This might not have been the greatest year for food, thanks to rising costs and numerous scares -- including a salmonella outbreak traced to chili peppers and warnings related to the cooking of frozen meals to the correct temperature.

Nonetheless, we found a few food things in 2008 we really liked.

WINTER FARM MARKETS
Most farm markets wrap up in October, but some hearty souls keep turning out produce for die-hard "locavores." Greens, broccoli and turnips are still found -- if not eggplant and tomatoes. Beyond the two markets listed below, the Greener Grocer in the North Market stocks locally grown produce yearround.

SENSIBLE DIET
Dozens of diet books are released each year, but The Perfect Recipe for Losing Weight & Eating Great by Pam Anderson makes the most sense. As much about self-help as dieting, the volume details her emotional struggles in losing 50 pounds as well as menus, exercise regimens and plenty of delicious recipes -- such as Creamy Pasta With Salmon and All-Purpose Slice-and-Bake Butter Cookies.

MICHAEL SYMON
Almost a local (with two restaurants, Lola and Lolita, in Cleveland), Symon stands out as a fresh face on the Food Network -- and not an entertainer who dabbles in cooking or an artist who relies on cake as a medium. The hardworking chef still puts in grueling hours at his restaurants. And he serves as host of Dinner: Impossible, too.

FROZEN RICE
New products reach the market each year, but not many actually save time. Frozen rice does. Birds Eye came up with the first offering, but other brands, including some store brands, have since arrived. The rice just has to be put in the microwave; the kernels stay fluffy and never stick to the bottom of the pan. Yes, it's more expensive than cookit-yourself rice -- which remains inexpensive even with rising food costs -- but excellent for time-pressed cooks.

MEAT-FREE HOT DOGS
Delicious meat-free hot dogs from Rad Dog! show great promise in a city known for its meat consumption -- and obesity rates. With his portable cart, Michael Tawd Bell is spotted Downtown and at events such as the Gallery Hop in the Short North. (Where will he go next? Visit www.raddog veg.blogspot.com.)

? Columbus Winter Farmers' Market, First Unitarian Universalist Church, 93 W. Weisheimer Rd. (Clintonville neighborhood): 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday and Jan. 24, Feb. 14 and 21, March 7 and 21, and April 4 and 18 (740-387-3580 or visit www.columbuswinterfarmersmarket.com)

? Olde Worthington Winter Farmers' Market, Griswold Center, 777 High St., at Dublin-Granville Road: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays (614-891-6293)

robin.davis@dispatch.com