Top Stories » Expert Columns » Profiles & Trends

The Food Network gets cooking for the season with new shows, weekend family workshops and lots of celebrities.

Fried chicken, burgers, spaghetti & meatballs . . . if you're only going to have one recipe for these crowd-pleasing classics, it might as well be the ultimate — "Tyler's Ultimate." Between cooking in critically acclaimed restaurants, writing cookbooks and traveling the globe to feed his own insatiable appetite, Tyler Florence has experienced every conceivable approach to all of your favorite foods. Now, he has rewritten the book on America's most beloved dishes by drawing from the best of the best to present an indispensable on-air cookbook. "Tyler's Ultimate" launches May 6th at 9:30 a.m. and then falls into a schedule of Fridays at 3 p.m. and Saturdays at 9:30 a.m.

Whether it's cooking up grandma's handed-down recipe or whipping something up with the kids, family recipes make for great food and fun in the kitchen — the Family Recipes Weekend Cooking Block (Saturday May 6th - 7a.m.–2 p.m.) features special appearances from the moms of Rachael Ray and Giada De Laurentiis and premier episodes from "Essence of Emeril," "Tyler's Ultimate," "Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller," "Paula's Home Cooking," "Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee," "30 Minute Meals," "Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger," and "Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello."

Look for your customers to be inspired to hit the grill after watching a weeklong special called Grillin' and Chillin' on The Food Network. Kick off is May 28th at 8 p.m. with a three-hour block featuring a premiere , "Emeril Live" at 8 p.m., followed by the "Iron Chef America: Cat Cora vs. Kerry Simon Hamburger" battle at 9 p.m. and "Challenge: Memphis in May" at 10 p.m.

One of our favorite shows is "Food Finds." This month, the focus is American pies. On this special episode of "Food Finds," you can check out the very best pies in the United States. From New York's The Little Pie Company where they built their reputation around their sour cream apple walnut pie and Mississippi Mud Pie to Mike's Pies' Killer Key Lime Pie with graham cracker crust and Nelly and Joe's key lime juice. Plus tastes of Tennessee Flippin's deep-fried peach pie and Los Angeles-based Sugar Plum Fairy Baking Company pies. Tune in May 6th at 10 p.m. (repeats Saturday May 13th at 5 p.m. and Sunday, May 14th at 4 p.m.).

Emeril Lagasse fans will want to check out "Chefography: Emeril" on May 16th at 8 p.m. The country's most recognizable and beloved chef, he's known by one name and one name only: Emeril. Take a look back at the life of Chef Emeril Lagasse, from his early days growing up in Fall River through his enormously successful rise in the culinary community, business and television. Ina Garten fans will get the background of the woman known worldwide as the Barefoot Contessa, the elegant, yet down-to-earth home entertainment expert who's made the process of cooking crystal clear. But while growing up, Garten wasn't even allowed to put her foot in the kitchen. So how was she able to build a culinary empire? Her path to success is chronicled on the Food Network "Chefography" series on May 16th at 9 p.m.

On the Newstands
Saveur feeds into the desires of the American palate crossing the globe to discover Indonesia's famed Spice Islands — native home of nutmeg and cloves and the destination of ancient explorers from Marco Polo to Columbus — and the astonishing (and spicy!) local foods found there.

Also of note is a juicy feature on Scottish summer berries. Noted London chef (and Saveur consulting editor) ______ Lee, who was born in Scotland, takes us home to Mum — his mother who lives in the midst of Scotland's best berry-growing region. The show is a dedicated celebration of the most luscious summer fruits.

And finally, Saveur talks with Philippe Rochat. A decade ago, Frédy Girardet, widely considered to be the world's greatest chef in the, retired, selling his restaurant in the Swiss town of Crissier to his longtime sous-chef, Philippe Rochat. Since then, Rochat has found his own path, earned his own Michelin stars and created some of the most amazing dishes in modern European cooking.

Real Simple Magazine focuses on the popular topic of wine. The story centers on how to store it and what to store it in. Editors explain the ideal wine storage conditions, and chose the best units to do this in.

Book Nook
There is always great support for current culinary trends available from book publishers. Count on home chefs looking toward Asian and Spanish (Latin) cuisines for more regional experiences and culinary tools. Books supporting those trends and more this season include:

In her first cookbook, lemongrass & limes — Thai flavors with Naam Pruitt (Favorite Recipes Press, April 2006), popular cooking class instructor Pruitt teaches readers how to create authentic Thai dishes at home using ingredients readily available in most grocery stores. Many of the 80 recipes can be prepared in fewer than 30 minutes and they offer extensive advice on food storage, make-ahead meals, substitutions, garnishing and entertaining. Like most great cookbooks, lemongrass & limes includes tidbits of information on Thai culture and lifestyle, and explains the techniques for blending robust ingredients into dishes that excite the palate with refreshing and complex flavors.

Dona Tomas: Discovering Authentic Mexican Cooking (July, Ten Speed Press) by Thomas Schnetz and Dona Savitsky with Mike Wille is a signature book from the critically acclaimed and wildly popular San Francisco Bay Area restaurant. It showcases Mexico's vibrant cuisines with 90 recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, desserts and drinks.

Jewish Cooking for All Seasons: Fresh, Flavorful Kosher Recipes for Holidays and Every Day by Laura Frankel (August 2006, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.). Laura Frankel is the Alice Waters of the kosher world, and in this book, she offers a refreshing approach to traditional Jewish cooking. The chef-owner of Shallots in Chicago, one of the city's top 25 restaurants, Frankel presents 150 inspired and flavorful seasonal recipes to make at home for Jewish holiday feasts and special meals throughout the year.

Cookbooks that will help guide your customers toward other merchandise in your stores include:

The Cereal Lover's Cookbook by Lauren Chattman (June 2006, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.) gives its readers a look inside any kitchen cupboard in America, where you're likely to find a few boxes of cereal, arguably America's favorite food. A fun, practical guide to cooking and baking, The Cereal Lover's Cookbook goes well beyond Rice Krispie Treats and Chex Mix, with creative recipes for baked goods, casseroles, soups and salads, main dishes and more. Fifty recipes use boxed cereals of all kinds to create classic, home-style dishes like Jam-Filled Streusel Muffins, Classic Macaroni and Cheese, Italian-Style Meatloaf, Crisp Turkey Cutlets with Cranberry Pan Sauce and Cocoa Krispies Peanut Butter Brownies. The recipes are quick, easy, and accessible for all home cooks, and are complemented by 35 stylish four-color photos.

The Stinking Rose Restaurant Cookbook (July, Ten Speed Press) by Andrea Froncillo with Jennifer Jeffrey offers a collection of the most popular dishes from the Stinking Rose, a garlic lover's mecca based in San Francisco and Beverly Hills. It features 65 recipes of hearty California-Italian fare.
And finally, celebrities continue to inspire home chefs.

Books to look for include Julia Child Award-winner The Vintner's Table Cookbook (Favorite Recipes Press) returns to print this month in a newly updated and revised edition. First published in 1998 by the Simi Valley Winery, this classic food and wine pairing cookbook by noted chef Mary Evely remains a favorite among oenophiles. It provides an extensive education on how to select wines to serve with food, explores the basic qualities of varietals, and provides nearly 150 recipes with flavor-perfect wine pairings. Recipes range from simple ones with a few ingredients and easy preparation to more complex, highly elegant dishes that require more time in the kitchen. Throughout the book, charts, graphs and chapter openers explain the flavor profiles of wines, including Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Rosé & Blush, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and more.

Network Chatter
Set the VCR:
Pie Theme Night (Sat. 5/6/06 9p-11p)
Create your own pie enthusiasm with two hours of pie-eating fun from the Food Network. The best pies from around the country with "Great American Pie Cookoff" at 9 p.m. and "Food Finds: American Pies" at 10 p.m.

"Grill Girls" (Tues., 5/30/06 9 p.m.)
Repeats: Saturday, June 3rd at 2 p.m., and Sunday, June 4th at 6 p.m.
"Grill Girls" gives your customers some great insight to what products are hot this season. This one-hour special showcases the women who are taking over backyard barbecues and competitive big rigs. The show follows an all-women's barbecue team hoping to make a name for themselves on the BBQ circuit. They'll also look at why women are moving their cooking to the backyard, the new grilling products and must-have gadgets that are made with the ladies in mind, and how women at the grill are changing the way we think about what's for dinner.