If you weren't satisfied with an imported sparkler, look to Napa Valley for a lovely, affordable bottle of sparkling wine to sip tonight as the clock strikes midnight. I recently enjoyed Domaine Carneros Brut 2005 ($19.99) with a group of girlfriends. Brut refers to the wine's lack of sweetness — it's the term applied to the driest of sparkling wines — so if you enjoy dry bubbly you'll love this superb sparkler.

A blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes, this wine is produced by the classic champagne method in Napa Valley. It's crisp, light, creamy, and fruity, with delightful bubbles that bounce on the back of your throat.

Sipping a glass of this classic-tasting bubbly is the perfect way to ring in the New Year!

Although our greatest joys are cooking and entertaining, they're simply not as fun without inspiration from the outside world. I'm often spurred to mix up new flavor combinations or cooking techniques by the likes of cooking shows, restaurateurs, bartenders, and, of course, great restaurant chefs.

In 2008, we had the privilege of speaking with cutting-edge faces in the food industry and leaders who have had longtime influence on us. We were impressed by their humility, devotion to hard work, and advice for everyday cooks. These interviews are our top 10 favorites this year:

• A Chic Coffee Break With Colin Cowie
• Pat and Gina Neely on Being in the Business Together
• Rocco DiSpirito at the Aspen Food and Wine Classic
• Getting to Know Anne Burrell
• Talking Drinks With Tony Abou-Ganim
• Catching Up With the Great Thomas Keller
• Aïda Mollenkamp Shows Us Around Chow
• David Chang Dishes on Slow (And Fast) Food
• Katie Lee Joel Speak Out on the Burger Backlash
• Meet Dale DeGroff, the King of Cocktails

Photo Courtesy of Colin Miller

• Punch is making a classic comeback. — Los Angeles Times
• How caramel and salt became a delightful match. — New York Times
• Five healthy recipes to start the new year off right. — Washington Post
• One cookbook recovers New Orleans's favorite recipes. — San Francisco Chronicle
• Fall in love with Ina Garten. — Chicago Tribune
• It's easy and delicious to cook with sherry. — The Sacramento Bee

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It's the last day of 2008, so treat yourself to a decadent seafood dinner. Although this dish is rich and indulgent, it doesn't take a lot of time to prepare. Newburg is a classic sauce for seafood made with cream and sherry.

This recipe calls for shrimp, scallops, and crab, but feel free to change it up according to your culinary needs. Pair with a green salad and a glass of Champagne for the ultimate end of the year meal. Get the recipe and read more

Last week, McDonald's made headlines when roughly 15,000 Osaka residents lined up for the opening of the Midosuji Suomachi Quarter Pounder only store in Chuo-ku, Osaka. But now, the number one fast food chain is admitting that around 1,000 people were hired and compensated to line up outside of the store.

"We didn't ask the company to make the people line up," explained a spokesperson for McDonald's Japan. "We didn't intentionally do it."

McDonald's maintains that it hired the marketing company to conduct research on the hamburger, and that the marketing company requested part-time workers from a staffing company, describing the duties as "Easy work, just waiting in line to buy a new product and eating it."

The so-called customers included the first 20 to 30 people in line who waited for the store to open beginning at midnight the night before, and these hires were paid 1,000 yen, or approximately $11 an hour, to wait in line.

All things considered, the Quarter Pounder store did exceedingly well. Excluding those paid to queue for the burger, the shop managed to draw in 14,000 customers on opening day. Does this marketing effort seem outrageous to you?

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