2010 Fall

Everyone's tried a pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving — but pumpkins are useful for so much more than just pie. This year, my family will free up the oven by deep-frying the bird — and since the oil will be hot, why not try something new and cook up some pumpkin fries?

I served my first few batches of pumpkin fries with a spicy aioli, but a cranberry dipping sauce would be a great alternative as well. If you're in the mood for something sweet, sprinkle the last batch with cinnamon and sugar. These fries are easy to prep and fry just before the big feast, especially with the fryer already hot. If you're ready to give up the pie and start with a fry, then keep reading for the recipe.

When it comes to hair color, celebrity colorist Johnathan Gale of the Serge Normant at John Frieda Salon in LA knows his stuff up and down — and then some. Recently, he's given us all kinds of tips on how to make your hair look more vibrant, but when it comes to what's hot (and what's not) now, he has even more words of wisdom. To find out what's up in the world of hair color, just keep reading.

• Thanksgiving's sexual side effects — YourTango
• 10 books all women should read — College Candy
• Why Pink is a great role model for girls — LilSugar
• Women love power just as much as men — Huffington Post
• 12 celebrity couples who got back together — The Frisky
• Guys dish on what they really think of virgins — Glamour
• Interview with a lady bookstore owner — SavvySugar

Whether you love precipitation of all sorts (like me) or you scowl at the thought of yet another snowstorm, one easy way to liven up any dark, damp day is with a stylishly warm knitted hair accessory.

This Alice Hannah Knitted Headband ($24), for instance, will keep you from looking like a drowned rat, all while providing a pretty feminine touch to any ensemble. From the oversize and bedazzled to the downright dainty, here are a few fun finds that can take you from commute to office with ease.

Just because it's cold and rainy or snowing up a storm doesn't mean you have to look like a drowned rat while traveling to and fro.

I've always had a thing for the classic appeal of a tassel-adorned shoe. Now, I'm crushing hard on the sophisticated, menswear vibe you can get with proper tassels. First, it was the love of these Tory Burch ankle booties ($395), but the more I see the tassel look on everything from oxfords to a wedge loafer, the more style-smitten I've become. Wear them with rolled, military-hued chinos, or a mini and tights – polished, playful, and totally seasonal.

When it comes to choosing apple varieties for desserts, everyone, it seems, can agree to disagree. While some laud the Fuji's firmness, others find it too firm for pie. The popular Granny Smith has been described as "toothsome" to some, but others reject the green apple for breaking open during baking. The list goes on and on. In fact, there seems to be only one apple that everyone consents to being horrible for cooking: the Red Delicious variety, which tastes mealy when eaten out of hand and even mushier after it's baked.

My personal favorite apple pie apples are Jonagolds, Rome Beauties, and Pink Ladies, which have a nice blend of sweetness, tartness, juiciness, and slight crunch. Which apple varieties are you partial to using when you bake?

Like small-scale supermarkets and savory oatmeal, fusion food is going to make a statement in 2011. No, not that kind of fusion food. Put aside notions of Pacific Rim specialties like miso-glazed butterfish and sesame tuna tartare. Think another take on East-West fusion: the combination of Indian and Latin cuisines.

Last Fall, Texas restaurant pioneer Stephan Pyles opened up Samar, a small-plates restaurant that serves the spices of south India alongside the specialties of Spain, and features desserts like coconut rice pudding with saffron and cardamom. Chef Maneet Chauhan, who's gained recent attention as a competitor on The Next Iron Chef, is perhaps the biggest poster child for Latin-Indian fusion, offering creations such as amchur- and ancho-crusted chicken at her New York restaurant, Vermilion. And Lisa Fain, who writes the popular Tex-Mex blog Homesick Texan, has professed her love of saag paneer enchiladas.

It'll be interesting to find out whether this new culinary direction has the legs to catch on, as opposed to other floundering fusion concepts like Chinese-Cuban. Does Indian-Latin have mainstream potential?

Source: Flickr User thebradsblog

We're thrilled to present our favorite Lucky story here on Fab!

We've given it much thought and after careful contemplation, we've narrowed down the top five essentials you must own this season. Click through to see each one on our favorite celebrities!

The Pencil Skirt: A pencil skirt is an incredibly versatile piece because it can be worn day or night. Wear one to work, for example, paired with a button-down for a refined and sophisticated look. At night, give your skirt a sexy spin by adding a blousey top or slinky tank.

To see four other Fall essentials, visit Lucky!

For more fashion fun from Lucky, here are more Lucky stories. Related links: This Week I Want To Look Like: Rihanna, Top 3 Sales Happening Today, How To Get Clothes Fresh and Clean—Without Using Laundry Detergent