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Don't let your customers fall into a post-holiday slump that could put a dent in your sales figures. The first quarter of 2005 is brimming with new television shows, marketing messages, and impending events ready to inspire them. Start brainstorming your own promotions and events that piggyback into what your customers are hearing from the national media.

Television
Damian Mandola and his nephew Johnny Carrabba will host a new PBS cooking show, "Cucina Toscana!" Concocting everything from antipasti to dolci, Mandola and Carrabba will offer intensely flavored dishes from that fabled west-central Italian region crowned by Florence on their show and in their newest book, Ciao Tuscany. The show is their second PBS series, and the book is the third in a series, preceded by Ciao Ya'll and Ciao Sicily.
With their large family, the two chefs launched the original Carrabba's Italian Grill in Houston, which is still their home. Today, these two Sicilian boys from Texas captivate a nationwide television audience and host friends through 150 Carrabba's restaurants across the United States.
Renowned PBS culinary icon Jacques Pepin is also returning to the airwaves with his "Fast Food My Way." Cuisinart serves as the primary underwriter of the new cooking show, which debuted in October on public television stations nationwide.
In "Fast Food My Way," Pepin creates dishes that are visually appealing, as well as delicious, healthy, and easy to prepare. Each episode begins with a quick 30-second recipe and features four dishes with valuable tips on shopping for ingredients and techniques using basic equipment. He will also share stories about his life as the personal chef to three French heads of state, including Charles de Gaulle, and the favorite foods of his family.
The lineup for "Jacques Pepin: Fast Food My Way" focuses on everything from soups and pizzas to Red Snapper with Tomatoes and Cream and Carmelized Apple Granola Timbales.
According to Pepin, "My food is usually easy and fast to prepare, but it is not processed food. I think that most people are very busy these days, so they are receptive to anything that makes their lives easier -- including my version of 'convenience' foods."
To find out more about the show, including local PBS stations airing it, go to www.kqed.org/jpfastfood.
The Food Network will up the ante for fans by taking the hugely successful "Iron Chef America" specials and turning them into a new series with all of the pageantry, competition, and suspense of the original "Iron Chef – Iron Chef America." It will premier in primetime this month.
The network began production on 10 episodes of the new series at their new state-of-the-art Chelsea Market Studios in New York City October 7th. Triage Entertainment has signed on as the show's production company and will be producing it in conjunction with The Food Network. Triage and The Food Network also partnered on the highly successful "Iron Chef America" specials. The programming stunt garnered 12 million viewers.
Based on the Japanese cult classic (originally produced by Fuji Television) that launched on The Food Network four years ago, the "Iron Chef America" series will pit some of America's favorite chefs against the inspired food wizardry of American Iron Chefs Bobby Flay, Mario Batali, and Masaharu Morimoto.
Chef Alton Brown ("Good Eats") will reprise his role as the resident food historian, scientist,
and commentator while Kevin Brauch, "The Thirsty Traveler" from "Fine Living," will keep the play-by-play action going in his reports from the floor of Kitchen Stadium.
Challengers will include Ming Tsai, chef/owner of the world-renowned East/West bistro Blue Ginger in Wellesley, Mass., and author of Blue Ginger and Simply Ming; popular Canadian chef Rob Feenie, owner and executive chef of Vancouver's Lumière Restaurant and The Food Network Canada host; Rick Bayless, author of the classic Authentic Mexican: Regional Cooking from the Heart of Mexico and owner of Frontera Grill and Topolobampo restaurants in Chicago; Chef Roberto Trevino of The Parrot Club, Dragonfly, and Aguaviva restaurants in San Juan, Puerto Rico; Anita Lo, chef/owner of New York City's Annisa restaurant; and Chef Govind Armstrong of the popular Los Angeles restaurant Table 8. Other challengers are yet to be determined.
As in the Japanese format and the previous specials, a secret ingredient will be revealed to both chefs who then have one hour to create a tasting menu for an all-star panel. The judges will score each dish for taste, presentation, and originality. Confirmed judges include: Dana Cowin, editor-in-chief of Food & Wine Magazine; Barbara Fairchild, executive editor of Bon Appetit Magazine; Jeffery Steingarten, food writer for Vogue Magazine; Victoria Riccardi, food writer; and Vishakha Desai, president of the Asia Society. Look for the American version of this wildly popular show to reignite culinary passions and spark another generation of home chefs.

In Print
The media will be running out all those "Start the New Year Right" messages o consumers this month. So as you prepare your own 2005 wish lists, review some of the magazines on the newsstands this month to get an idea of what your customers might find inspiring.
Real Simple Magazine will focus on products that help people clean their houses in an environmentally friendly way. Their February issue will give consumers an interesting shopping list of Green Cleaning Products. Covering food in the winter spirit will be a few articles from the Real Simple menu section: Meat & Potatoes and Beans. February will also debut a new cooking section in the magazine, Techniques, in which Real Simple's food director will share some cooking tips with readers. She will make it simple to add a new method to readers' cooking repertoire. In the way of tips, two Real Simple February articles will include some pointers on how to read Nutrition Labels and on Freezer Secrets.
If you haven't picked up a copy of this magazine lately, five-year-old Real Simple is a marketing phenomenon. Often, its editors are invited on early morning television programs, such as "The Today Show," to discuss new home trends. Also check out Real Simple: The Organized Home (Available Now, Real Simple Books, Time Inc. Home Entertainment and Melcher Media), an elegant hardcover book inspired by Real Simple Magazine's best advice on organizing your living space -- room by room. The editors of Real Simple, along with author Kendell Cronstrom collaborated to offer step-by-step organization for every area of the home, including a shopping guide to stores and products. Pick up a copy to help your customers organize themselves in the New Year.
Saveur's January/February issue is their special Saveur 100, an annual collection of the magazine's favorite people, places, foodstuffs, ideas, and more from the world of food and drink. The seventh installment of Saveur's best, it welcomes in the New Year with a list of choices that brings real food and real people to the magazine's readers. Also in this issue is a look at New Zealand's pinot noir, an up-and-coming variety long overshadowed by the country's sauvignon blanc; Kelly Alexander's look at the fierce cooking competitions of Sweden, with a focus on the Chef of the Year contest; and a Classic column about New Orleans' iconic sandwich, the po'boy.
Now that the holidays are over, it's time to pay attention to your wedding registry. December is a hot engagement month, as is Valentine's Day, and all these newly engaged couples will be wandering your stores as they begin to plan their big day. Bridal Guide's January/February issue points out some hot new registry items, including coffee-related items. In its "Registry Report," Bridal Guide spotlights Marc Blackwell's Dots pattern, De'Longhi's Retro electric percolator, the Margherita coffee cup by Missoni Home for Richard Ginori from Michael C. Fina, the Mia stainless steel stovetop espresso maker by BIALETTI, BonJour's Maximus 8-cup French press, The Red Collection 4-cup coffee maker with brushed stainless carafe by Cuisinart, Saeco's Gran Crema Traditional espresso machine, BonJour's handheld Primo Latte frother, Raynaud's Green-Striped Transit cup, the GVX2 Burr Grinder by Krups, the D290 Automatic Concept espresso machine by Nespresso, Cuisipro's stainless steel frothing pitcher, Hamilton Beach's Brew Station, Giamaica Coffee, and Bodum's Granos Automatic Espresso Machine.
Another Bridal Guide feature takes a look at sea-inspired tabletop using samples such as Noritake's Sensation Aqua Goblet, Artel's Frutti Di Mare hand-engraved crystal jug, Rosenthal's Freespirit salad and dinner plates, Villeroy & Boch's Mira bone china dinner plates and cups, Vance Kitira's rock place mat, the White Open-Lace footed bowl and dinner plate from Royal Copenhagen, and the Collector spoon by Two's Company. Another seasonal approach in the magazine is its Autumn spread with a picnic scene that includes Wedgwood's Nantucket Basket bone china, Vera Wang flatware, Neuwirth's Basketweave footed cake stand, and a Palacek Outing basket. Finally, Bridal Guide wraps up the 2005 wedding shopping scene with a peek at the holidays. Beaded and Urchin vases by Jonathan Adler, the Stuttgart tablecloth by Lintex Linens, Jean-Louis Coquet Spirale coffee cups and saucers, Archipelago's Maroq place mat, Dancing Deer Baking Co. Gingerbread cookies, Nambe's Peek-a-boo vase, and Larabee Road Dot plate and flatware are just some of the samplings combined to set a
trendy holiday.
It's on the shelves already, but just in case you haven't introduced this great new cookbook to your staff and customers, here's a reminder. Thomas Keller, owner of The French Laundry and author of its namesake cookbook, just released BOUCHON (Artisan, Available Now). BOUCHON elevates the elegance of the simplest of ingredients with a collection of accessible recipes for the home chef. Named for the restaurant he opened next door to his French Laundry, BOUCHON celebrates less-complicated food.
Some other interesting reads new for 2005 include a variety of topics that promote both ingredients and hard goods, as well as specific cuisines. The founders of Doughmakers Gourmet Bakeware share over 100 of their most delicious recipes for baked goods, tell their success story, and provide tips on how to start a business from the heart in the paperback version of Doughmakers Cookbook by Bette LaPlante and Diane Cuvelier (Available Now, Regan Books). They provide 125 recipes straight from the Doughmakers' own kitchen and from the kitchens of satisfied customers.
The International Meat Book edited by Carole Lalli debuts in February (HarperCollins). It features a collection of 60 recipes for beef, pork, and lamb collected from the "Beautiful" series by cookbook author and former Food & Wine editor Carole Lalli. With dishes from Europe, Asia, North and South America, and beyond, this follow-up to The International Soup Book celebrates meat's centrality to global cuisine with simple, tasty no-fail recipes.
The Rustic Table by Constance Snow (March 2005, William Morrow) is for cooks who enjoy adventure -- within reason -- who want to recreate ethnic cuisine, but who don't have time to pat tortillas from scratch or hunt down Japanese yuzu rind. The recipes are wholesome, economical, and eco-friendly, but they stop far short of using "everything but the oink." The dishes use ingredients that are supermarket friendly, can be prepared in just a few easy steps, and don't require any obscure appliances. The diverse recipe collection includes everything from New England Maple Doughnuts and Hoppin' John Salad to Persian Lamb Kabobs and Japanese Moon-Viewing Noodles. In addition, The Rustic Table includes tips, tricks, and sidebars that clarify basic techniques, introduce ingredients, or explore quirky traditions.
And finally, prepare for the warm days ahead with Good Day for a Picnic by Jeremy Jackson (May 2005, William Morrow), the perfect accompaniment to your outdoor displays. Jackson offers more than 100 new recipe ideas for the park and the patio, the backyard and the beach, and beyond. The dishes are simple, wholesome, and quick to prepare, with lots of make-aheads and tips on food transport. Not a book of "classics," it's a fresh, flavorful (and funny) look at picnics. After all, who needs another fried chicken recipe?

Celebrity News
As culinary icons continue to motivate American gourmands to experiment in the kitchen, we've checked around to see what names are creating some culinary spin. Jamie Oliver continues to work the circuit after the release of Jamie's Dinners by Jamie Oliver (Hyperion) in November. Oliver, who did an extensive U.S. media tour during Q4, appearing on Jay Leno's "The Tonight Show," "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," and NBC's "The Today Show," among others, continues to ride the wave of his media blitz by setting up a display dedicated to his books and wares.
Hoping to make his own splash on the American market comes Aussie Bill Granger. From Down Under comes bill's open kitchen (January 2005, William Morrow) featuring Granger's laid-back sense of hospitality, big-hearted attitude, and fresh approach to food that has made him Australia's hottest chef, and he's sure to be a hit in the U.S. as well. The new book is full of relaxed, easy recipes for every meal of the day, with chapters devoted to breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner. Hailed by R.W. Apple, Jr. of The New York Times as "the Egg Master of Sydney," Bill is sure to impress home cooks everywhere with his breakfasts (he's famous for his ricotta pancakes), and the rest of his dishes are just as divine.
Another fresh, young face on the culinary scene is Dave Lieberman, whose new book is appropriately titled Young and Hungry: Making the Most of Fresh and Affordable Food (Hyperion, April 2005). The first cookbook from new culinary talent Lieberman is packed with simple but innovative recipes. Paired with The Food Network TV show of the same name, it's the perfect, easy-to-follow guide for any young person wanting to venture out into the world of good cooking.
In his cookbook, Lieberman shows how to create delicious meals that anyone, an inexperienced college student or otherwise, would find to be a breeze. Lieberman also offers some tasty dishes and drinks one can make when throwing a simple dinner party for friends, impressing a date, or showing off for parents when they drop in for a visit. All recipes are made from ingredients easily purchased in your local grocery store and that won't break your budget.
The Food Network has designed a cooking show for Lieberman of the same name, focusing on his fresh start as a college graduate and a new New Yorker. Creative and charismatic, Lieberman was already gaining fans through his public cable access cooking show "Campus Cuisine" in New Haven while he was a student at Yale. With his easy-going manner and delicious, easy-to-make dishes, he's well on his way to becoming the American Jamie Oliver. Lieberman was featured in The New York Times' "Dining In" section, which garnered a huge response. Gourmet Magazine also featured him in their September issue.
And finally, the home chef's favorite Mario Batali returns with Molto Italiano (May 2005, Ecco). Rich in local lore and Batali's humorous and enthusiastic voice, the book is familiar to those who have come to know him on his popular Food Network programs, larded through about 220 recipes of simple, healthy, seasonal Italian cooking for the American audience. Easy to use and simple to read, some of these recipes will be those "as-seen" on TV in eight years of "Molto Mario" programs on The Food Network, including those from "Mediterranean Mario," "Mario Eats Italy," and the all-new "Ciao America with Mario Batali." Batali's distinctive voice will provide a historical and cultural perspective with a humorous bent to demystify even the more elaborate dishes, plus show ways to shorten or simplify everything from the purchasing of good ingredients to preproduction and countdown schedules of holiday meals. Informative head notes will include bits about the provenance of the recipes and odd historical facts.