Amy Sedaris is one of my favorite performers, and she also happened to write one of my favorite cooking/entertaining books, I Like You. She was on Martha Stewart's show earlier this week (her second visit) and I unfortunately missed it. But thank God for the internet! Martha has posted (well, I doubt she posted it - I really can't see her sitting down and working the HTML and uploading pictures) a video of her appearance, where Amy and Martha each made cheeseballs.

Amy's was from her book. Lil' Smoky Cheese Ball sounds like the perfect appetizer for your guests, and very easy to make. Here's the video from Martha, and after the jump the full recipe.

We're big Amy Sedaris fans here at Slashfood (especially Bob), whether we're baking her cupcakes or reading her newest book, but this latest offering from the foodie comedienne is a bit unusual. It's a fake cake . Available in two sizes - 10"x4" and 8"x4" - the Styrofoam cakes are decorated just like the real thing and can be displayed, presumably in your home, as though they were in a bakery pastry case. It will help give a bit of a country air to your kitchen, as though you bake towering layer cakes everyday - at least until people notice that your cake never changes and certainly doesn't get eaten.

The limited edition cakes are autographed by Amy Sedaris herself and come in four flavors: chocolate, white, yellow and pink/strawberry. They're not cheap, at $100 for the large size and $75 for the small, so unless you really feel like splurging, you might be better off with a copy of her book and a real homemade chocolate layer cake.

At first I was going to title this post "2006 food and drink books I really enjoyed," but that would make it seem like I read a helluva lot of cookbooks last year.

The first book I have to mention is Amy Sedaris' I Like You. If you're a fan of cookbooks but you think this is some jokey tome and you don't want to get it, think again. There are a million recipes in here, and all of them are serious (Sedaris has said she hates jokey cookbooks). And if you like Sedaris but you're not into cooking that much, that doesn't matter either, because the book isn't just recipes, there are lots of funny essays in here too. A terrific book.

Alton Brown released an updated, Version 2.0 of I'm Just Here For The Food, and while the updates weren't all that exciting (cow fridge magnets??), it's still a great book to have on your shelf.

Cooking Up A Storm, by Sam Stern. I actually came across this book accidentally, and at first I thought, a cookbook for teens? What can that possible teach me? But it's a fantastic book, with lots of great basic recipes and some original ideas in there too, all presented well and easy to read. Stern is a 15 year-old who aspires to be the next Jamie Oliver, and he's well on his way.

• Some gift ideas for people you work with, including Chocolate Crinkles, Toasted Mixed Nuts, and Cheese Crackers.
• How to make pomanders for the holidays, and how to make the change from a gas stove to an electric one.
• Chef Marcus Samuelsson returns to his roots.
• Everybody loves Amy Sedaris!
• A recipe that combines smoked salmon and cheesecake?! Yup.
• Why farmers eat better in the winter.
• One reason why you should stop bashing Rachael Ray.
• Sassy Sips & Nibbles: a self-published book about snacks and drinks.
• This week's recipes: White Beans, Sausage, and Escarole; 'Lil Smoky Cheese Ball; Piri Piri; Mango Couscous; and Carnitas.