CHICAGO (November 25, 2008)—The Food Channel® celebrates the official launch of the Christmas shopping season—the day after Thanksgiving, Nov. 28—with the debut of a month of innovative holiday gift ideas. Foodies everywhere are sure to love the tasty collection of favorite gifts selected, prepared and packaged by The Food Channel chefs and staff. Original photography showcases the range of gifts including candies, jams, bottled beverages, breads, nuts, a full dinner, and more.

“In this tough economy, we understand budgets are tighter than ever and people are looking for creative gift-giving ideas and original holiday recipes,” said Kay Logsdon, editor of The Food Channel. ‘Those not willing to brave Black Friday can log on to foodchannel.com for made-at-home gift ideas that demonstrate creativity and care for family, friends, neighbors, or coworkers.’

The Food Channel’s first holiday season will feature original recipes from its chefs along with select recipes from food bloggers and corporate recipe partners. Other elements to look for in December include a virtual cookie exchange, a review of some of the best cookbooks for gift-giving, a Christmas brunch spread, and a ‘Cooking with Dad’ video segment.

You can also watch the animated photo spread of the holiday food gifts segment here:

About The Food Channel

The Food Channel Web site is designed to be a one-stop-shop for all things food, where users can find great recipes, smart food advice, and the latest food news and reviews. For more than 20 years, the state-of-the-art kitchens of The Food Channel have developed food products, ideas and recipes for some of the world’s largest food companies. Until recently, The Food Channel has been used for industry insider information—feeding news and resources to the food and foodservice industry—and now it expands to reach food professionals and food lovers alike.