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We're in the midst of those harried holidays, but the post-holiday blues will be along before you know it. Get ready to pull your customers from the winter doldrums with new products and innovative ideas inspired by celebrity chefs, and national magazines, cookbooks, and television.

Holiday Greetings
Before we dive into 2005, there's a bit of housekeeping to do on the 2004 holiday season. The Food Network fires off its holiday promotions this month with a slew of inspiring programs.
The Food Network and FoodNetwork.com are the destinations for holiday tips, trivia, and recipes, with holiday-themed and special prime-time editions of the "In the Kitchen" programming block airing weekends
9:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET/PT and weekdays 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. ET/PT throughout November and December. The network will also ring in the holiday season with eleven premiere specials, including "Rachael Ray's Thanksgiving in 60" premiering Thursday, November 11th at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT. On it, Rachael, famous for her 30-minute meals, accepts the challenge of creating a classic "Turkey-day" meal with all the usual fare in only sixty minutes. "All Star Thanksgiving" will premier Sunday, November 14th at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT and feature Rachael Ray, Emeril Lagasse, Alton Brown, Sara Moulton, Tyler Florence, Paula Deen, and Giada DeLaurentiis all sharing their favorite recipes, tricks, and tips for the holiday. From appetizers and drinks, to turkey, stuffing, sides, and desserts, the Food Network's All Stars show viewers how to cook up a perfect holiday meal.
In December, holiday baking will receive attention with the "12 Days Of Cookies Special" that premiers Thursday, December 2nd at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT. Viewers will peek inside the homes of cookie makers from around the country as they bake their own personal favorites from scratch and share funny and nostalgic tales of their baking traditions.
"An Italian Christmas With Mario and Giada" will premiere Sunday, December 5th at 9:00 p.m ET/PT with hosts Mario Batali and Giada DeLaurentiis crossing the country in search of fantastic Italian holiday recipes, dishes, and traditions.

On the Newsstands
Inspiration will abound in consumer magazines over the next few months as well. In November, Saveur will bring Thanksgiving into the 21st century with an evolutionary story of this holiday meal. The story follows a San Francisco family's holiday transformation beginning with a rubbery turkey back in the '60's and evolves to a beautiful roasted bird flavored with black truffles roasted in butter, plus other goodies. Even the stuffing is "Darwinian," featuring as it does everything from Chinese water chestnuts and challah to mushrooms and Hungarian paprika -- a delicious tribute to the American melting pot. Also in November will be a feature on vintage Pyrenees -- the wines of the Jurançon region along France's mountainous border with Spain that come from a little-known assortment of white grapes and are surprisingly full of personality. The dry ones go well with game; the sweet, with pork or chicken. The producers of these wines are equally unusual, and Saveur's Editor-in-Chief Colman Andrews visits several, among them a feisty old Basque woman with a legendary temper who planted her first vines at the age of 60, some hippie types who groove on local geology, and a sexy young woman from a French Algerian family who created a unique wine one day when her father
was away.
Potatoes also get a plug in November with a multifaceted take -- in the style of Saveur's James Beard award-winning special section on milk -- on this elemental, supremely comforting food, from its beginnings some 8,000 years ago in the Peruvian Andes to modern times (potatoes are now grown almost everywhere on earth, and are the most frequently consumed vegetable in the U.S.). The article explains the potato plant's peculiar botany and science, discusses how it's grown and processed, and describes the potato's prized place in cultures around the world. Recipes include classics like vichyssoise and German potato salad, plus your basic mashed, boiled, baked, steamed, pan-roasted, and french-fried
versions.
December's issue will include a feature on a family Christmas in upstate New York by Shane Mitchell: Every year, the author's family -- a gregarious group of Southerners now living for the most part in the Northeast -- gathers at her house in Mohawk Valley to celebrate Christmas. They prepare generations-old recipes like spirited eggnog with whipped cream, spicy cheese crackers, standing rib roast with bordelaise sauce, spicy creamed onions, green beans almondine, boozy chocolate bourbon balls, chee-weez (pecan- and date-filled pastries), gingerbread cake, and breakfast ham with hot biscuits.
Another article will cover the 300-year-old family-owned candy store called Romanengo in Genoa, Italy, that offers its customers such delicacies as whole candied mandarin oranges, marzipan cookies, and tender candied chestnuts made with machines that date back to the 1800's.
In its first issue for 2005, Saveur will salute its favorite people, places, foodstuffs, and ideas from the world of food and drink in its seventh annual Saveur 100 special issue (January/February 2005).
Real Simple Magazine's editors will give readers verdicts on which stand mixers and handheld mixers are "Good, Better, Best " in its January/February issue. The issue will also feature trivets with tips from cooking and dining experts, including recommendations as to which are the best trivets for certain pots and dishes, while always mindful of styles with wide appeal. Some possible categories are: Best for Hot & Heavy Pots (cast iron Dutch ovens, stewpots), Best for Small Jobs (small saucepans, pies), and Best Buy (simple, utilitarian, reasonably priced).
Bridal Guide's November/December issue will bring haute couture home with stylish selections, including a robin's-egg-hued tea service by Christian Lacroix, beautiful cystal-and-glass double old-fashioned tumblers from Mikasa, and napkins with grommets by Kim Seybert. The magazine will also present a breakdown guide to bridal registry that lists a series of national stores, their services, and product selection. A great primer for your own Bridal Registry Department, this special issue will lead brides through the process of creating their registries with The Ultimate Kitchen Guide. This is a must-read for every retailer who offers a bridal registry and perfect for the busiest engagement time of the year -- December. Tips will be given on everything from which gadgets to select when outfitting a kitchen to how to select the best cutlery to a short list of handy appliances. Use these materials for your own bridal registry program. The "Bride of the Year" feature will showcase the selection of products Bridal Guide's America's Most Romantic Couple contest winner received.

Celebrity Product Launches
Consumers love products celebrities endorse, create, or promote. From celebrity chefs to movie stars, the right name on a jar of sauce just might be your customers' incentive to take it home. This month, Sophia Loren will join the ranks of movie stars turned food purveyors with her new label brought to retail by Wine Country Kitchens. Loren, who has written a successful cookbook, brings her personal recipes to the public with two new sauces -- Tomato & Sweet Basil and Mediterranean -- complete with D.O.P.-designated San Marzano tomatoes.

Food Tube
The Food Network's "Unwrapped" series will reveal the seriously decadent truffle creation from Sterling Truffle Bar early in 2005. Sterling will also make waves with its inclusion in the holiday issue of InStyle Magazine.
Retailers in the greater New York area can taste the local flavor of Mike Colameco with his new series "Culinary Walking Tours of Ethnic New York Neighborhoods" that began early this fall on 13WNET. Colameco's fourth season celebrates the diversity of the New York City food scene. Each show provides backstage passes to the specialty food markets, restaurants, and vendors of each neighborhood, culminating with a recipe presentation prepared by a local chef.
Jacques Pepin's Fast Food My Way (Houghton Mifflin, available now) is the companion book to Pepin's new 26-part public television series that focuses on elegant, straightforward fare that can be easily prepared. The series, which began airing in October, provides viewers with the opportunity to see Pepin demonstrate more than 100 easy-to-prepare dishes. Some recipes even rely on canned goods for additions to simple but sophisticated dishes, such as Grilled Striped Bass with Pimiento Relish, Chicken Tonnato, and Chestnut and Chocolate Cake. Pepin's new series will capture your customers' desires to combine their busy lifestyles with gourmet cuisine.
How to Cook Everything cookbook author Mark Bittman is challenging America's chefs in a new series and companion cookbook on PBS. Famous for his down-to-earth approach to cooking, Bittman pits his relaxed style against the sophisticated creations of 13 A-list celebrity chefs, such as Jean-Georges Vongerichten in New York, Chris Schlesinger of Boston, and Suzanne Goin in Los Angeles. The TV series and book offer great recipes for home cooks who like to keep things simple or take on a culinary challenge. In the book How to Cook Everything: Mark Bittman Takes on America's Chefs (Wiley, April 2005), the recipes are grouped in chapters ranging from salads to main dishes to desserts. Each recipe challenge presents a chef's special dish followed by Bittman's simpler version, including Daniel Boulud's Lamb Four Ways vs. Bittman's Simple Lamb Roast.

Book Reports
As low-carb diets continue to remain in focus, new approaches to these diets and programs targeted at helping people with specific health issues will abound in January.
Optimal Digestive Health (Healing Arts Press, January 2005) is geared toward the more than 90 million Americans suffering from digestive disorders. Drawing on the expertise of 25 practitioners, the book provides clear information on detoxification, food allergies, and environmental factors. Its step-by-step diet will help readers moderate their carbohydrate intake and balance their blood sugars.
The Hip Chick's Guide to Macrobiotics by Jessica Porter (Avery Group, available now) is a lifestyle book that provides not only great recipes but also promises a healthier way
of life.
Celebrities are also pumping out plenty of headlines. Rocco DiSpirito first made a name for himself as the chef and proprietor of Manhattan's Union Pacific, where he earned three stars from The New York Times. This past summer, he became a star when NBC aired the reality show "The Restaurant," and his first cookbook -- Flavor -- recently won a 2004 James Beard Award. This month, DiSpirito came out with his second cookbook, "Rocco's Italian-American" (Hyperion). In it, DiSpirito draws on his Italian heritage and shares his favorite family recipes -- identical to the ones that made his TV show so popular (including Mamma's meatballs).
Jamie Oliver fires back with Jamie's Dinners (Hyperion, available now), his fifth cookbook, with a corresponding television program of the same name in which he attempts to take over a London school's food service program. (The show is scheduled to air in Spring 2005.)
The creator of some of the world's greatest restaurants -- Spago and Postrio, Wolfgang Puck will grace the bookshelves with his Wolfgang Puck Makes It Easy from Rutledge Hill Press this season. Besides more than 100 recipes, the book features numerous cooking tips, as well as advice on how to select the freshest ingredients, adapt recipes to the season, use the right cookware, and choose menu and wine selections.
Nigella Lawson, Gourmet Magazine's "It Girl," New York Times' "Dining In" columnist, and best-selling cookbook author, is offering home chefs FEAST (Hyperion Books, available now). Filled with festive recipes, this book offers tips, tricks, and shortcuts that will ensure you dine with ease, style, and fun.
While the city of Houston may not actually qualify as a celebrity, its restaurants are definitely making culinary news. Now a new cookbook, HOUSTON, Culinary Capital: Signature Dishes from America's Premier Restaurant City (Bright Sky Press, available now), is a collection of signature dishes from 75 of Houston's top chefs. A project of Greater Houston Restaurant Association members, HOUSTON, Culinary Capital includes restaurant introductions and recipes, and also boasts historical and visitor information about the city, plus photos of popular sites throughout the Bayou City.
From Chicago comes The Spiaggia Cookbook (Chronicle Books, December 2004) by Tony and Cathy Mantuano. Award-winning chef Tony Mantuano brings his Italian culinary style home in his first cookbook that includes everything from antipasti to primi courses, such as Crescenza Cheese-filled Ravioletto with Parmesan Truffle Butter.
Every month television programs, cookbooks, and even magazine articles will feature kitchenware products and specialty food ingredients stocked in your store. Some of this quarter's highlights include bakeware, bread machines, serveware, oven-to-tableware, and more.
Highlight your party serveware with books such as Party Appetizers: Small Bites, Big Flavors by Tori Ritchie (Chronicle Books, available now). The host of the Food Network's "Ultimate Kitchens," Ritchie serves up recipes for fabulous finger foods, including Merguez Meatballs with Yogurt Sauce or Fig and Gorgonzola Toasts with Caramelized Onions. Tips on smart shopping, artful presentation, and indispensable ingredients will not only help prep readers but will also promote your inventory.
Cookbook author Jean Anderson will provide home chefs with another great resource with Quick Loaves (HarperCollins, February 2005) in which she talks about everything from breads to cakes to pâtés to lasagnas. Anderson's recipes cross merchandise perfectly with bakeware, terrines, molds, and more. Anderson's successful Process This! book focusing on food processors that was released in 2002 also comes out in paperback in January 2005.
Narrowing the niche is The Big Book of Vegetarian by Kathy Farrell-Kingsley (Chronicle Books, February 2005) with a beautifully shot cover featuring a rustic pot pie -- a great cross-merchandising selection for your oven-to-tableware category or produce section. The latest in Chronicle's Big Book series, other subjects include casseroles, potluck, and soups and stews -- a collection in tune with the upcoming winter season.
Another Chronicle title will work well for your olive oil category -- The Olive Harvest Cookbook: Olive Oil Lore and Recipes from the McEvoy Ranch (Chronicle, November 2004) by Gerald Gass with Jacqueline Mallorca makes the most of extra-virgin olive oil.
It might be too cold to barbecue outside, but Christopher Styler brings that smoky flavor indoors with Smokin': Recipes for Smoking Ribs, Salmon, Chicken, Mozzarella, and More with Your Stovetop Smoker (William Morrow, available now). A one-stop source, this new release enables readers to get the best from a stovetop smoker, and will help fire up sales in your store.
An interesting new book from Britain's organic chocolate makers, Green & Black's, has been released this fall by publisher Kyle Cathie. Unwrapped: Green & Black's Chocolate Recipes is a collection of the best-loved recipes from London's premier organic chocolate shop. There are recipes for smart dinners, quick and easy ideas, kids' recipes, and birthday cakes. Recipes include Chocolate Soup, Swedish Coffee, Chocolate Lamb, and even Mayan Marron Slice with Gold Dust. Kyle Cathie, a new publisher to the States, has introduced six titles this quarter from some of the UK's best-loved culinary personalities. The launch includes: Take Six Ingredients by Irish Chef and Michelin star winner Conrad Gallagher and The World of Spice by food writer Michael Bateman.