I've been longing to make my friends baked goods in some form other than Christmas cookies, and decided this stout spiced bread was different yet delicious.

I love the idea of individually sized breads, as well as the eco-friendly concept of reusing something disposable. To prevent sticking, remember to butter the canisters and let them cool slightly but not entirely before removing them from their cans. Your home will be filled with the aroma of sugar and spice — and your friends will all be indebted to you! To see the recipe, read more

Please join me in congratulating ambyrrose, indielove, and ChrissyBaby! These three readers are the lucky winners of our Tastebook giveaway. For the holidays, we partnered with TasteBook — the fabulous online service that lets you create a personalized book of recipes — to give three of you the chance to put together a book. Congrats! We hope you enjoy the books.

Instead of serving seared steak over the classic mashed potatoes, opt for a healthier variation in this simple salad.

The steak is placed atop a bed of peppery watercress, fresh oranges, and red onions sauteed until soft in balsamic vinegar. The final dish is balanced in both texture and flavor. Check out the recipe and read more

Create an icy cool look for an Italian Christmas Eve by using silver, clear, and diamond accents.

Cover the table with a damask, sage green tablecloth. Set your nice china on silver chargers. Roll sage green napkins into logs and slide into snowflake napkin rings.

Fill pitchers with sgroppino and pour into elegant triangular Champagne flutes. Set placecards in diamond studded place card holders.

Group green pillar candles together around the room and hang a crystal garland festively from the wall or ceiling. A vibrant red bouquet in a matching vase adds a much-needed punch of color.

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No contestant was eliminated on this week's episode of Top Chef, so I didn't get to interview the losing chef. Thus, I've decided it's a great time to take a look back at what happened on the show this year.

2008 was an exciting time for the reality competition: viewers got to indulge in two exciting seasons in two important cities — Chicago and New York.

We witnessed the crowning of the first female chef and watched what happened when Europeans were thrown into the mix. Here, I've rounded up my favorite moments from season four and the first half of season five.

• My crouton cooking lesson with Ryan Scott.
• Spike showing off his mad butchering skills.
• The return of Sam Talbot as a guest judge.
• Andrew's introduction of the phrase "culinary boner" to the food industry.
• Padma and Rocco together again: eating 16 deep-dish pizzas.
• The first competing couple.
• The ongoing, entertaining feud between Dale and Lisa.
• Gail's bridal shower!
• The contestants putting the competition aside to help Radhika and Hosea get their dishes done.

Did I forget something? What were your favorite Top Chef moments?

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• I'm trying to work up the courage to make this gorgeous 12-layer mocha cake for Christmas. Wish me luck! — Gourmet
• Twelve delicious cranberry recipes. — The Kitchn
• What do recession dining and goat meat have in common? They're top food trends of 2008. — Time
• At a time when everyone is craving comfort food, retro cookbooks are making a strong comeback. — The Epi-Log
• A look back at the year in food. — Chow
• Vote for your favorite finalist in the Inspire Me! Holiday Entertaining Contest. — Hostess With the Mostess
• Mario Batali and Anthony Bourdain discuss fatherhood. — Serious Eats

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