This weekend, PartySugar and I are headed to Aspen, CO, to meet up with the food industry's veritable short list of professionals at the annual Food & Wine Classic. While we were there last year, Ming Tsai offered up some East-West cooking tips, Tom and Padma got a little drunk, and we learned that celebrity chefs are just like us.

Once again, we'll be sharing the most memorable epicurean experiences with you, so be on the lookout for our coverage of this exciting culinary event.

For real-time updates, be sure to follow Party and myself on Twitter. And, if you're in town, look out for us. Perhaps we'll see you there!

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For your Father's Day celebration, skip the froufrou-fruity cocktails and serve a potent classic instead. Since the only libation my dad drinks is a Tanqueray and tonic, this is what we'll be mixing.

To make it more special than his everyday drink, I'm adding fresh herbs. They'll give the drink an extra layer of flavor. We'll also stock up on beer, wine, and soda. Look at the jazzed-up gin and tonic recipe when you read more

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The other day, Party asked me how I feel about eating foods that I can't identify. Since I've often found myself at food events that serve an overwhelming number of complicated bites, I do it all the time. But despite the fact that I've eaten lots of random (and unidentified) foods, there are still scores of foods I've always wanted to try but have never gotten around to sampling. Although some New York gourmands claim poutine is becoming routine, I've never had a chance to try it, so it's at the top of my list. And I've also always wanted to try belon oysters, black pudding, blowfish, boudin sausage, and wagyu beef from Kobe, Japan.

I'm sure you've got a running tab, too — so I'd love to hear it! What's on your must-try list?

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A couple of weeks ago I catered a dinner for a group of hungry hikers. The crew spent a Saturday trekking the 14-mile round-trip up and down Mount Diablo and the meal was the shining light at the end of the walk. My sister, the leader, requested that I prepare a hearty yet meat-free vegetarian meal that included black beans. Always up to the challenge, I decided to make black bean burgers. After scouring the web for an exciting recipe, I chose this Mexican-inspired one from Gourmet.

Although I tweaked it a little, the final burger is meaty, satisfying, and incredibly scrumptious. I took the time to make fresh salsa and guacamole, but feel free to use store-bought substitutes. Whatever you do, don't leave out the condiments, they add to the burger's overall flavor. This makes a stellar vegetarian-friendly backyard dinner, so get the recipe, and read more

If you love the taste of vine-ripened tomatoes, you'll enjoy this fuss-free vegetarian meal. Three (fresh, sun-dried, and paste) types of tomatoes are combined in the blender to create a quick, no-cook sauce. Tossed with piping hot pasta, the sauce coats each and every cranny.

For extra decadence, grate on some Parmesan cheese. Pair it with a simple green salad, crusty garlic bread, and glass of white wine, and you've got an ultimate Italian meal. Check out the recipe when you read more

On a recent weekend, I had the opportunity to attend Sunset's Celebration Weekend, an outdoor event dedicated to all things lifestyle, from gardening to home improvement to, of course, food. The festival, which took place under a shining sun at Sunset magazine's headquarters in Menlo Park, CA, featured cooking demos from chefs like Cindy Pawclyn, Jamie Lauren, and Aaron McCargo, Jr.; composting seminars from Sunset editors; wine tastings; and vendors selling fresh greens, molés, and gelato. There was tons of food and drink to sample: I spotted everything from grilled sausages to watermelon beer to the tallest strawberry daiquiris known to man. To transport yourself to this sunny California festival, read more