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Not a lot has changed about Harry Connick Jr. in the 16 years since he crossed over from being another nifty throwback from New Orleans in the jazz world and became something of a highbrow pop superstar. He still combines genuine affection for the classic American songbook, a ham's love of showmanship, a moderate amount of jazz chops, and an enduring passion for the music of his native New Orleans.

He put them together in canny blends back then and still does today, though in between concert tours, he's built a career as an actor, most recently on Broadway in "The Pajama Game" and in numerous movies and television shows.

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Quick-dinner recipes a snap

The make-it-fast field of cookbooks and magazines is crowded these days, but the concept is well over 50 years old, says Laura Shapiro, a culinary historian and author of "Julia Child," a new biography of one of America's best-known cookbook authors.

Packaged-food companies "manufactured" the idea of the time-crunched family cook to encourage women to buy prepared foods as ingredients for dinner dishes after World War II, Shapiro says.

With the growth of two-career homes and a more mobile society, time constraints are much more real today, she says, giving the books a natural market.

Seasonal and healthy ingredients began to play a bigger role in the 1980s, and in recent years moved to the center of things, she said. Now the important thing is for the books to also look good, she says.

Plate shifting

Chef Rick Halberg has been a fixture in Detroit area fine dining for what seems forever. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, Rick worked at restaurants in Aspen, Colo., and upstate New York before returning to Michigan to raise a family. He worked with Yvonne Gill at Tweeny's and at the Holly Hotel before opening RIKs, a carryout and catering operation, and then a restaurant of the same name. In 1994, he opened Emily's in Northville, which became an instant dining destination, recognized as one the finest restaurants in Michigan. Regrettably, it closed six months ago, shortly after the opening of his storefront Tuscan restaurant in Farmington Hills, Tutto Bene, which closed after a brief run.

Making a market

Paulette Jacobson picks out produce at the Nugget Market in Roseville. She said she is drawn by the selection and quality of food there. Shoppers can pick up a pack of American cheese in the dairy aisle or browse the 400 gourmet cheeses on black granite countertops. "You go there and you know you're someplace special," a consultant said. Sacramento Bee/Paul Kitagaki Jr.

Brad Zimanek's Buzz column: The Players Choice offers whiffleball ...

Remember when you were a kid and you would play whiffleball for hours in the backyard with your buddies? Now, you have the chance to do it all over again.

The Players Choice just completed construction of an outdoor whiffleball field that will be home to leagues and tournaments, including youth, adult co-ed and adult men division offerings. A ribbon cutting ceremony for the field is planned for Thursday at noon. Free hot dogs and brats will be given away.

An adult coed four vs. four league (two men and two women) begins next Monday. A men's adult four vs. four league starts next Tuesday.

"Whiffleball is a sport many of us grew up with," said Mike Lichtfuss, managing owner of The Players Choice in a press release. "We also wanted to offer more outside activities and whiffleball is popular among all age groups.

Too much is never enough for luxury travellers

The hottest trend in hospitality proves celebrity rehab centres aren't the only places leveraging excess. From boutique hotels to Canadian fishing resorts, overindulgence is getting overnight privileges in travel packages that encourage guests to adopt the stars' philosophy that too much is never enough.

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