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Illinois artist Kathleen Marcotte shows off spiced pecans that dazzle. Click the image to expand.

Have you ever tried to draw a pecan? Trust me, it is not easy. So how does Illinois artist Kathleen Marcotte make it look so fun and effortless? Because Kathleen is a very talented young illustrator, that’s why. We were first introduced to Kathleen’s artwork through a class assignment, in which her instructor Rebecca Bradley at Maryland Institute College of Art assigned her students to draw a recipe for They Draw and Cook. Kathleen’s recipe was for Karokke, a breaded and fried meat and potato pancake, which was delightful. The spiced pecan recipe shown here makes for a very easy appetizer that’s a surefire crowdpleaser. Friends and family will be so impressed when they asked you where you bought them and you say, “I made them myself.” Nutty, right?

See more illustrated recipes for nuts and other delicious dishes today on They Draw and Cook, and check out all of Food Network’s holiday appetizer coverage.

—Nate Padavick & Salli Swindell from They Draw and Cook.

The Queen of Semi-Homemade Cuisine Reigns Big in 2010

2010′s Food Themes: Pies vs. cupcakes. GIY (grow it yourself) produce. Designer ice cubes. And yes, Sandra Lee as NYC’s First Lady and the Cooking Channel. We didn’t even pay the foodie folks at SeriousEats.com for those last nods, but they included them in their fun roundup of the top 10 themes and memes in food for 2010. See what else made their list and tell us what trends are on tap for 2011. [seriouseats.com]

Go Ahead, Waste Your Food: In the first move of its kind in the U.S., a Portland company has grand plans for your unwanted leftovers from local dining spots: They’ll turn them into enough methane gas and then electricity to power 5,000 homes. And there are further environmental pros to the project, the company’s president, John McKinney, told OregonLive.com. “We’re capturing the benefits of food waste that would otherwise be hauled long distances to a landfill.” [OregonLive.com via newyork.grubstreet.com]

Breakfast’s Ultimate Happy Meal: Like Starbucks and Jamba Juice before it, McDonald’s 14,000 nationwide chains are poised to start serving oatmeal by the end of this week. A cup of fruit and maple oats, with optional brown sugar, will set you back $1.99. [chicagotribune.com]

Don’t Eat Your Vegetables: Use them for art instead! That’s what one visual MacGyver, China’s Ju Duoqi, is doing with cabbage, potatoes, ginger and more. She’s reproduced Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona List,” Edvard Munch’s “The Scream” and Andy Warhol’s “Marilyn Monroe,” among others, using garden finds as her paint. [good.is]

Here’s our round-up of food news, trends and happenings across the web. Check back for more, and tell us what else you’re loving in the comments.

Vermont artist Christine Hale finds a sweet spot with her peppermint bark. Click the image to expand.

How can you look at this adorably clever illustration without smiling? Of course it’s for peppermint “bark.” We know the holidays are here when the tins of peppermint bark appear and we say, “The more the merrier.” Artist Christine Hale of Barre, Vermont, has such a sweet way of presenting the instructions, and she has even included a warning about NOT feeding this to dogs–even if they bark nicely. Christine’s website is full of so many awesome illustrations. Be prepared to stay there for awhile. And she is also an amazing musician–we’ve been listening to her band’s latest music all day. Wow, er, we mean WOOF! (And, yes, we noticed the tiny little chocolate chip under the pup’s tail. Hee-hee.)

See more super fun and festive holiday illustrated recipes today on They Draw and Cook and check out all of Food Network’s holiday dessert coverage.

—Nate Padavick & Salli Swindell from They Draw and Cook.

After slinging Neapolitan-style pies at lunch and dinner for the past couple of months, Donatella Arpaia’s eponymously named New York pizzeria rolled out a brunch menu this past weekend.

2010 has been a big year for Donatella—she opened this very personal addition to her restaurant mini-empire, served on the judges’ panel for The Next Iron Chef Season 3 and on several episodes of Iron Chef America, and published her first cookbook, Donatella Cooks. We’d be surprised if the lawyer-turned-restaurateur ever sits still long enough for a lazy brunch, but she clearly gets what it’s all about. Her sunny pizzeria is perfectly suited for relaxing mid-day repasts and the menu is full of carby comfort.

Take the Hangover Pizza. Donatella’s executive chef, Jarett Appell, came up with it when he was making himself some food after a night of, well, too much of the obvious. The blistered crust is topped with breakfast sausage, an egg, and thin, melting slices of cured lardo (pork fat). The whole thing is oozy, decadent, satisfying—a delicious interpretation of the classic breakfast plate. The boss told Jarett to run with it on the brunch menu.

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Work it: Not willing to settle for simple frosting squiggles, this ginger-guy is ready to rock the runway in a bold holiday tie.

The sweetest designs of this season aren’t found on the red carpet, but instead on the pages of Food Network Magazine. Take inspiration from the styles seen on the pages of the December issue and create your own to-die-for candy outfits. Start with a batch of perfect gingerbread, and check out these runway-worthy duds:

A frothy, layered gown worthy of the finest holiday gala.

How to DIY: Snip mini marshmallows in half with scissors; toss in colored sugar (it sticks to the cut side). Attach with royal icing. Read more »

Philadelphia artist Kaitlyn McCane reinterprets the classic holiday Yule log with whimsy. Click the image to expand.

If you’re in need of something to make you smile, wander on over to Philadephia artist Kaitlyn McCane’s website. Everything on her site is every bit as wonderful as this illustration for her yummy Yule Log Cookies. And this little critter is right when he says “numm numm tasty.” We love how Kaitlyn incorporated the ingredients list into the timbering tree. We also are very fond of the red plaid border. Sometimes it’s the little details that really make an illustration–and a holiday–so special.

See more illustrated recipes for cookies and treats today on They Draw and Cook, and check out all of Food Network’s holiday dessert coverage.

—Nate Padavick & Salli Swindell from They Draw and Cook.

London artist Irena Inumaru celebrates the simplicity of fruit with a balsamic sauce. Click the image to expand.

We love this recipe for its bold flavors and incredible simplicity. While we totally love holiday desserts like tortes and cakes and cookies and pies, these things take time to bake and, at least for us, tend to make an enormous mess out of the kitchen. This delicious dessert has four readily available ingredients, six if you count the mint garnish and black pepper (which is a must!), and it can be whipped up beforehand in about 15 minutes.

Americans typically use balsamic vinegar in salad dressings. This recipe reminds us of its original and traditional Italian uses as a drizzle on Parmigiano-Reggiano and mortadella in an antipasto or used sparingly to enhance steaks, eggs or grilled fish, as well as on fresh fruit such as strawberries and pears and on plain crema (custard), gelato or even as a digestif to be drunk from a tiny glass to conclude a meal.

The artist who created this illustrated recipe, Irena Inumaru, tells us, “I think it is a perfect light dessert after a roast or a big, heavy holiday dinner.” Irena’s simple and pretty art style jives so nicely with the simplicity of this dessert. Now, if only we all had little blue serving bowls as beautiful as this one.

See more illustrated recipes using strawberries, apples, pears, cranberries and other festive fruits today on They Draw and Cook and check out all of Food Network’s holiday dessert coverage.

—Nate Padavick & Salli Swindell from They Draw and Cook.

New York artist Megan Pendergrass brings together two holiday favorites: the martini and gingerbread cookies. Happy holidays, indeed. Click the image to expand.

We love the holidays because they really inspire people to celebrate the art of food and drink. It’s a time of year to really go over the top and prepare drinks and dishes that would never even be considered at any other time of the year. Take, for example, New York artist Megan Pendergrass‘ amazing work of artistic mixology: the Gingerbread Cookie Martini! It’s a cocktail and a dessert all shook into one, with butterscotch, cinnamon, graham crackers and cocoa…YUM! We love the non-traditional yet super fun and festive color palette that Megan used on this design. And the layout is everything an illustrated recipe should be: lots of visual cues, really easy to understand, fun and festive and totally inspirational. We especially admire Megan’s smart mash-up of typography: classic cursive script coupled with the fun and chunky hand-drawn type really make this a dynamic design. Megan’s website is a super fun place to visit too – every day she posts a new illustration of whatever food she happened to eat that day. It’s definitely worth checking out, before or after that martini.

See more illustrated recipes that will inspire you to mix up your own holiday cheer today on They Draw and Cook, and get all sort of holiday cocktail recipes from FoodNetwork.com.

—Nate Padavick & Salli Swindell from They Draw and Cook.

These 3-in-1 Sugar Cookies from Food Network Kitchens are our Facebook fans' pick.

It’s time for 12 Days of Cookies, FoodNetwork.com’s annual cookie swap. Each day visit us here on the Dish for a peek at new holiday cookies, party-planning tips and top techniques for rolling, spooning, slicing, baking and decorating delicious sweet treats to give – or keep – from favorite Food Network chefs. Then visit Cooking Channel’s blog for great takes on holiday baking from Cooking Channel chefs and Food People alike – cookies by the dozen to celebrate all season.

You can roll them, you can slice them, you can cut them in at least a zillion ways with cookie cutters or even a knife. And once you have your shapes, 3-in-1 Sugar Cookies, made extra sweet by the addition of orange zest, are the ideal vehicle for the really important stuff: the icing. Frost them in as many Royal Icing colors as you care to make, then use sanding sugar and other decorations to create a cast of thousands for the holidays.

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Start a homemade pizza party tradition today!

Baking up pizzas at home creates an instant party vibe, and it’s easier than you think. Follow the lead of Food Network Magazine to start a homemade pizza party tradition at your house today!

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