Southampton - A glance at the calendar will show you that the holiday season is fast approaching. Before you know it, you'll be counting your blessings over a generous serving of turkey and gravy, and soon after that, you'll be making eggnog toasts and fa-la-la-ing to your heart's content. However, if you're slated to host one of those holiday meals, the task in front of you might fill you with more dread than holiday cheer. If that's the case, you're not alone. For those of us who don't answer to the name "Martha Stewart," figuring out who is coming to the table, what to serve, and how to prepare it can be a daunting task indee - especially if any of your guests have special dietary needs, such as a gluten allergy.

Not to worry - For Dummies has teamed up with several authors who know their way around the kitchen to make your upcoming chef responsibilities a lot easier.

With "Cooking Basics For Dummies," 4th Edition (Wiley, January 2011, $21.99), "Gluten-Free Baking For Dummies," (Wiley, December 2011, $19.99), "Wine For Dummies," 4th Edition (Wiley, October 2006, $21.99), and "Whiskey and Spirits For Dummies," (Wiley, November 2007, $19.99), you can prepare a mouth-watering spread (and provide the libations to go with it!) no matter what the preferences and dietary needs of your guests might be.

Whether you're a cooking novice or simply want to up the culinary ante this year, these titles will help you safely navigate everything from appetizers to after-dinner drinks.

Here's a glimpse of what you'll find this holiday season on the For Dummies menu:

"Cooking Basics For Dummies", 4th Edition can take your cooking from dull to delicious. Written by restaurant and dining feature writer Bryan Miller, food and beverage consultant Marie Rama, and co-author of "The Mediterranean Diet" Eve Adamson, this easy-to-understand guide covers cooking from all angles. You'll learn:

 • How to read a recipe
 • What staples you should keep in your pantry, refrigerator, and freezer
 • Tips for saving time in the kitchen
 • The basics of grilling, slow cooking, pressure cooking, roasting, and sautéing
 • Considerations for vegetarians and others with special diets, and flavorful dishes to serve them.

"Gluten-Free Baking For Dummies" will show you how to prepare wheat-free treats. Authors Jean McFadden Layton and Linda Larsen have pooled their expertise to help you re-create beloved tastes without using wheat flour. The book provides:

 • New baking ideas and substitutes for common glutenous ingredients
 • Easy recipes and methods for baking more than 150 gluten-free cakes, cookies, and breads
 • Tips and advice for shopping and stocking your kitchen

"Wine For Dummies,", 4th Edition will prompt you to raise your glass throughout the holiday season. With over half a century of professional wine experience between them, husband and wife team Ed McCarthy and Mary Ewing-Mulligan have written a full-bodied, yet light - rich, yet crisp - robust, yet refreshing guide to wine. You'll learn:

 • How to sniff and taste wine
 • How to store and pour wine, and how to pair it with food
 • Red and white wine styles, as well as details about wines from around the world

"Whiskey and Spirits For Dummies" is your complete guide to this family of noble beverages. Written by Perry Luntz, who has been the publisher and editor of Beverage Alcohol Market Report for 20 years, this book will top off your knowledge of distilled spirits in time for your holiday guests. It fills you in on how to:

 • Shop for the best spirits
 • Select the right mixers
 • Use spirits in cooking
 • Make 10 classic cocktails
 • Present spirits to guests

The bottom line is, with these For Dummies volumes in your library, you'll be able to prepare for the holidays with excitement rather than anxiety. And who knows? With the help of For Dummies, you might even make a name for yourself among your friends and family as a host or hostess extraordinaire!

"Cooking: Ten Tips to Help You Save Time in the Kitchen", from Cooking Basics For Dummies®, 4th Edition (Wiley, January 2011, $21.99)

When you're hosting a holiday gathering, you've got a lot to do in order to get that meal on the table - and you probably feel somewhat rushed. However, a few seconds saved here and there can add up to a lot more quality time with family and friends. These handy tips and hints will allow you to cook more efficiently without sacrificing deliciousness!

 • Have all ingredients prepared, measured, and set out within reach before you start cooking.
 • Precook pieces of chicken or meat in your microwave before finishing them on the grill.
 • If you're using the oven, turn it on at least 15 minutes before you're ready to roast or bake your dish. Don't waste time waiting for the oven to heat after you've prepared the recipe.
 • Buy vegetables that are already washed and cut, if doing so will get you to eat more vegetables or cook more often. Prepared ingredients such as bagged salad mix, stir-fry vegetables already cut to size, and boneless cuts of meat cost a bit more, but saving some time may be worth it.
 • Remove steaks and other meats from the refrigerator about 15 minutes before cooking so that they warm to room temperature. They'll cook faster and more evenly.
 • Line the broiler pan with aluminum foil to ease cleanup when broiling hamburgers, fish, steaks, and chops.
 • Don't bother chopping onions, garlic, fresh herbs, and the like for a salad dressing. Instead, use a food processor or blender to save chopping time, add your liquids, and then blend for a quick dressing.
 • Place a garlic clove on a cutting board and whack it with the flat side of a heavy knife or a cleaver to make removing the skin easier. The skin should split right off.
 • Roll a lemon or orange under the palm of your hand on the countertop to make extracting the juice easier.
 • Clean up as you go. You'll be glad you did when the meal is over!

About For Dummies
After nearly 20 years and with more than 200 million copies printed, For Dummies is the world's bestselling reference series, well known for enriching people's lives by making knowledge accessible in a fun and easy way. The For Dummies brand presence is further expanded with the addition of eBooks, a corporate custom publishing program, a robust consumer website, and a licensed product line that includes consumer electronics, culinary, crafts, video, software, musical instrument packs, home improvement, automotive, game, and more.