Normally when I watch Top Chef, I imagine eating the dishes, but never think about making them. Maybe it's because I consider myself more of a Padma than a top chef, or maybe it's because the dishes always seem so complicated. Either way, it came as a surprise last week when — for the first time — I thought, OMG I have to make that.

The dish that I'm dying to make is Stephanie's banana bread. She said it was her mom's recipe, but she must have jazzed it up for the competition. I love how the bite-sized treat is garnished with a pretty banana slice. I'm planning on experimenting with the recipe — wouldn't these be amazing served at a brunch? — and thought maybe some of you would be interested in checking it out as well. Get the recipe, just read more

If you live near the Mall of America and you love cupcakes — or baked goods in general — then you'll want to mark your calendars. This Sunday, Mar. 30, Share Our Strength is putting on the "World's Largest Bake Sale." It will be hosted by Food Network's Sandra "Semi-Homemade" Lee and Duff "Ace of Cakes" Goldman. Together they will be on hand to promote the over 40,000 baked goods made by students at the Arts Institute International Minnesota using Food Network celebrity recipes.

While there Lee will be signing copies of her book, and Goldman will be attempting to set the Guinness Book record for the world's largest cupcake. When asked about the event, Goldman said:

What better way to fight hunger than a cupcake the size of a Shetland Pony? We're really excited to be a part of this event for Great American Bake Sale.

I could probably think of a few better ways, but hey he's there for a good cause, so I'll let him have his moment.

If you're interested in attending, the event begins this Sunday at 11 a.m.

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I saw these elegant pancetta cups and was pretty much in heaven. I can't wait to make bite-sized bacon cups for my next party. What shall I fill them with? — The Kitchn

One of the best ways to learn about wine is to taste it. And a great way to taste a lot of different types of wine is to attend a wine-tasting event like Wine Enthusiast's Toast of the Town. The magazine is hosting an evening — in four major cities across the nation — of great wine, fabulous food, and moving music. Proceeds from the event go to San Francisco Food Bank, a company that provides food to starving locals.

The San Francisco event is this Thursday, Mar. 27 and I will be in attendance. Will you be there? Let me know and I will see you there!

For those of you not in the area check out Wine Enthusiast's upcoming tastings in Atlanta, Chicago, and New York. If you still aren't near any of those cities, consider hosting your own wine tasting to toast your town!

Have you been to a large wine-tasting event? Tell us about it below!

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As the Easter season is usually associated with eggs, I asked you to help me round up a bunch of egg-cessories. To fully appreciate eggs in all their glory, it's nice to have some tools: poacher, slicer, molds, cups, etc. You headed off to market in search of all these things. You saved your discoveries in the Yum Market on TeamSugar using the keyword tag, Egg Accessories.

Who knew egg-cessories could be so cute? I totally want to get a set of these egg-fry rings. They make perfectly round fried eggs for pretty presentation. You could get creative and make other circular dishes as well. Both gruaig_rua and aimeeb bookmarked the handy device. For a complete look at all of the egg accessories, browse below.

Check out geeksugar's guide for more on bookmarking.

A little over a month ago, we tipped you off to the 2008 James Beard Awards Long List, and well the time has come: the long list is now a short list. This morning the official list of nominees was released. There are 52 categories including cookbooks, journalism articles, television, radio, web, restaurant design, and most importantly the restaurants and chefs themselves.

To discover some of the biggest award nominees, just read more

Wondering what to do with the leftover spinach and mushrooms from last night? Put them in a sandwich! This variation of the Reuben pairs mushrooms and spinach with rye bread and swiss cheese. A quick homemade Russian dressing flavors the rye bread that is lightly grilled. To see how it's made, read more

Spring has sprung! To celebrate, I'm gathering up some friends, heading to Crissy Field, and having a picnic. Spring is a great time to have a picnic because the weather is warm without being too hot. However, the success of the picnic depends on good weather, so be sure to check out the local forecast when you start to plan. Once the weatherman has given you the go ahead, send the invitations. To see how I made these grassy green invites, read more