Paella (pi-AYE-yuh), from Spain, is a casserole of saffron yellow rice with seafood, sausage and chicken. Vegetables may be onions, artichoke hearts, garlic, peas and possibly tomatoes.

There are many varieties of chocolate available in grocery stores, and each are suited for specific jobs.

When the days grow short and the temperature drops significantly, I begin to look for recipes for hearty soups.

Going into 2008, brewers really did not know what to expect - there was a worldwide hop shortage, and the cost of malts, gasoline and pretty much everything else needed for brewing shot through the roof. But overall, 2008 was a good year for beer. Several breweries produced new and wonderful beers and better-beer drinkers were not left wanting anything more.

Staff tests new products

Looking for an easy casserole? New Year’s Eve Casserole is a favorite of Linda Jaspers of Springfield.
 

Each year, the National Restaurant Association surveys professional chefs — this year 1,609 of them — about trends they expect to see in the coming year.

If a New Year’s Eve get-together is on your to-do list and you don’t want to spend the last day of 2008 trapped in the kitchen, it’s not to late to simplify your menu into a smorgasbord of hors d’oeuvres and dips.

Master Chef George Karousos cooks up filet mignon with Roquefort cheese sauce and shrimp.

J.L. Kraft Specialty Gourmet Hot Cheese Dip
White Cheddar & Chipotle Pepper
Microwave and Serve
6.5 ounces
$3.99

Weekly food rail, with a quiz on Spam, an easy beef and noodle casserole recipe and more.

Friends, food, refrigerator pals -- lend me your ears. I have come to bury you, not to praise you. The evil that you do lives after you, on my waistline.

Denise Nanni seeks the nutrition information for food when she dines out. It’s one step in her plan to stay healthy after being diagnosed as diabetic 14 years ago.

A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, grains, breads, beans, legumes, milk, fish and some meat would have been available 2,000 years ago in the Holy Land — the Fertile Crescent between Egypt and ancient Mesopotamia.

Fondue - the mere mention of the word conjures thoughts of a night of exotic entertainment. A flickering flame warming a pot of molten cheese or smooth, rich chocolate. Friends sharing in the fun - dipping everything from traditional bread and fruit in Gruyere to seafood and meat seared in hot oil.