Celebrity chefs are targets, especially when their name is on a restaurant. When that restaurant’s location is Times Square in NYC, just paint a big, big target on their back. Everyone is talking about this one. A New York food critique can be brutal, but the review in the New York Times recently for Guy Fieri’s new digs was almost beyond that. But Guy didn’t run and hide. He had a few things to say on the Today Show and in the New York Daily News, and Alton Brown, fellow Food Network personality tweeted "I am planning on visiting Guy Fieri's NYC eatery this weekend because it can't be as bad as all those snooty New Yorkers say.” Personally I believe that any place can have a bad day, as much as I wish they didn’t and I go more one more time to give them another chance. “Guy’s American Kitchen and Bar” may have some things to work out, but I’d give it a try before believing heart and soul what someone else thinks first. Just some food for thought this weekend.

  There’s still time to enter and a family four-pack of great seats to enjoy the 20^th Anniversary production of the Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker December 28^th or 29^th at the Mahaffey Theater in St Petersburg. But time is running out. The deadline for entry is Friday the 23^rd.  All you have to do to qualify to win is send us your favorite Christmas cookie recipe, using Dixie Crystals Sugar. Once we have all the entries, we’ll randomly choose three finalists who will come to the Florida Central Credit Union Performance Theater here at our studios on Tuesday, December 4^th at 2:30 pm with their recipe and cookies for a taste test in Kelly’s Kitchen with our panel of cookie testers; Janet Keeler, St Pete Times Lifestyle Editor and author of "Cookielicious," and Jessica Beebe, owner of Sugardarlings Cones ‘n Cupcakes. The cookie that receives the most votes will receive the Great Russian Nutcracker tickets. Each of our three finalists will also receive a special gift basket from Kelly’s Kitchen with Janet Keeler’s book, a special treat from Sugardarlings along with a special selection from Kelly’s Kitchen.

   Send us those recipes now by clicking here, and pictures are always appreciated. If you find yourself in need of inspiration, please join the Dixie Crystals Community! 

WORDS OF WISDOM FROM KELLY’S KITCHEN

He has the right to criticize who has the heart to help. – Lincoln