3 minutes for a runny yolk, or 4 to 5 minutes for a firmer center.
Remove the egg with a slotted spoon and place it briefly on a paper towel to absorb excess water. Season with salt and pepper, then serve immediately.
Quick Tip
Fresh, cold eggs usually produce the neatest poached eggs because their whites are thicker and stay closer to the yolk while cooking.
Simple, satisfying and ready in minutes, a poached egg is an easy way to make an everyday breakfast feel a little more special.
recipes
Fiber is Trending: Sorghum Makes it Simple
One whole grain quietly gaining recognition for its impressive nutritional profile and versatility in the kitchen is sorghum. This Sorghum Fall Harvest Salad makes it easy to add more fiber to your plate, pairing whole-grain sorghum with seasonal produce like kale, butternut squash and apples.
Fiber is Trending: Sorghum Makes it Simple
(Feature Impact) Protein has long dominated nutrition headlines. Now, dietitians encourage people to pay close attention to another important nutrient: fiber.
One whole grain quietly gaining recognition for its impressive nutritional profile and versatility in the kitchen is sorghum. It’s a naturally gluten-free whole grain that provides both fiber and protein, contains naturally occurring antioxidants and supplies essential nutrients including magnesium, iron and B vitamins.
One reason sorghum is attracting attention is its fiber content. Whole-grain sorghum contains a type of fiber called resistant starch, which research has shown can contribute to healthy body weight and improved insulin resistance.
Unlike many refined gluten-free products that are lower in fiber, sorghum delivers the benefits of a whole grain while remaining naturally gluten-free. Whether you have celiac disease, gluten sensitivity or simply want to enjoy a wider variety of whole grains, sorghum is an easy addition to your menu.
Another reason nutrition experts are taking a closer look at sorghum is its antioxidant content, specifically its health-promoting polyphenols.
Perhaps the biggest surprise is how easy sorghum is to cook with. Whole-grain sorghum offers a mild, slightly nutty flavor and pleasantly chewy texture, making it a delicious alternative for brown rice, quinoa or farro in grain bowls, soups and salads.
Pearled sorghum cooks faster, making it ideal for busy weeknights. Sorghum flour can replace wheat flour in pancakes, muffins and quick breads, while popped sorghum creates bite-sized crunchy kernels for a fun snack or topping for yogurt, soups and salads. For example, this Sorghum Fall Harvest Salad makes it easy to add more fiber to your plate, pairing whole-grain sorghum with seasonal produce like kale, butternut squash and apples.
Healthy eating doesn’t have to mean following the latest trend. Sometimes it simply means rediscovering nutritious foods that have stood the test of time. With its combination of fiber, protein, antioxidants and naturally gluten-free, whole-grain goodness, sorghum is an ancient grain worth adding to your pantry.
You can find dozens of recipes, cooking tips and meal ideas at SorghumCheckoff.com/recipes.
Easy Sorghum Swaps for Everyday Dishes
If you’re looking for ways to add more sorghum to your meals, these easy swaps make it simple to enjoy this versatile grain in recipes you already love.
- Replace rice. Use cooked whole-grain or pearled sorghum instead of white or brown rice in grain bowls, stir fries, burrito bowls and side dishes.
- Swap for pasta. Stir cooked sorghum into pasta salads or use it in place of small pasta shapes in soups for a hearty twist.
- Mix into salads. Add cooked sorghum to green salads, grain salads or vegetable salads for extra texture and whole-grain nutrition.
- Boost your breakfast. Stir cooked sorghum into oatmeal, yogurt parfaits or breakfast bowls then top with fruit, nuts or cinnamon.
- Bake with sorghum flour. Replace wheat flour in pancakes, muffins, cookies, waffles or quick breads with sorghum flour for a mild, slightly sweet flavor.
Sorghum Fall Harvest Salad
Recipe courtesy of Sorghum Checkoff
- 1 cup roasted butternut squash, cubed
- 1/4 cup olive oil, plus additional for drizzling, divided
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sorghum syrup
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 4 cups kale, chopped
- 1 cup cooked whole-grain sorghum
- 1 small apple, diced
- 1/2 cup pecan halves, toasted
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup red onions, diced
- 1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled
- Preheat oven to 400 F. Toss cubed butternut squash with a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper, to taste.
- Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway, until tender and golden.
- In a jar or small bowl, whisk 1/4 cup olive oil, apple cider vinegar, sorghum syrup, Dijon mustard and salt and pepper, to taste, until emulsified.
- Add chopped kale to a large bowl. Massage with a drizzle of olive oil 1-2 minutes until tender.
- Arrange precooked sorghum, roasted squash, apple, pecans, dried cranberries, red onion and feta cheese on top of kale.
- Drizzle with sorghum syrup dressing just before serving. Toss lightly to combine or serve dressing on the side.
SOURCE:
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