Breakfast with Santa has become a bit ordinary, but Applebee’s restaurants in Syracuse are providing a fund-raising twist to the holiday tradition. You can get in on the fun Saturday, Dec. 12, 8 to 10 a.m., at the four local Applebee’s locations: 628 S. Main St., North Syracuse; 3975 Route 31, Liverpool; 5241 W. Genesee St., Camillus; and 3189 Erie Blvd. E., DeWitt. Each ticket costs $5 and includes pancakes, bacon, coffee and juice. All proceed will benefit the local Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Tickets are available in advance at each restaurant.

OK, you tough guys and gals who think you can stomach the hottest chicken wings out there, Quaker Steak and Lube challenges you to participate in the Triple Atomic Tough Video Challenge. Participants can create a 30-second video of themselves “enjoying” the super-hot sauce and upload it to www.tripleatomictough.com.

Going vegan doesn’t mean skipping dessert.

 

They don’t have to be difficult or fussy

Close your eyes and anticipate the sights, the sounds and the aromas of the winter holiday season. How far did you get before you started thinking about holiday desserts?

Baldwinsville’s Olives Eatery imparts flair with its decor and its menu

Step into a world of whimsy when you dine at Olives Eatery, the charming, apostrophe-free food emporium at 25 Syracuse St., Baldwinsville. Owner Debra Case has carved out what has quickly become a destination for those looking for an unusual setting for a midday repast; dinner isn’t served here yet.

Two new books explain how to make a fine vintage and how to cook with one from Glenora

Vinomania seems to be attacking more folks these days. Maybe as you and your friends get older, losing your taste for beer, you tend to reach for the grape “juice.” Maybe because we live so close to so many wineries—even the Seaway Trail is boasting a wine trail now—we are more aware of the goodies that await. Or maybe it just feels more cosmopolitan to hold a fancy glass filled with a local Riesling than it does hoisting a beer mug dripping with Bud Light.

Do your part to save the world by eating and drinking Fair Trade products

 

Do the right thing: In addition to Fair Trade tea pots and cups, DeWitt’s Fair World Marketplace sells the beverages to put into them. MICHAEL DAVIS PHOTO

Get a Belly Full

Enjoy unlimited samples of New York’s finest foodstuffs at Harvest Fest

Easy, Cheesy

Two local cheesecake companies take their no-bake products global

In the era of quick and easy, few people have time for cooking complex dishes and desserts. We have slice-and-bake cookies, instant pudding and just-add-water brownie mixes. Now, making one of the more time-consuming desserts, cheesecake, can be just as simple with the help of no-bake cheesecake mixes.