The other day, CasaSugar tipped me off to a really cool organization called Outstanding in the Field. Their whole purpose is to dine at the source, right on the fields that deliver the harvest. Back in 1999, chef Jim Denevan — who also happens to be a well-respected artist — began staging dinners at organic farms around Santa Cruz, Calif. He said:

Senses are heightened in the fresh air. And it's not every day you get to sit next to the person who planted the beans, raised the lamb, and shaped the cheese on your plate.

Once word started to spread about these dinners, everyone in the food community — including many well-respected Bay Area chefs — wanted in. Soon, there were outdoor dinners at many of the areas local farms. However, that wasn't enough. Now the folks at Outstanding in the Field take their mission on tour. They're currently working on their 2008 farm dinner schedule, but they've got the cities in place already. Dinners will be held from California to New York and at many places in between. Tickets range between $150-$200, but it includes a five course meal with wine pairings, as well as a tour of the host farm. I don't know about you, but I know I want to go to one of these!

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Yesterday, while visiting my old friend The Food Network, I watched two episodes — one Nigella and another Giada — in which recipes for a super-simple chocolate mousse-like dessert were made. Both looked divinely delicious and uncomplicated to make — way easier than the chocolate mousse recipe I wrote about awhile ago. I decided to make them both and have a taste test to see which recipe was better. To take a look at the recipes and see the results of the battle between Nigella and Giada's chocolate mousses, read more

George Clooney's always seemed like a sweetie to me. Maybe that's why it doesn't surprise me that the folks at Jelly Belly have created his likeness using over 10,000 jelly beans. — People

If you haven't been following along with all of our Governors Ball coverage then you may have missed the fact that it's going to be "simple but refined." Everything is an elegant sea of red and gold, and the food is nothing but refined simplicity.

While at the press preview, I had the opportunity to watch Wolfgang at work. For two hours he entertained members of the press, grilled steaks, stirred up mac and cheese, and answered similar questions over and over and over again. Ever the great spokesperson, Wolfgang smiled and hammed it up; each member of the press got the same story, but it was always done with vivacity and it always seemed genuine. I managed to get some video of him in action, and our video editor really captured the feel. To check out Wolfgang giving his shpiel over and over and over again, read more

As I've mentioned in the past, there seems to be a lot of interesting things going down at the Food Network. Recently, Emeril Live was canceled, but his reps assured us that he wasn't leaving the network. Well, looks like someone had the wrong information or tried to keep things under wraps because this morning Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia announced that they bought the rights to the Emeril franchise. Their deal — currently at $50 million, but could potentially be valued at $70 million — will include Emeril's cookbooks, tv shows, food products, kitchen products, and cookware. The deal is not including his eleven restaurants.

Everything is expected to go through later this year. Susan Lyne, president and CEO of MSLO, said:

Emeril brings talent, energy, and legions of fans to the Martha Stewart family, along with a powerful brand and an attractive, profitable business franchise.

I was really hoping she'd just say, "BAM!" instead.

So what do you think of this move? Do you think it's smart for them to take on Emeril?

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If you're planning an Oscar-watching party, be sure to include cheese straws on the menu. An elegant and crowd-pleasing dessert (or appetizer), cheese straws are wonderful for a party because they can be made in advance. I have two recipes here, both are pretty simple. One builds upon a premade dough, while the other uses a homemade version. To take a look at both and choose the one that suits your needs as a hostess, read more

Any Rocco DiSpirito fans in the house? If you answered yes to that question then you'll be excited to hear that Rocco is returning to television, and this time he might just cook for you. In his new show on A&E — no date set yet — called Rocco to the Rescue!, he will come to your house and teach you how to cook a special meal for a special occasion. The premise sounds a bit like Food Network's Rescue Chef — or like Ted Allen's role in Queer Eye — only with DiSpirito at the helm.

Now for the part that fans will really be excited about. If you live in the New York City area, you can try and get Rocco to come to your house. The casting call says:

A&E is looking for people in and around the New York City area who need Rocco’s help. To apply for the show, email CookWithRocco@gmail.com with your name, age, phone number, a recent photo, and the reason you need to cook with Rocco. You can also call our casting hotline: 818-752-5559. Everyone loves to share the important moments in life over food, and Rocco knows exactly how to make those moments memorable!

So are you going to invite Rocco into your kitchen?

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