Central Market's raw bar
File this under "Why didn't someone thinkof this sooner"? Instead of offering just a bunch of pre-cut veggies in aribtrary package sizes that may or may not fit your needs, Dallas Central Market has a raw bar in the produce department with more than two dozen kinds of pre-cut veggies.
When I was there recently, it was 28, from butternut squash to onions, multi-colored bell peppers to asparagus. The items are freshened several times a day, and the price is $3.99 a pound. Not bad if you're pressed for time and don't have a sous chef.
It's also time to pick up your 2008 Hunger & Thirst calendar, which Central Market produces to benefit the North Texas Food Bank. This year, the photos are like food pin-ups: voluptuous, sensual and inviting, from French onion soup to peaches and ice cream. Each purchase of a calendar for $10 provides 50 meals for hungry North Texans. But where are these recipes for the pin-up dishes?