As part of our Best of 2007 coverage, we asked you to name your favorite (noncooking or nonreality) food TV show. The majority of you — 26 percent — felt that Duff and the gang over at Ace of Cakes should have walked away the victor. However I'm going to have to go with the second-place winner, No Reservations. Perhaps it's my I'll-eat-anything-once spirit, but I love the way Bourdain travels the globe in search of the best eats. Yes, he does have that snarky demeanor, but he manages to do it humbly and is always the most gracious guest. Whether he's drinking pints in Ireland or sharing meals with school children in Ghana, Bourdain offers a wonderful snapshot of the world, one meal at a time.

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Follow up a decadent Christmas dinner with a spread of just as delectable desserts. Boxes of chocolates, candy canes, and truffles look gorgeous among a pair of stunning homemade treats. For the chocolate traditionalists, serve Emily Luchetti's variation of German chocolate cake. For the fruit lovers, offer a pear and cranberry crisp. To get these recipes, read more

Although we've shared tons of fabulous dessert recipes over the past year, my favorite dessert to make is a cake. Cakes are glamorous, feed a bunch of people, and come in thousands of different varieties. They never go out of style and a piece is delicious at breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I've put together a list of my favorite cake recipes from the past year. Here they are pictured clockwise, starting from the top right:

• My dulce de leche cake
• Red velvet cake with fresh berries
• My I Heart Candy challenge submission: A super-easy Heath bar cake
• YumSugar's decadent chocolate cupcakes
• Sarahkushner's amazing Halloween-themed Fright Night Cake

How about you? What was your favorite cake?

• Looking for appetizer ideas? Mark Bittman brings you 101 simple appetizers in 20 minutes or less. Plus six books for wine lovers. — The
  New York Times
• Discover what top Bay Area chefs serve at home during the holidays. — San Francisco Chronicle
• Looking for new traditions? Here is a new take on the Feast of the Seven Fishes. — Chicago Tribune
• Still shopping for the food-lover/reader on your list? Here are the best cookbooks of the year. — Los Angeles Times
• Cooking up goose is easier than you think. — Boston Globe
• Three pastry chefs show artful ways to showcase unusual Asian fruit, including a persimmon tarte tatin. — Washington Post
• Home cooks share their recipes for holiday candy. — Houston Chronicle
• Learn how to cook a prime-rib roast. —The Oregonian

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Here's the scenario: You are at home and hungry for food. You have to cook up something scrumptious for you and your boyfriend/girlfriend/spouse/child/friend, but the ingredients you have on hand are limited.

You have a jar of sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, frozen puff-pastry dough, and pesto. Using these products, along with whatever you currently have on hand in your cupboard and refrigerator, what would you make?

To see what I would whip up, read more

This week, with all of the gingerbread and holiday baking, I thought it would be nice to make a simple cake to pair with coffee. Many folks have friends and family staying at their house this season and a coffee cake is something that whips up quickly and is perfect to have on hand. It works as a simple breakfast, and is delightful with an afternoon cup of tea. This particular recipe is a coffee-chocolate swirl, although I thought the coffee flavor could be heightened. The crumb is nice and moist, but be careful, there's a small window between perfect and overdone. To get the recipe, read more