Am I a Fool?

I've been called worse thing, for sure. And in this case a Fool is a luscious combination of cream and fruit, so what's not to love?

Tune into Everyday Food the radio show on Martha Stewart Living Radio’s SiriusXM Satellite Radio channel 110 Tuesday August 23rd at 11:15 EST to talk about Fruit Fools. How to make 'em, serve 'em, enjoy 'em and come up with new ones!

Here is a pic of a Gooseberry Fool that I made....tune in to find out how to make it! The big hint is the pic above....it starts by being inspired by fabulous ripe fruit (these were growing in neighbor's garden).

Bon Appetit and HSN a Perfect Pair

Photo by Jack DeSart

Our summer HSN Cooks Event brought to you by Bon Appetit is going gangbusters. Tune in for Todd English, Ken Hom, Michelle Bernstein and more. Don't miss out on our Bon Appetit subscription deal - its $12 for 12 issues and a full 80% off of the newsstand price. Tune in for my last appearance during the 6AM hour EST Saturday July 30th. Call in and say hi! PS: the hosts have been going crazy over the Salmorejo soup seen above. Check it out in our August issue or at bonappetit.com

Tune into Our Bon Appetit Summer HSN Cooks Event

Photo by Christopher Testani

Hey folks, Im down in here is sunny Florida (which by the way is cooler than it was in the northeast last week) to present another Bon Appetit Cooks Event at HSN. Im in the greenroom right now watching Todd English work his magic - great deal they have going with his GreenPans, which are the Today's Special.

Tune in during the Friday 1AM EST hour to see me make the Roasted Corn with Manchego and Lime shown above. Perfect hot, warm or room temp for easy summer meals.

We have a great deal - 12 issues for 12 bucks - so check out the HSN link and order now. Great for yourself, a friend or family member, or I think it makes a great gift for a co-worker too...That way they can make great lunches and bring the food in to feed You!

Check out our August cover. Im in LOVE with the colors, the food, the photography, the stories, the food, the recipes, THE FOOD! LOL yes Im excited

Photo by John Kernick

I will be making the cover girl - the Lime and Blackberry Italian Meringue Pie - on the air so tune in to see Bon Appetit come alive on screen:

Photo by John Kernick

All EST (all at some point during the hour listed)

Friday July 29th 1am

Friday July 29th Noon

Friday July 29th 2pm

Friday July 29th 6pm

Saturday July 30th 6am

I will be making pies, tarts, a one-pot clambake (YES you have to get the August issue just for this) and a new cold soup you might not have heard of - Salmorejo - great for a hot summer night and much, much more.

Sonoma-Cutrer Celebrates 30 Years of Making Fine Wine

Image from Johnonwine.com

I was recently invited to speak on a panel in honor of Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards, which has been creating estate bottle chardonnay for over thirty years. The Cutrer Vineyard encompasses about 250 acres of the winery's 450 acres in the heart of the Russian River Valley of northern California. Time for a road trip!

The winery is also celebrating its new Winemaking Director, Michael "Mick" Schroeter. Mick is a native Australian and is only the third person to take the helm at the winery, most recently following Terry Adams who retired last fall. Mick will continue to guide the winery in its production of award-winning Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and he let the crowd know that he is not there to shake things up. He intends to maintain the quality and approach the winery is known for.

"It's a privilege to work with this winery and apply my experience to their legacy of success. I look forward to carrying on the Sonoma-Cutrer tradition and following Terry Adam's commitment to excellence," said Schroeter.

The event was held at The French Culinary Institute in NYC, specifically in their International Culinary Center theater, which has hosted many illustrious speakers. Deans Alain Sailhac and Jacques Pepin were in attendance, sitting together in their crisp whites.

Guests from all areas of media and food were greeted with a bar featuring several of the Sonoma-Cutrer wines along with a small buffet set up by the FCI staff with cheeses and charcuterie to complement our beverages. After this brief cocktail party, the panel discussion began, followed with Q&As.

Barbara Fairchild was our fearless moderator, who is currently writing for Nomad Editions. Barbara lent her wealth of knowledge by posing thought provoking and entertaining questions

to the panel which also included

left to right, Raymond Sokolov, (me), Charlie Palmer, Mick Schroeter from Sonoma-Cutrer and Michael Lomonaco.

I had never met Mr. Sokolov before and was terribly excited to meet this man whose works I have read for so long and whose opinion I so highly regarded. I'm please to report that while I had ascribed god-like powers to him, he was extremely approachable, incredibly welcoming, and yes, of course, boundlessly knowledgable. Between the two chef's point of view, Raymond framing things from a historical perspective, me representing the home cook and Mick speaking from a wine maker's perspective, we had a really fun and engaging panel with varied answers to the questions that Barbara brought forth.

We discussed how food and wine has changed over the last 30 years and what and who we felt were the most influential. The Q&A's ran the gamut. And just so you know, both chefs concurred that they do want food sent back, if the diner is not happy....and apparently Palm Springs is the toughest crowd, according to Palmer.

Afterwards, we retired to the school's restaurant where the staff had prepared foods representing the last three decades. Can you guess? While there were at least three offerings for each decade, I will titillate you with what I think were the most iconic: 1980's = Smoked Salmon Pizza; 1990's = Spring Pea Soup in shot glasses; 2000's = Tuna Tartare with Chile-Ponzu. OK, well the 1980's had a tie; there were also the Beggars Purses. As you can imagine the curated choices sparked many a conversation of "remember when...".

Make sure to visit the winery's page HERE to read more about them.

Driscoll's Berries and North Carolina - A Perfect Pair

OK so the trip down to NC was riddled with flight delays, highway traffic and a GPS that said my hotel didnt exist, but the sweet spot emerged when I dug into a bowl of Driscolls blueberries this morning. Sweet, plump, healthy and satisfying, I didnt even reach for the blueberry muffins or parfaits that were also in front of me....just give me the berries by the handful. Today I did a live radio spot on WSJS - we fed the producer and hosts - but there is much more on tap for the next few days. If you are in North Carolina, come on out and say Hi!

North Carolina is the 4th largest blueberry producer and the season starts NOW. For the next month or so the berries are at their peak. Pick up extra and freeze them for future use. The ones you bring home and refrigerate will keep for a week. Rinse right before serving. You can find plenty of recipes at Driscolls, for both sweet and savory dishes. If you have never used blueberries in a savory approach, you are missing out. The Blueberry Couscous Salad with Mango, Onion and Lemon Dressing is quick and a great addition to grilled summer entrees.

Recent research says blueberries might help with memory loss - something I hate to admit I need help with - and they are packed with antioxidants and phytonutrients. At 80 calories a cup, they are a perfect, sweet snack. Kids love them too...and pie? Well, my Nana always made me blueberry pie and in my opinion there is no better breakfast than a wedge of warm pie with a dollop of plain or vanilla Greek yogurt.

Here's my schedule - introduce yourself and lets talk blueberries!

Thursday 5/26

Lowes Food

260 14th Ave NE

Hickory, NC

I will be handing out samples and chatting about local blueberries from 2 - 5pm

Friday 5/27

Lowes Food

2501 Lewisville-Clemmons Rd

New Towne Shopping Center

Clemmons, NC

I will be handing out samples and chatting about local blueberries from 2 - 5pm

Saturday 5/28

Check out the WFMY site for the time my TV segment for Driscolls will air

at 6:35AM tune into WXII-NBC to see some fabulous blueberry recipes brought to life. My favorite Blueberry Tart will be on the set, but you can make it at home.

Lowes Food

3372 Robinwood Rd

Sherwood Plaza Shopping Center

Winston-Salem, NC

I will be handing out samples and chatting about local blueberries from 12 - 3pm

Royal Wedding Desserts

If you missed my Bon Appetit TODAY show segment from this past Monday, check it out HERE.....seriously, the groom's chocolate biscuit cake is Super Easy. Whip it up for a viewing party for this Friday. The recipes, brought to you by the Bon Appetit test kitchens, can be found HERE....and our industrious BA folks also came up for a way to recycle LEFTOVERS by making a Bread Pudding.

Photograph by Mary-Frances Heck, from bonappetit.com

Thursday 4/28 is National Blueberry Pie Day!

Join me on the eve of this delicious day. At 7pm EST I will be chatting live on Facebook for 1 hour courtesy of Driscoll's. Ask me questions, bring me YOUR tips and tricks for the best blueberry pies. Are you a double-crust person? Flour vs. cornstarch vs. tapioca. How about berries...how many cups are in your standard size pie? And what is your favorite pie dish? Start in a high oven and turn it down? There is so much to chat about! Can't wait to hear your questions and ideas and I will gladly share mine.