Food Network Magazine

the new year is always a time to think about what’s ahead, but as we wrap up 2025, I’ve been thinking about how much has changed since we entered this millennium. Back in 2000, dinner was all sun-dried tomatoes all the time. Soy chai lattes were the beverage of choice and McSalad Shakers were a rest-stop revelation (remember McDonald’s short-lived shakable salads?). Restaurant chefs were heavy-handed with truffle oil, and all the cool ones topped their dishes with foam. TCBY was my go to dessert. For this issue, we traveled back to every year in the last quarter century and picked out the food trends that made the biggest impact. Many of them have withstood the test of time—sriracha is just as hot now as it was in 2013, and…

Worst Cook in America: Reality Check The competitors on this show are reality TV stars who shine on-screen but struggle in the kitchen. Hosts Jeff Mauro and Tiffany Derry coach the recruits through challenges in pursuit of a $25,000 prize for the charity of their choice. Get ready for a watch party with this three-ingredient appetizer from Jeff: no cooking skills required! JEFF MAURO’S STUFFED PEPPADEWS Place a cube of Gorgonzola or other blue cheese on top of a basil leaf, then roll up the basil around the cheese and stuff into a Peppadew pepper. Repeat to make about 24 stuffed peppers. Baking Championship: Next Gen Hosts Duff Goldman and Kardea Brown guide 12 teams of siblings who are also talented young bakers through a series of challenges in this…

How bad is it to leave a charcuterie board out for hours? Cheeses and cured meats taste best when they’re served at room temperature, but food safety experts say you should only keep them out for about two hours to avoid the risk of foodborne illness. After that, wrap up any hard cheeses and meats and put them back in the fridge, and toss high-moisture cheeses like brie and camembert. If you’re hosting a longer party, make smaller boards and swap in new ones throughout the night. Go to foodnetwork.com/ howtotemper for our tempering guide. How bad is it to skip tempering when you make chocolate candies? Tempering is the process of melting and cooling chocolate to specific temperatures so it will dry with a glossy shine and satisfying snap.…

Give a subscription to Food Network Magazine— for only $10! Visit shop.thefoodnetworkmag.com/holiday and use the coupon code HOLIDAY. Gifts for Kids Give a junior baker our new cookbook, The Big, Fun Book of Fake-Out Cakes ($25). You can find it wherever books are sold! Gifts for Pets…

2000 Foam Spanish chef Ferran Adrià of El Bulli shocked the food world in 1994 by topping a sea urchin dish with a cloud of white bean foam. Within a few years, chefs everywhere were using pressurized canisters to turn ingredients like fruit juice and lobster bisque into airy toppings. The turn of the millennium was peak foam mania, and by 2002, Adrià himself declared it passé. 2001 Smoothies You couldn’t visit a mall in the early 2000s without stopping at Jamba Juice. Soda was falling out of favor, and smoothies emerged as a “healthier” alternative. Coca-Cola acquired the bottled smoothie brand Odwalla this year, and Smoothie King soon went international. 2002 Small Plates Young tech whizzes in Silicon Valley deserve some credit for this trend: In an effort to…

“What makes these so delicious is the cream cheese in the filling. It adds a creamy, hefty, tangy element that you don’t get in a typical jelly doughnut.” MOLLY YEH’S BLUEBERRY–CREAM CHEESE DOUGHNUTS ACTIVE: 50 min l TOTAL: 3½ hr l MAKES: about 12 2¼ teaspoons (one ¼-ounce packet) active dry yeast¾ cup warm water¼ cup plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar⅓ cup canola or vegetable oil, plus more for the bowl and for frying3¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting1 teaspoon kosher salt2 large eggs8 ounces cream cheese, softened¼ cup blueberry jamConfectioners’ sugar, for dusting 1. In a medium bowl, combine the yeast, warm water and 1 teaspoon granulated sugar and give it a little stir. Let it sit for about 5 minutes, until it becomes foamy on top. Oil…