Farm-to-table restaurants across the country (and beyond!)–and coffee roasters like Blue Bottle–will be donating a portion of their proceeds from dinner on Saturday, August 27th to local school garden programs in their own communities as part of the eating for education campaign. If you aren’t planning to cook at home that night, eat out for education at one of the restaurants listed on the Eating for Education website! It’s all part of the Chez Panisse 40th birthday celebration and Edible Schoolyard benefit series.

Cochon Heritage Fire in Napa on August 13th was an Epicuring extravaganza for lovers of heritage meats, with sweaty chefs, hot fires and great wines and beers. Everyone who knows me is well aware this is my favorite food event of the year. Susie and I headed up to St. Helena on Saturday to be a part of the third annual meat and fire fest now known as Cochon Heritage Fire, and previously aka Primal Napa. The setting was Charles Krug winery –a historic property –that is a picture perfect setting for fire cooking alongside the vineyards, with the Greystone at the Culinary Institute of America as a backdrop. Check out…

By Victoria Rabiner, Epicurator If you listen carefully for the inspiration behind almost every  “grown-up” chef, home cook or foodie, you’ll hear a kids voice and a story about childhood connection to food – either in the kitchen with mom, grandma, on the family farm or in a family-owned restaurant. Like sponges, kids soak up their surroundings, learning through doing and developing a life long respect and joy for food  — whether it be cooking, eating, growing or creating – it sticks. And it all starts with a little exposure. Here’s a roundup of our favorite culinary “summer camps” for youth. A place to start — get them engaged, connected…