Hot Tips From Food Network Kitchens’ Katherine Alford: Caramelizing onions can take a while, but adding a big pinch of sugar will make them brown faster. The extra sugar caramelizes along with the onions’ natural sugars, helping the onions get brown in a hurry. We used this shortcut for the burger topping in Food NetworkRead more »

Hot Tips From Food Network Kitchens’ Katherine Alford: Green beans don’t need to be trimmed on both ends — just the stem end. For fast trimming, line up a handful of raw beans on a cutting board with the stem ends facing your knife, then push them into a line against the knife and makeRead more »

Food Network stars reveal their favorite cookbooks. Give one (or all!) to the chef in your house. ALTON’S PICK: The Fireside Cook Book Alton Brown’s most beloved cookbook, written by James Beard, isn’t about food science or crazy gadgets — it’s an old-school American classic. “It’s a clear portrait of American cuisine at its postRead more »

Food Network Magazine staged a holiday face-off and asked a registered dietitian to name the better choices for holiday baking ingredients.

Step up your usual wrapping job this year by presenting gifts in these farmer’s berry baskets ($2.50 for six, plus $8 shipping; bakeitpretty.com). They’re just like the ones from the market and they’re the perfect size for homemade truffles or small presents like these polka-dot napkins from Anthropologie ($24 for four; anthropologie.com). The baskets areRead more »

Hot Tips From Food Network Kitchens’ Katherine Alford: To cut down on roasting time for dense vegetables like carrots and potatoes, preheat a metal baking sheet or roasting pan in the oven for at least 10 minutes. When the food hits the pan, it will get a blast of heat that jump-starts the cooking.

Hot Tips From Food Network Kitchens’ Katherine Alford: Drain your pasta when it’s just al dente, then cook it for a minute or 2 more in a skillet with the sauce. This lets the pasta absorb flavor from the sauce and it helps the sauce cling to the pasta. Try it with any simmered sauceRead more »

Justin Warner doesn’t play by the rules. He eats jellyfish on Thanksgiving, serves cold-pizza terrine at his Brooklyn restaurant and writes rap songs about wine. But when Alton Brown, Giada De Laurentiis and Bobby Flay had to choose their teams of aspiring stars for the most recent season of Food Network Star, Justin’s unconventional approachRead more »

Hot Tips From Food Network Kitchens’ Katherine Alford: Smashing whole garlic cloves is the best way to peel them: Place the cloves on a cutting board, hold the flat side of a chef’s knife on top and give it a firm whack with the heel of your other hand. Use just enough force to splitRead more »

Each month, thousands of Food Network Magazine readers submit clever names for the back page’s Name This Dish contest. Previous dishes include tricolor potatoes (winning name: “United Tates of America”), a hot dog sandwich (“Triple Dog Dare”) and even a portable treat (“Berried Treasure”). In the October 2012 issue, we asked you to dream upRead more »