The holiday cheer may be getting a little out of hand. I just saw sugar plums dancing and it wasn't in my head. I think it's time to back away from the egg nog. While I shut down the confection dance floor in the test kitchen, you can enjoy your daily dish:

Seeing stars. Alton Brown and Emeril Lagasse are in town this week to sign copies of their new cookbooks. The Brownie Nation can head to the Costco store at 3333 University Blvd. in Winter Park Saturday for the noon appearance. Lagasse's fans can join him at Universal's City Walk Monday for his 6 p.m. signing event.

Brown's new book is Good Eats: The Early Years (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, $37.50). The Food Network host is one part culinary hobbyist and one part science geek with a liberal additional of showmanship. Good Eats: The Early Years has great program notes, a frenetic layout that captures the essence of the show on paper and a fun "who is who" in the back-of-the-book acknowledgements that includes a rundown of the Good Eats players. And, oh yes, there are more than 140 recipes from the show's first 80 episodes, including some that never made it to air. With the thick paper jacket that folds out into a poster, it's a dream gift for any fan.

Lagasse's book, Emeril 20-40-60: Fresh Food Fast (HarperStudio, $24.99), is a treasure of techniques and quick-cook tips for busy households. The title numbers correspond to how the book is divided up. Home cooks can choose recipes for all elements of a family meal - from soups to desserts -- according to their time schedule. The first section is recipes that can be prepared in 20 minutes or less, the middle is 40 minutes or less ... well, you get the idea. The soft cover book is packed with approachable, home-style recipes and mouth-watering photography. This is a great gift book for busy families and young cooks looking to expand their kitchen libraries. Today at my blog you can read my recent interview with Lagasse, the chef/proprietor of 12 restaurants (including Emeril's Orlando and Tchoup Chop at the Royal Pacific resort) and sample a couple of the recipes.

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