October is National Chili Month, and beef, with its unmistakably robust flavor, is the classic meat that's used in this dish. Aside from being an enduring crowd-pleaser, beef chili is also affordable to make, portable, and just as great-tasting the next day. The beginner recipe is a quick, effortless weeknight meal, while the expert recipe, developed by celebrity chef and southwestern specialist Bobby Flay, elevates chili to a gourmet level. To try both, read more

I was captivated when I first saw this TeamSugar photo — the potato and meat in the soup look chunky and hearty, and I can just taste the dill on the tip of my tongue. I was too enthralled to even notice that this recipe, with its step-by-step photos, was actually Syako's first attempt at food photography! If you, too, are tempted by the dinner possibility, then read more

It's only Tuesday, but I'm already looking forward to the multitude of festivals this weekend.

There are so many in the Bay Area alone that I can't decide whether to hit up the Santana Row Pear Festival, the Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival, or the Monterey Wine Festival. I suppose I might just rock them all!

Have we left something out? If so, please drop us a line in the comments below!

• San Francisco, CA: Wine & Spirits Top 100 Tasting — Oct. 14
• New York, NY: At the Table: New York — Oct. 14
• Torrance, CA: Oktoberfest at Alpine Village — Oct. 14-20
• Circleville, OH: Circleville Pumpkin Show — Oct. 15-18
• Monterey, CA: Monterey Wine Festival — Oct. 16-18
• Tulsa, OK: Tulsa Oktoberfest — Oct. 16-19
• Crowley, LA: International Rice Festival — Oct. 16-19
• New York, NY: 6th Annual Gourmet Institute — Oct. 17-19
• Paso Robles, CA: Harvest Wine Weekend — Oct. 17-19

To see the rest, read more

Every October I look forward to picking out pumpkins. There's a great ranch near my parents house that has a pumpkin patch along with a picnic area and hay rides, so I'm grabbing a group of friends and hosting a picnic at the pumpkin patch! Since we'll be heading out this weekend, I invited everyone by phone.

The menu will be a hearty Fall-themed lunch. I'll start by setting up an assortment of cheeses and fruit. The elements to an autumn greens salad will be packed in separate containers. The greens, apples, and radishes in one, the cheddar frico in another, and the vinaigrette in third.

The salad can be assembled at the picnic table. Thermoses filled with a fragrant ginger, butternut squash soup are perfect for enjoying at the pumpkin patch. For these scrumptious recipes, read more