Ever wonder if the children of famous chefs eat better than yours (or you for that matter)? This past weekend Parade magazine ran an article where five well-known chefs discuss what they put in their children's lunches.

Surprisingly, while wonderfully delicious and healthy, their tips are actually effortless and easy to recreate in your own kitchen. Wolfgang Puck opts for cold pre-pressed paninis, while Emeril Lagasse — whose children seemed the most adventurous — suggests shrimp spring rolls with fresh veggies.

However my favorite quote comes from Tyler Florence who sends his son Miles to school with wraps filled with grilled veggies and goat cheese.

"If he happens to trade what I made for him when he gets to school, it’s a great way to break the ice with the girls."

How adorable is that?!

To eat like Tyler and his son do, check out the recipe for Tyler's BLT with a Twist, read more

If you're a fan of the [yellow tail] brand of wines, you'll be happy to hear that they've announced a new sparkling white wine. - Cheap Fun Wines

When I'm invited to a dinner, party, or bbq and don't have the time to put together a special gift for the hostess, I'll stop by my local wine shop and pick up a bottle for her to enjoy at a later date. I include a nice appreciative note and package the bottle to look pretty. Tying a bow with a satin ribbon makes it look festive, but if you don't have a huge collection of ribbon like I do, think about buying a set of these wine bottle gift bags.

Printed with made up wine notes like, an explosion of blackberries and cranberry zing, these are cheeky and fun. The brown bag material gives them a sense of eco-awareness while the silver lettering makes them celebratory.

Although I don't advocate re-gifting, these bags can be recycled and reused for other wine gifts. Get them while they are hot, a set of 6 is only $12.00, and I don't know about you, but I'm ordering two.

Source: Hostess Blog

It's no secret, I'm a pretty die-hard carnivore. I tried to go veg when I was 16, but my dad made bacon for breakfast a few days later and I just couldn't help myself. So naturally, when a book with the huge letters M-E-A-T arrived at the Sugar HQ, I knew I'd found my next "must read."

Just by glancing through Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's The River Cottage Meat Book, you can tell it's one of those books that is destined to become a classic. The first section of the book is committed to "Understanding Meat," while the rest of it is devoted to various ways of cooking. It's one part meat manifesto, one part guidebook and all parts captivating. Reading it will help you understand high-quality sustainable meat production, as well as educate you in how to choose and store meats. In fact, I lent the book to TeamSugar and she said,

If you are a meat eater it is a must, as it is an in-depth look into the delicious world of meat. For those vegetarians, the first chapter alone might convince you to eat a big juicy steak.

While it may not actually convert any vegetarians, it is a book that many vegetarians can get behind due to Hugh's stance of sustainable farming. If the poor treatment of animals wasn't enough to turn you off of big-farm farming, then Hugh's descriptions of slow-grown heritage animals treated with respect just might.

Yet, admittedly, this book is not for the faint of heart. For every delicious dish that's prepared, there's also pictures of it during the different stages of preparation (including the slaughter). However if you've ever wanted to learn more about meat, where it comes from, how you should select it and then prepare it, you should definitely seek this book out. It was originally published in the UK in 2004, but has recently been revised/converted for an American audience. And did I mention the fact that there are definitely loads of delicious recipes inside?

If you're missing Top Chef — no new episode last night — head over to Chow and listen to what the losers have to say. Jane Goldman, the editor-in-chief of the online foodie site, has exclusive interviews with each of the losing contestants. It's pretty fascinating stuff, I've already listened and here are a few highlights:

• Apparently Tre — and several of the other contestants — was recruited by Bravo to be on Top Chef. They contacted him and asked if he was interested in participating.
• Sara still feels the roach coach challenge was unfair and that she should not have been forced to cook in her heels. Surprisingly, Goldman agrees with her.



• Tre believes there aren't enough sexy male chefs in the world and wants to be the first chef known exclusively for his sexiness and food.
• Joey admits he wasn't paying attention to Hung and did over cook the pasta.

There is lots more where those tidbits came from. The chefs discuss where they are now and who they keep in touch with from the show. Check it out and than come back here and tell me what you think!

Source: Chow
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Believe it or not, there are over 950 reviews for milk on Amazon.com. My favorites include a poetic ode, scenes from romance novels, and excerpts from what I can only imagine to be rejected mobster novels. - Amazon

A few weeks ago PartySugar and I were supposed to meet Top Chef's resident ice queen — yes, the one from Food & Wine magazine — only she never showed up. Instead we met the wonderfully sweet, surprisingly goofy Gail Simmons. So how does someone so nice get such a bad-a** reputation? Turns out it's all due to editing, but we'll get to that later.

We met Simmons, who was in town for a wine festival in Sonoma, at Boulettes Larder for a picturesque breakfast at the Ferry Building. And while she wouldn't divulge any Top Chef secrets — except to say that a lot of the blogs have been wrong, something that was obvious last week — she did offer up a few behind the scene tidbits, as well as the rundown of her career — and yes, she is perfectly qualified to be a judge.

If you've ever wanted to know more about this Top Chef judge, check out part one of our interview with her. And be sure to come back next week for part two! read more

Anyone who says a vegetarian meal can't be fulfilling and flavorful must try tonight's rapid yet delicious dinner. A large variety of fresh summer vegetables are stewed with a fragrant curry sauce. Fresh basil and parsley finish off the dish that tastes great alone or over rice. Pair with a cool white wine and you are in for a rewarding and guilt free Thursday night meal. Sound scrumptious? Get the recipe when you, read more

It was my turn to make ice cream sandwiches this week — I know, tough task! — and I was staring at some leftover rich, fudgy brownies when it hit me. Duh! Why not cut the brownies in half and fill them with ice cream?

Once I had a plan, it was time to determine the flavor. I really wanted mint-chip, but we had vanilla in the house, and more than one open container of ice cream at a time is really bad news in our house... However, I wasn't totally thrilled with plain vanilla, so I took some fresh blueberries and raspberries and mixed them in.

To learn how to do it yourself, as well as more pictures of brownie-ice cream goodness, read more