Book Signings for All the Foodies on Your List!

From Thomas Keller to Martha Stewart to...Rachael Ray...and everyone in between.

Get your Christmas shopping done early for those foodies on your list.
(And, don't forget to treat yourself to something nice, too.)
Be sure you call the stores to verify before heading out.

And, if you are a book/appearance lover, please head to Celebrity Book Signings and Events for all the latest and greatest. This is where I get a large part of my book info and it's usually pretty darn accurate. (I should prolly mention that Lee, the author of that website, knows about this site and I've sent some books signing info there, too.)

Happy Christmas Shopping!

Grant Achatz - Grant will only be signing copies of Alinea purchased at Williams-Sonoma. (Proof of purchase required.) Space is limited, and attendance is by reservation only. Please contact the store for details.

11/22/08 - 1:00PM - Williams-Sonoma - 142 Oakbrook Center - Oakbrook, IL - (630) 571-2702
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Mario Batali, star of Iron Chef America signing copies of Spain: A Culinary Road Trip

11/19/08 - 7:00 PM - Barnes & Noble - Union Square - New York, NY.
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Giada De Laurentiis, Food Network star, will be signing copies of Giada's Kitchen

For Williams-Sonoma events:
Giada will sign her latest cookbook, Giada's Kitchen: New Italian Favorites, which will be available for purchase. (Proof of purchase is required.) Space is limited, and attendance is by reservation only. Please contact the store for details.

11/17/08- 1:00PM - The Marketplace - Williams-Sonoma - 9000 Ming Ave.- Bakersfield, CA - (661) 665-7920
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Rocco DiSpirito, star of "The Restaurant" signing copies of Rocco Gets Real

11/19/08 - 7:00 PM - Barnes & Noble - Union Square - New York, NY.
11/22/09 - 2:00 PM - Borders Books- Tampa Avenue - Northridge, CA.
12/6/08 - 4:00 PM - Bookends - East Ridgewood Ave - Ridgewood, NJ.
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George Duran, Food Network star of "Ham on the Street," signing copies of Take This Food and Twist It

11/6/08 - 7:00 PM - Borders Books- Columbus Circle - New York, NY.
11/8/08 - 3:00 PM - Barnes & Noble - 7th Avenue - Brooklyn, NY.
11/12/08 - 7:00 PM - Borders Books- North Michigan Avenue - Chicago, IL.
11/23/08 - 2:00 PM - Barnes & Noble - Post Road East - Westport, CT.
11/29/08 - 2:00 PM - Costco - Second Avenue - Waltham, MA.
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Guy Fieri, Food Network star, signing copies of Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives- An All- American Road Trip

11/11/08 - 7:00 PM - Barnes & Noble - Edinger Avenue - Huntington Beach, CA.
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Tyler Florence - Join Tyler as he signs copies of his new books, Stirring The Pot and Dinner At My Place.

11/7/2008 - 5:00 PM - Sur La Table - San Francisco, CA - Ferry Building Marketplace, 415.262.9970
11/8/2008 - 5:00 PM - Sur La Table - San Jose, CA - Santana Row- 408.244.4749

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Ina Garten, the Food Network's Barefoot Contessa, signing copies of Back To Basics

For Williams-Sonoma events:
Ina will sign her latest cookbook, Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics, which will be available for purchase at the store. (Proof of purchase is required.) Space is limited. Please contact the store for details.

11/10/08 Noon - Williams-Sonoma -Worcester Street - Natick, MA.
11/11/08 Noon - Barnes & Noble - Old Orchard Center - Skokie, IL.
NOTE: There is a date conflict for the 12th - unless the Edina location and the Roseville location are the same. Call store to confirm.
November 12, 12:00 - 2:00 PM - Williams-Sonoma - Edina Galleria - 3512 Galleria - Edina, MN - (952) 285-1338
11/12/08 Noon - Borders Books- Rosedale Center - Roseville, MN.
11/13/08 Noon - Williams-Sonoma -Post Street - San Francisco, CA.
11/14/08 Noon - Williams-Sonoma -Montana Avenue - Santa Monica, CA.
12/10/08 Noon - Williams-Sonoma -Morris Turnpike - Short Hills, NJ.
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Thomas Keller -Join Thomas as he signs copies of his new book, Under Pressure: Cooking Sous Vide.

12/10/2008 - 5:00 PM - Book is $75.00 - Sur La Table - San Francisco, CA - Ferry Building Marketplace - 415.262.9970

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Sandra Lee, Food Network star, signing copies of Semi-Homemade Fast-Fix Family Favorites

11/19/08 - 7:00 PM - Barnes & Noble - Townsfair Way - Columbus, OH.
12/11/08 - 6:00 PM - Barnes & Noble - East Broadway - Bloomington, MN
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Rachael Ray, star of several TV shows, signing copies of Rachael Ray 's Big Orange Book

11/6/08 - 7:00 PM - Barnes & Noble - Union Square - New York, NY.
11/8/08 - 1:00 PM - Costco - Old Country Road - Westbury, NY.
11/15/2008 - 3:00 PM - Sur La Table - Chestnut Hill, MA - The Mall at Chestnut Hill- 704.362.2360
12/15/08 - 5:00 PM - Barnes & Noble - SE Maynard - Cary, NC.
12/18/08 - 5:00 PM - Barnes & Noble - West 69th - Edina, MN.
12/19/08 - 5:00 PM - Barnes & Noble - Old Orchard Center - Skokie, IL.
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Martha Stewart, cooking and design star, signing copies of Martha Stewart 's Cooking School

For Williams-Sonoma events:
Martha will sign her latest cookbook, Martha Stewart's Cooking School, which is available at the store. (Proof of purchase required.) Space is limited, and attendance is by reservation only. Please contact the store for details.

11/7/08 - 5:00 PM - Williams-Sonoma, The Bellevue - 200 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA - (215) 545-7392
11/9/08 - 4:00 PM - Vroman' s Bookstore - East Colorado Blvd -Pasadena, CA.
11/10/08 - 10:30 AM - Barnes & Noble - Americana Way - Glendale, CA.
11/11/08 -1:00 PM - Sur La Table - Travis Street - Dallas, TX.

All I Want for Christmas...is a Cooking Channel

Dear Santa,
I've been good.
And, I've been thinking.

All I want for Christmas is a "Cooking Channel."

(Not sure if you get the "Food Channel" up there in the North Pole,
But - as their slogan says - they are "Way More Than Cooking.")

And, I want cooking.

I want Alton Brown teaching the whys with the hows.

And, Rick Bayless showing how to use real chiles in my Mexican and Yucatecan dishes.

Jacques Pépin demonstrating how to French stuff up without being snooty.

Julia (Ms. Child needs no last name) in her French Chef series to teach me sauces and show me chickens in their full chickendom.

Christopher Kimball and America's Test Kitchen to do some of the legwork.

Lidia Bastianich demonstrating that Italian food can be simple, hearty and good.

And, can you please toss in Mario Batali to give the man's side of that same message?

For dessert, can I please have Gale Gand making....anything?

I don't need more EVOO.
Or, ways to semi-make anything.
I don't need to see vacation spots.
Or, to know how to eat on $40 in any city.
And, honestly, I have had it up to *here* with the competitions.
(Although, I will make an exception for Iron Chef America...since they show cooking.)

Santa, I appreciate that I can get some these things...
Some of the time...

From PBS.
PBS Create.
The Food Network - when the planets properly align.
And, from my local library by way of DVD.

But, pleeeeease, Santa, can't I just have a channel?
One silly little channel...
Devoted to cooking healthy meals?

A "Cooking" Channel...that isn't "Waaaaay More Than Food"?

Merry Christmas to you and yours,
Dana

P.S.
I hope you enjoy the PB Fudge, Santa.
It's an Alton Brown recipe.
*grin*

Serious Eats

If you enjoy reading food blogs...
Actually...blogs in general, keep reading.

Serious Eats is a...food / restaurant / produce / technique / recipe / all things edible site...

Perhaps their description would be more helpful:
Serious Eats is a food blog focused on sharing food enthusiasm through online conversation, blogs, and video. Our combination of community and content brings together compelling original and acquired food video and spirited, inclusive discussion about all things food-related.

Add to it that Serious Eats claimed in an intro to a recent interview that Alton "trusts it" and "logs on daily when he's not on the road." Well, that speaks volumes to me.

Serious Eats also has a section called, Mario Unclogged where Mr. Batali offers up videos of recipes and instruction, e.g. "How to Properly Sauce your Pasta." Of course he also provides a recipe for marinara sauce and talks a tad about San Marzano tomatoes from Italy.

Serious Eats recently asked their readers with blogs to offer up their urls and a synopsis.

The result is a very... varied... list.
Most seem to be decent reading.
Except mine.
I just tossed it on there to make a pretty bell curve.
*Wink*

So, if it's late at night and you want some interesting reading, sample one of these blogs written by readers of Serious Eats.
Click here to Enjoy!