Have some fun at your next dinner party and serve a cheese course with toast shaped like goats, cows and sheep to match the milk each cheese was made from. Just butter slices of dense bread like rye, raisin walnut or pumpernickel, then cut out the animals (we found cutters at cookiecutter.com) and toast themRead more »

Hot Tips for Healthy Cooking From Food Network Kitchens’ Katherine Alford: Hard-boiled eggs are a great way to add protein to your diet. Despite the name, you should simmer — not boil — hard-boiled eggs. Put eggs in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil, then remove from the heat and letRead more »

Each month, thousands of Food Network Magazine readers submit clever names for the back page’s Name This Dish contest. Previous dishes include a fall wrap (winning name: “Autumn Wrapsody”), a stuffed popover (“Puddin’ Pops”) and even a portable treat (“Berried Treasure”). In the December 2012 issue, we asked you to dream up names for thisRead more »

Put out a state-themed cheese board. Then, plan a trip to see the cheesiest destinations in America. Getting a new license plate can be a headache. Getting a license-plate cheese board, not so much. These fun state-themed beech-wood boards (pictured above) are etched with locally themed tag numbers, like BIG APL3 for New York andRead more »

When Mardi Gras rolls around in New Orleans, king cake reigns supreme. Local bakeries crank out thousands of the ring-shaped cakes, topping each with purple, green and gold sugar and baking a plastic baby inside (getting the slice with the baby is considered good luck!). But when the holiday hits this February 12, fans willRead more »

Food Network Magazine asked Food Network’s Facebook fans what they’d take first from a box of Valentine’s Day chocolates. Some flavors get all the love.

Hot Tips for Healthy Cooking From Food Network Kitchens’ Katherine Alford: Sneak a little more fiber into your favorite soups: Use whole grains instead of white rice or noodles. We chose quinoa for the Chicken and Quinoa Soup in the January/February issue of Food Network Magazine because it cooks in just 15 minutes and addsRead more »

Americans buy a shocking amount of avocados in January. About 145 million pounds flew off the shelves this time last year, a 15 percent increase over 2011, and we’re guessing almost all of them got mashed and turned into guacamole. While there’s no shame in that, we figured you might want to try something new:Read more »

Hot Tips for Healthy Cooking From Food Network Kitchens’ Katherine Alford: Smoked fish is an easy way to add flavor, protein and healthy fats to a dish, and you only a little. We used just 1 ounce of fish per serving for the Curried Rice With Smoked Trout from the January/February issue of Food NetworkRead more »

Warm up with three regional chilis and see why each has a cult following. The experts share their recipes with Food Network Magazine. In Texas, chili is practically a religion, with one important tenet: Keep it simple. That means no beans and, often, no tomatoes — just beef and spices. “Texas red,” as the localsRead more »