Food Network Magazine December 2017

DINNERS UNDER 500 CALORIES Try these light meals from our Weeknight Cooking section. Snapper with Kale-Orange Salad Page 112 CALORIES: 410 Pork with Sweet-and-Sour Squash Page 134 CALORIES: 460 Chicken and Barley Soup Page 130 CALORIES: 390 spicy tofu and vegetable lo mein Page 134 CALORIES: 440 THINK FAST There may be a way to keep your brain as fresh as it was years ago. A recent study from the University of Illinois suggests that lutein, a nutrient found in leafy green vegetables, avocados and eggs, might help slow cognitive decline. Make it your New Year’s resolution to get more of the nutrient. The rigatoni with Swiss chard on page 124 is a good start! CHEERS! A holiday happy hour could actually be good for your health: New research connects…

We asked the stars: What’s your favorite Christmas cookie? Valerie Bertinelli Valerie’s Home Cooking; Kids Baking Championship pg. 34 “MY MOM’S CHRISTMAS BELLS—THEY’RE GINGERBREADISH COOKIES WITH A BUTTERY PECAN FILLING.” Alton Brown Iron Chef America; Iron Chef Showdown; Good Eats (on Cooking Channel) pg. 196 Maneet Chauhan Chopped; Chopped Junior pg. 34 Scott Conant Chopped; Chopped After Hours; Chopped Junior pg. 34 “I’M A SIMPLE SUGAR COOKIE GUY. A COUPLE DOZEN OF THOSE AND A DOUBLE ESPRESSO AND I’M GOOD TO GO.” Bobby Flay Beat Bobby Flay; The Bobby and Damaris Show; Food Network Star; Iron Chef America; Iron Chef Showdown; Brunch @ Bobby’s (on Cooking Channel) pg. 108 Jose Garces Iron Chef Gauntlet; Iron Chef Showdown pg. 103 Ina Garten Barefoot Contessa pg. 96 Duff Goldman Kids Baking Championship; Holiday Baking Championship pg. 34 Alex Guarnaschelli Iron Chef…

FOR MORE DELICIOUS RECIPE IDEAS, VISIT REYNOLDSKITCHENS.COM. Two-Tone Linzer Wreaths ACTIVE: 1 HOUR • TOTAL: 1 HOUR, 40 MINUTES MAKES 20 LINZER COOKIES ½ cup sliced blanched almonds¾ cup sugar, divided2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature½ teaspoon salt1 teaspoon each, vanilla and almond extracts1 large egg, at room temperature2½ cups all-purpose flour, divided6–8 drops green food-coloring gel½ cup seedless raspberry jam, or favorite flavor¼ cup powdered sugar, optional3 tablespoons red sprinkles/jimmies 1 In food processor, process almonds and 1/4 cup sugar until fine. In bowl of electric mixer, beat remaining sugar with butter until light. Beat in salt, extracts and egg. Beat in almond-sugar. Transfer half of mixture to a second bowl. Add 1 1/4 cup flour to each. Add green gel to one bowl. Mix both until smooth.…

Holiday tunes “My husband and I released our own Christmas duet album last year, so that’s playing in our home during the holidays. I mix it up with classic Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and my favorite Christmas record of all time, A Charlie Brown Christmas.” $10; amazon.com Cool carryall “Any bag I buy has to have several compartments and fit on my shoulder without constantly slipping off. I’m a big fan of Coach bags.” Edie Shoulder Bag 31, $350; coach.com Beauty bargains “Two of my most frequent beauty buys are from the drugstore: Ardell’s Demi Wispies false eyelashes, which I wear all the time on the road, and T.N. Dickinson’s witch hazel pads. I use them every day after washing my face with soap and water.” Witch hazel cleansing pads,…

December 19, 2016, almost broke me as a baker. I only remember the date because I kept a baking diary last December to document the insanity and to remind myself not to repeat it. On this particular day, before work, I had to bag up 45 homemade gingerbread men plus make six batches of royal icing in assorted colors for a kindergarten cookie-decorating party (side note: My daughter got sick and missed the whole thing). Then that night, I baked a four-layer cake for my sister’s birthday, four dozen muffins for my other daughter’s holiday breakfast and three batches of chocolate chip cookies to give to some business contacts. According to my notes, the first two weeks of December weren’t much better: I baked 90 sugar cookies for my older…

1 Kick off the month with hot cocoa muffins: Make a chocolate cake mix; add 3 cups mini marshmallows, divide among lined muffin cups and bake. 2 3 4 5 Prohibition ended on this day in 1933. Mix up a classic Bee’s Knees cocktail: Go to foodnetwork.com/beesknees. 6 7 8 Holiday movie night! Make a retro snack: Toss 2 cups oyster crackers with melted butter and a packet of ranch dressing mix; bake at 250?, 15 minutes. 9 10 Happy birthday, Bobby Flay! Make the chef’s go-to spice mix to give as holiday gifts. See page 108. 11 12 Hanukkah begins tonight! Make homemade gelt: Pour a few teaspoons melted chocolate into gold-foil muffin liners. Let set; wrap in the liners. 13 14 15 Ten days until Christmas! Infuse vodka…