AUTUMN ALCHEMY | 1, 2, 3, 4

So they're different. Sort of. Anyone who's ever compared bottles or jugs of nationally marketed brands of apple juice and cider (filtered and pasteurized) knows they look pretty much alike - a clear amber. Similarly, bottled brands of pasteurized but unfiltered juices and ciders are also about the same in appearance: opaque, brownish. Yet some definitely taste different than others - the ciders should be tarter and the juices sweeter - but how they're labeled is up to the manufacturer. Confused? So is the government, which has set no national standards for distinguishing cider from juice. This accounts for conflicting appellations in different parts of the country. Fresh-pressed juice from apples on the West Coast is commonly known as apple juice, whereas on the East Coast, the same thing is called cider, sometimes sweet cider.

No matter the name, you won't confuse cider/juice with "hard cider" - its stronger taste and alcoholic kick are unmistakable. Any cider, by the way, can become hard - fermentation comes naturally if it's not refrigerated. Chances are our Pilgrim ancestors, children included, got a little extra zip in their evening apple juice. Or cider. Whatever.

But cider isn't only a beverage. It can be a real boon to your cooking. Sweet yet acidic, it can be extremely accommodating. As a marinade, for example, cider excels both as a flavoring agent and as a tenderizer, superb for all kinds of meats: beef, pork, poultry, and lamb. I also like it as a sauce base. Consider its function in a dish such as Cider Scalloped Potatoes: The cider complements the sweetness of the potatoes and contributes a welcome tartness. In turn, the cider sauce reacts with the Gouda cheese, which holds the tartness in check while letting the refreshing apple taste come through.

Boiling cider can really concentrate its flavor. You might think the result would be supersweet and almost honeylike, but it tastes more of apples than anything else. Try it: Reduced ciders open up a whole new realm of cooking possibilities. In the Apple-Cider Pie, for example, boiled cider partly replaces the sugar, giving the filling a silky smoothness unattainable any other way.

I guess that brings my theory on drinking apples instead of eating them around full circle. I like that.

BE SURE IT'S PASTEURIZED

In the old days, all apple cider was unpasteurized: Pick, press, and drink. You can still buy it that way in some areas, or you can make it yourself as we did at my friend Larry's. But unless you're confident of the cleanliness of the apple source and the water that nourished it - as I was because of Larry's expertise - it's much safer in the modern world to use only pasteurized cider or apple juice. Why? According to Julia Daly, a spokesperson for the U.S. Apple Association, apples are sometimes exposed to strains of the Escherichia coli bacterium. The apple industry is working on a solution to this problem, but in the meantime, just remember to keep your ciders and juices refrigerated.

Bring 2 cups cider to a boil in a large, heavy saucepan over high heat. Cook until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 20 minutes). Reduce heat to medium-high; stir in 1/2 cup granulated sugar. Cook 5 minutes or until sugar dissolves and cider is thick and dark-colored, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; cool 1 minute. Stir in 1 tablespoon margarine. Stir in apple; cook 15 minutes over medium-high heat or until the liquid is absorbed, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; cool. (If apple mixture hardens, place it over low heat until softened).

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Coat a 12-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray; dust with breadcrumbs.

Combine 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, 1/2 cup margarine, lemon rind, and cream cheese in a large bowl; beat at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended (about 5 minutes). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Fold in apple mixture. Pour into prepared pan; bake at 325°F for 1 1/2 hours or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Combine 1/4 cup cider, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup lemon juice, and vanilla; let stand until sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally. Cool cake in pan 5 minutes, and pierce with a wooden skewer in several places. Pour cider mixture over cake in pan, and let stand 10 minutes. Remove from pan, and cool completely on a wire rack. Sift powdered sugar over top of cake.

18 servings (serving size: 1 slice).

Calories: 286 (22% from fat); Fat: 7.1g (Saturated: 1.6g); Protein 5.8g; Carbohydrates 50.1g; Fiber 1.2g; Cholesterol 39mg; Iron 1.3mg; Sodium 237mg; Calcium 68mg.

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