1. Indulging Your Sweet Tooth
2. Gift Ideas for the Chef Who Has Everything
3. What Cocktails Are You Serving this Holiday?
4. Santa’s Celebrity Cookbook Wish List
5. Wine for the Holidays: From the Wallet-Watching to the Splurge-Worthy
6. Woodhouse Chocolate, Beautiful Inside and Out
7. Top 5 Jobs on StarChefs JobFinder
8. Give the Food Lover in Your Life the Gift of QuickMeals
9. StarChefs Studio Hits the Beach – South Beach Wine & Food Festival 2005
10. Recipe for Winter Weekend Beef Stew from Rozanne Gold
    
    If you like food. A lot. Visit www.starchefs.com

1. Indulging Your Sweet Tooth
Check out these new holiday baking recipes from top pastry chefs Johnny Iuzzini of Jean Georges, Maura Kilpatrick of Oleana, Karen DeMasco of Craft, Elizabth Katz of Fiamma Osteria, Nicole Kaplan of Eleven Madison Park, and Matt Maslowski of Lacroix at the Rittenhouse Hotel. Plus Star Cookbook Authors Rose Levy Beranbaum and Joan Nathan offer up recipes for holiday classics. Read more.

3. What Cocktails are You Serving this Holiday?
You can play it naughty or nice with these sexy concoctions from Boe at the Crescent Hotel - Beverly Hills' ultra-trendy boutique hotel. Boe is known for their provocative cocktails, like the Sex Kitten and Chip-N-Dale. Read more.

4. Santa’s Celebrity Cookbook Wish List
Whether you’re shopping for the person that likes to cook or the one who just likes to read about food, we have a baker’s dozen of ideas for great holiday gifts. Read more.

Click to buy our recommended titles, which include:

• Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume One: 40th Anniversary
  by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck
• Nightly Specials: 125 Recipes for Spontaneous, Creative Cooking at Home
  by Michael Lomonaco and Andrew Friedman
• Lidia's Family Table
  by Lidia Bastianich
• Bouchon
  by Thomas Keller
• Fast Food My Way
  by Jacques Pepin
• Joan Nathan's Jewish Holiday Cookbook
  by Joan Nathan
• Workin': More Kitchen Sessions with Charlie Trotter
  by Charlie Trotter
• Rosengarten Entertains: Fabulous Parties for Food Lovers
  by David Rosengarten
• Rick & Lanie's Excellent Kitchen Adventures: Recipes and Stories
  by Rick Bayless and Lanie Bayless
• Alfred Portale Simple Pleasures
  by Alfred Portale and Andrew Friedman
• Cakes to Dream On: A Master Class in Decorating
  by Colette Peters
• Patrick O’Connell’s Refined American Cuisine: The Inn at Little Washington
  by Patrick O’Connell
• Fork It Over: The Intrepid Adventures of a Professional Eater
  by Alan Richman

5. Wine for the Holidays: From the Wallet-Watching to the Splurge-Worthy
Wine Editor Jim Clarke offers suggestions for holiday wines at three price points, from regions known for extreme prices, both high and low. Read more.

6. Woodhouse Chocolate, Beautiful Inside and Out
This month’s edition of For Chocolate Lovers Only features Woodhouse Chocolate from former wine-makers John and Tracy Anderson. After twenty years of grapes, they decided it was time for something new. Read more about Woodhouse Chocolate, and learn about three last-minute holiday gift ideas from Stephanie Zonis. Read more.

7. Top 5 Jobs on StarChefs JobFinder

1. Wanted: Cooks to work for DC's largest convention hotel
   Cook
   Marriott Wardman Park
   Washington DC
   
   
2. Demi-Chef Needed at The Ritz-Carlton
   Demi Chef
   The Ritz-Carlton, Doha
   Qatar
   
   
3. Great Admin Position Available at Luxury Hotel
   Administrative Assistant, Food & Beverage
   The Ritz-Carlton, Key Biscayne
   Florida
   
   
4. Great Opportunity for Experienced Chef
   Executive Chef
   York Harbor Reading Room
   Maine
   
   
5. Your Opportunity to Really Shine Beside Star Chef Norman Van Aken
   Pastry Chef
   Norman's, Orlando
   Florida

8. Give the Food Lover in Your Life the Gift of QuickMeals
Still wondering what to give the food lover in your life? QuickMeals is the answer! QuickMeals are healthy, fast and easy recipes from the nation’s top chefs. Every week, subscribers receive 5 QuickMeals recipes, plus a shopping list, ideal pantry, plus wine pairings for every meal. Gift subscriptions are $ 54.99 for one year or $9.99 for 3 months -- you can't give a better gift for under $10! Click here to order this unique gift that keeps on giving.

The secret ingredient in this dish is hoisin. It adds great complexity to the flavor of the sauce. This is great served the next day and so is perfect for weekend dining.

Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:
3 pounds beef shin (also known as shank meat) or chuck (net weight)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 heaping cups finely chopped onion
½ cup hoisin sauce
2 cups zinfandel or cabernet sauvignon
14 ounces diced tomatoes with herbs
5 bay leaves
1 pound long, slender carrots, peeled and cut on the bias in 1-inch lengths
1 Tablespoon arrowroot

Method:
Cut meat into 2-1/2-inch pieces. Season with salt and black pepper and set aside.

In a large, heavy casserole with cover (a 6-quart Le Creuset is perfect), heat oil. Add onions, and cook over medium-high heat until onions are soft and brown, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add meat and cook over high heat until meat browns a little on all sides, turning pieces as they brown.

In a medium bowl, stir together hoisin sauce, 1 cup wine, and diced tomatoes with their juice. Pour over meat and add bay leaves. Cover pot and cook over low heat for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, add carrots to the pot. Cover and continue to cook almost 1 ¾ hours longer, until meat is fork tender.

Transfer meat and carrots to a large bowl using a slotted spoon. Add 1 cup wine to the pot and cook over high heat until the sauce is reduced to 2 ½ cups. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Dissolve arrowroot in 1 Tablespoon water and add to sauce. Continue to cook over medium heat until the sauce is thick. Pour over meat and stir. Remove bay leaves and heat before serving. Optional: Garnish with finely chopped parsley or fresh thyme.

Wine Pairing:
A juicy Zinfandel or California Rhône-blend such as the Cline Cellars Red Truck Red 2003

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