The Queen is Coming

The former White House budget analyst turned best-selling cookbook author, Emmy + James Beard Award winner, former mentee of Martha Stewart ("The Empress") + Eli Zabar and maven of all things Hamptons fabulous is coming to a town near you. I can almost smell the Atlantic ocean water, the French faire, the hydrangeas and the food finds from Loaves & Fishes. Yes, I am talking Ina Garten a.k.a. The Barefoot Contessa!

Ina will be giving talks and signing her latest book Make it Ahead courtesy of a tour in association with Williams-Sonoma. Tickets are available at a very premium royal price.

The icing on the cake would be to get a glance at her and her husband Jeffrey, that is if he will be able to pull himself away from his post at Yale to attend. If he can't make I bet we can count on one of her fabulous friends to be in tow.

Food in the News

Some interesting articles worth reading:

The Local: France, The Wine Bar and The Hospital

The New Yorker: An exploration of why Americans stopped eating American seafood.

Punch: A look at the evolution of Wall Street wine culture.

The Farmers Market For You By You

If you are up for a challenge, a novel farmers market concept has made its way west and is launching on February 8th. The L.A. Underground Market is a farmers market with a twist. It is a farmers market without the farmers. Instead the stations are helmed by people with a passion for food who have not yet acquired licensing. Think of this event as being a secret invite only potluck featuring homemade "unusual" and "interesting" dishes. Entrance is $10 and tastings are $1-5. Click here to get the inside scoop on attending. Click here if you are interested in being a vendor.

Dinning Table Meals Made Easier

The dining table can be a battlefield for unresolved adult guests. For some kids, like my finicky nephew, every meal at a dining table is an act of inflicting a timeless period of agonizing torture on him. If your little one is anything like this rest assured that there is hope. These tear-off placemats may be the answer. They keep kids occupied with coloring doodles of animals while learning fun facts about their eating habits. Thank you Deborah Zemke!

Foodie Find

I was so tickled when I saw this. Quirky foodie fun. A must have item.

$40 at storenvy.com's LuxuryLivingNYC