I t’s hard to believe 2010 is almost over. It’s been a very busy year for the H&K food and beverage team, and as we wrap up the year, we have filled our holiday issue with simple ideas to make your holiday season pop.

We know that the holidays can get pretty stressful in the kitchen therefore we have included items and recipes that will help you get through the holiday season. Our shelf life items will help you cut corners but still produce great tasting sides dishes. Our recipes will make you look like a star, especially Tree Top’s Apple Toffee French Toast with Apple Syrup. We promise they are all super easy to make, taste delicious and your guests will be super impressed. We even included a recipe for spiced cookies made with Pringles. Yes, you heard correctly, cookies made with Pringles. We recently sent these cookies to Laila Ali and she sent us rave reviews – her son loved them. As we start thinking about next year, we introduce a new section called “Our Favorite Food Blogs.”• What Katie Ate – it’s a foodie photography blog based out of Sydney, Australia. The pictures in this blog are

amazing. Be warned – don’t look at this blog when you are even remotely hungry. The pictures are amazing and will have your mouth watering within minutes. http://whatkatieate.blogspot.com/

• Savory Sweet Life – written by Alice based out of Seattle who is a cook, baker, writer and photographer. Her recipes are simple and approachable. We also love the photos on this site, especially the cinnamon rolls. http://savorysweetlife.com

• Bakerella – It’s no secret that I am a HUGE fan of cupcakes so it’s no surprise this is one of my favorite sites to visit, especially around three in the afternoon when I am craving a yummy dessert. Cupcake Pops are on my baking list for 2011. http://www.bakerella.com.

Don’t forget that the holidays are a time of giving, so please try to donate to your local food bank. Every single donation counts, and even one food item can make a difference.

Our team wishes you a very happy holiday and a new year filled with good food and cheer.

Best,Maruta

A FOOD AND BEVERAGE NEWSLETTERVOLUME 4 | ISSUE 10 A HILL & KNOWLTON PUBLICATIONDECEMBER 16, 2010

OPENING• Just in time for holiday cocktail season,

Whole Foods has launched its response to Trader Joe’s popular Two Buck Chuck with its Three Wishes Vineyards brand selling for $3 a bottle.

• Earlier this month, Joe’s Crab Shack chain unveiled a new line of eat-at-home dinners that steam in the microwave. With meals that range from $7-$9, you better act quick to get your claws on them!

Source: www.YumSugar.com

5 ITEMS OR LESS

A FOOD AND BEVERAGE NEWSLETTER VOLUME 4 | ISSUE 10

A HILL & KNOWLTON PUBLICATIONDECEMBER 16, 2010

SHOPPING LISTBetween pot luck dinners, cocktail parties and family gatherings, there’s a lot of cooking going on this time of year. Let us ease the stress a little with some of our favorite recipes for any occasion that calls for you to whip up something tasty.

Situation: A house full of guests and you served eggs and bacon yesterdaySolution: Tree Top Apple Toffee French Toast with Apple Syrup

Created by Nadine M. of Mt. Healthy, OH, the Sweet Category Winner of Tree Top’s America’s Secret Ingredient Recipe Contest

DIRECTIONSPlace half the bread cubes in a greased 13 x 9 inch baking pan; top with apples. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugars, Tree Top apple juice and 1 tsp vanilla until smooth; stir in toffee bits. Spread over apples. Top with remaining bread cubes.

In another large bowl, beat the eggs, milk and vanilla until well blended; pour over bread. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 40 to 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

While baking French toast, prepare syrup.

Apple Syrup:In a medium size saucepan, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, Tree Top apple juice and lemon juice; heat to a boil; whisk constantly. Boil for 1 minute. Add butter. Serve over warm Apple Toffee French toast to 8 VERY lucky people.

Serving Suggestion: Spoon warm syrup over French toast. For real decadence, dollop a spoonful of whipped cream on top.

Makes 8 servings.

For more Tree Top recipes, visit www.TreeTop.com

INGREDIENTSFrench Toast: 8 cups French bread, cut into 1 inch cubes3 tart apples, peeled, chopped1 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened3/4 cup brown sugar1/4 cup sugar1/4 cup Tree Top Apple Juice3/4 cup milk2 tsp vanilla, divided1/2 cup English toffee bits5 eggs

Apple Syrup:1 cup sugar2 tbsp cornstarch1/2 tsp cinnamon1/2 tsp nutmeg2 cups Tree Top Apple Juice (For thicker syrup, try reducing Apple Juice to 1 cup)2 tbsp lemon juice5 tbsp butter

Situation: You want a creative alternative for traditional crab cakes at your cocktail partySolution: Old London Crab Cake Planks

INGREDIENTS1/4 cup mayonnaise1/4 cup minced green onions2 large egg yolks2 tbsp fresh lemon juice1 tbsp Dijon mustard3/4 tsp seafood seasoning (such as Old Bay)1 lb blue crabmeat or Dungeness crabmeat2 cups Old London Bread Crumbs Classic1 box Old London Sourdough Melba Toast Remoulade, tarter sauce or your favorite dipping sauceLemon slices (for garnish)

DIRECTIONSWhisk together mayonnaise, green onions, egg yolks, lemon juice, mustard, and Old Bay. Gently stir in crabmeat.

Place Melba Toast Sourdough on cookie sheet, and form 2 heaping teaspoons crab mixture onto each Toast. Gently coat moist crab mixture with bread crumbs. Chill, covered, at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake crab cakes in batches in middle of oven until crisp and golden, 8 to 10 minutes.

Transfer with a spatula to a platter and garnish with lemon and serve with your favorite sauce.

Makes 10 “planks.”

For more Old London recipes, visit www.ToastForEverydayHealth.com

these evites save your wallet and

the environment

SHOPPING LISTSituation: Potluck at the in-laws and you need to impress themSolution: Holland House Artichoke-Mushroom Stuffing

INGREDIENTSApprox 1 lb. sliced French or Italian sandwich bread 1 can (13-14 oz.) artichoke hearts (not marinated)4 tbsp. butter1 yellow onion, chopped1 stalk celery, chopped8 oz pre-sliced mushrooms, chopped1 tsp poultry seasoning1 tsp dried rubbed sage1 cup Holland House White Cooking Wine1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts, walnuts or pecans, chopped1/2 cup chicken broth (plus more to taste)

DIRECTIONSSpread bread slices out on sheet trays for several hours to dry out a bit. Or place in a warm oven for 15 minutes. Tear bread into bite-size pieces. Measure 12 cups and place in a very large bowl.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 3-quart casserole dish (or a shallow 9x13-inch baking dish). Drain artichokes and cut into small pieces.

In a large skillet, combine butter, onion, celery and mushrooms. Cook over high heat 6-7 minutes. Stir in artichokes, poultry seasoning and sage; add cooking wine. Cook 5 minutes more; remove from heat.

Gradually spoon vegetable mixture, including liquid, over bread, tossing gently after each addition. Sprinkle in nuts. Drizzle with chicken broth and toss, using more broth if you prefer moister stuffing.

Spoon stuffing into buttered casserole dish. Cover and bake 45-50 minutes for a casserole dish (or 25-30 minutes for a shallow baking dish).

Makes 12 cups stuffing.

For more Holland House recipes, visit www.Mizkan.com

Situation: The kids want Xbox this year so you need to make nice with SantaSolution: Kringle-Spiced Pringles Cookies

INGREDIENTS1 can Pringles “The Original” 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking soda 2 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp allspice 1/4 tsp ground cloves 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed 1 egg 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 cup fruit preserves, raspberry or mixed berry 1/3 cup crystallized ginger, finely chopped

DIRECTIONSPreheat the oven at to 350 degrees and place Pringles, flour, baking soda, and spices in a food processor, and puree until the consistency of corn meal; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until slightly fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla, and mix for 30 seconds.

Pour the Pringles spice mixture into the bowl and mix for 1 minute; place dough in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Drop by rounded teaspoon onto ungreased baking sheets, and bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown.

In a small bowl, combine fruit preserves and ginger (if desired, ginger is optional); spread 1 teaspoon onto a cookie, and top with another cookie. Instead of crystallized ginger, swap out 2 teaspoons of powdered ginger to the jam.

Makes two dozen sandwich cookies.

PAPER OR PLASTIC

Want a more eco-friendly way to invite guests to your holiday party or dinner but

hate the thought of sending a Facebook invite? If you love the classy look of paper stationery, you will adore the invites www.PaperlessPost.com has to offer. For a cool $10, you get 150 classy looking evites to email. They even arrive in your guest’s email box in an animated envelope! Not only do these evites save your wallet and the environment, but your guests are sure not to miss your party.

A FOOD AND BEVERAGE NEWSLETTER VOLUME 4 | ISSUE 10

A HILL & KNOWLTON PUBLICATIONDECEMBER 16, 2010

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BEHIND THE COUNTERWINE GLASS SPONGE

WHAT IS IT? Tear-drop shaped cellulose sponges clean wine glasses and champagne flutes better than the rectangle varieties.

WHY WE LIKE IT? Makes cleaning dishes a breeze with a sponge specially created to clean the wine glass shape better. It is also safe to use on fine crystal.

HOW IT WORKS? The rounded end is perfect for red wine glasses and the narrow end cleans white wine and champagne flutes. A special opening on the side cleans rims. WHERE TO BUY IT? $11.99 for a set of six at www.CasaBella.com

Let’s just admit it; the holidays are a stressful time of year. All that cooking, all that family, all that shopping … it’s enough to make you crazy. While we

can’t do anything about your nosey Aunt Sally and the long lines at the mall, we can alleviate some of the stress of cooking with a few of the best tasting, store bought alternatives on store shelves.

My Mimi’s recipe for homemade stuffing takes days to create, and while tasty, I don’t have that kind of time to devote to just one side dish, so I reach for the tried and true Kraft Stove Top Traditional Sage Stuffing Mix. Substitute turkey stock for half of the water to make it taste like it took days to make.

Want a quicker alternative to homemade mashed potatoes? Reach for Ore-Ida Steam n’ Mash Cut Russet Potatoes in the freezer aisle. These are made real potatoes so they taste better than powdered instant potatoes, and still take only minutes to make. Make them more original by adding crumbled bacon, chopped scallions or garlic powder.

Who makes biscuits from scratch anymore when Pillsbury has perfected the recipe with Pillsbury Grands Flaky Layers Butter Tastin’ Biscuits? While these fluffy and buttery pastries taste delicious on their own, they’ll taste better when brushed with a little melted butter and sprinkled with chopped rosemary before they head into the oven. So good that Aunt Sally might even be speechless!

Source: Women’s World, www.seriouseats.com

SHELFLIFETis the time of year to share joy and holiday

spirit with those around you. In this year’s holiday party trends, we see more and more people reaching for traditional themes.

What is traditional is now trendy so revive a classic cookie exchange. Ask everyone to bring a different variety and put out plates and platters to display everyone’s work. Add your own delicious twist to hot cocoa by adding almond milk or a peppermint stick. Don’t forget to have holiday plastic bags on hand so guests can take home leftover cookies to share with their families. For a unique cookie recipe everyone will love, make the Kringle-Spiced Pringles Cookie recipe found in the Shopping List section.

Throw a “Mad Men” themed holiday party. From swingin’ ‘60s-style holiday décor – think tinsel trees and paper snowflake cutouts – to the Tom Collins cocktail handed to them at the door, your guests will find the holiday spirit and fun in this classic throwback theme.

How about hosting a “Glee” themed party? Ask everyone to arrive in a tacky holiday sweater and challenge guests to karaoke to classic holiday songs. Have cheesy prizes to award the best and worst performances of the night.

Spend less time in the kitchen and more time with your guests by throwing a holiday potluck. Ask every guest to bring a favorite family recipe and tell a funny family holiday story. Not only will everyone find holiday cheer in the shared memories, but they might find out something new from someone they thought they knew everything about.

Sources: www.GalTime.com, www.TheKitchn.com, www.CasaSugar.com

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A FOOD AND BEVERAGE NEWSLETTER VOLUME 4 | ISSUE 10

A HILL & KNOWLTON PUBLICATIONDECEMBER 16, 2010

WORD OF THE MONTHBRINE: A strong solution of water and salt used for pickling or preserving foods. A sweetener such as sugar or molasses is sometimes added to brine. Brine your turkey by soaking it in salted water to draw water out of cells and tenderize the meat to keep meat moist during the cooking process.

Source: www.Epicurious.com