What Does Virginia Willis Do On A Girl's Night Out?

She shares her flair and signs Bon Appetit, Y'all at Whole Foods Markets and Harry's Farmers Market!

Virginia Willis wants to do something she loves when she snags a girl’s night out or two: talk about Southern cooking, show how it’s done, and pass on the word through her new cookbook so fellow Southern food lovers can carry out and carry on! Bon Appétit, Y’all: Recipes and Stories From Three Generations of Southern Cooking ($32.50) gathers recipes passed down from Virginia Willis’ grandmother and mother and adds plenty of Willis’ own flair as a French-trained chef, food writer, kitchen director for Martha Stewart Living Television and executive director for The Discovery Channel’s Epicurious! The cookbook is flying off the shelves, but you can catch a copy and have it signed at the following Whole Foods Market and Harry’s Farmers Market locations this week. Still struggling to find the perfect Mother's Day gift? Now's your chance, do Mom proud!

Thursday, May 8 - Whole Foods Market in Duluth-Johns Creek
If you have an hour, come from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. for Virginia’s book signing and recipe tasting. Two hours? Join Virginia from 7 – 9 p.m. in Salud! Cooking & Lifestyle School as she prepares gougère with Georgia goat cheese, fettuccine with mushrooms and country ham, quail with red wine sauce, and peach cobbler with bourbon crème fraîche. $60 per person; includes signed copy of Bon Appétit, Y’all. Harry’s Farmers Market in Alpharetta: 1180 Upper Hembree Road; 770-664-6300. Whole Foods Market in Duluth-Johns Creek: 5945 State Bridge Road; 678-514-2400.

Wednesday, May 7 at 7 p.m. - Whole Foods Market in Sandy Springs
Saturday, May 10 at 2 p.m. - Whole Foods Market in Buckhead
Purchase Bon Appétit, Y’all and Virginia Willis will sign your copy! Whole Foods Market in Sandy Springs: 5930 Roswell Road; 404-236-0810. Whole Foods Market in Buckhead: 77 West Paces Ferry Road; 404-324-4100.

Let No Teacher be Left Behind...Chipotle Marks National Teacher Appreciation Day With Free Food for Educators and School Faculty

Teachers have enough apples and chalk to last a lifetime but Chipotle Mexican Grill knows what they really want: free food. Tuesday, May 6 is National Teacher Appreciation Day, and educators, administrators and school faculty across Atlanta should prepare to be grilled by the staff at Chipotle Mexican Grill. The burrito- making experts behind Chipotle counters are giving you a few hours to decide on your answer: Will it be grilled chicken, tender marinated steak, savory pork carnitas, succulent barbacoa beef or purely vegetarian fillings in your FREE taco, burrito, salad or bowl.

I have told all of my friends that spend their days shaping the minds of today's youth to stop by any of the 12 Atlanta-area Chipotle restaurants from 3 - 8 p.m. today and show their staff ID to receive a free taco, burrito, salad or bowl. Chipotle uses only hormone-free, naturally raised meats, rBGH hormone-free dairy products, organically grown beans and sustainably grown veggies, fresh salsa and house-made guac to fill its customers!

Vita Begins Tuesday Wine Tastings TODAY

The April showers have passed (for the most part) and now it's time to enjoy this great weather we're having. The new VITA in Buckhead is celebrating the lovely weather with Tuesday Wine Tastings beginning today. It’s just too darn gorgeous outside to keep those wines holed up in the cellar! From 5 to 7 p.m. each Tuesday evening, VITA guests can try 5-6 wines and hors d’oeuvres for $15. Since I was out of town this past weekend, I'll be catching up with the girls on the patio after work. Hope to see you there!

This month, VITA brings Australian wines up from down under for your taste trip in a glass. 2110 Peachtree Road; 404-367-8482.

Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show

I had fun at the Metro Cooking show this weekend at the Galleria. It was like a big trade show of gourmet foods and new food products. Among my favorite nibbles was some cinammon/nutmeg peanut butter from a company in Roswell - it's call Chet's and the best part is that it comes in a squeeze bottle! I also really liked Heaters jalapeno-infused peanuts - yummy and spicy.

There was all sorts of entertainment and cooking demos. While I didn't get a glimpse of Paula Deen nor her two cute sons (drat!), I did get a good seat for Gerry Klaskala's demo of "the best meatballs you've ever had." They were made with veal, pork, beef and ricotta cheese - YUM. They really were outstanding - if you want the recipe, let me know and I'll post it. As usual, Gerry was a crowd pleaser, answering general cooking questions like "how do I know which olive oil to buy?" "what's the secret to great marinara?" and "why are these meatballs better than my mom's?" He told the group all about Canoe and Aria and I feel sure he'll have some new guests there soon!

I was also delighted to stop by the Three Sisters booth. These crazy local Atlanta girls are so successful! Their POP product samples were gone - again. They had refilled four times! It's no wonder - it's delish and their booth was so attractive that it practically drew people over like a magnet.

I didn't know what to expect since this is the first time this show was here in Atlanta. But it was a lot of fun. I'd definitely go back.

Me, Tom Colicchio and a Taste of the Nation

Oh yes, that is me and celeb chef Tom Colicchio standing arm in arm at last night's Taste of the Nation event at the Georgia Aquarium. Talk about a good time! This was the 20th anniversary of this event, and every year it is a huge funraiser for Share Our Strength.

There were more than 50 of Atlanta's best restaurants present last night, and the food was exceptional. Some of the most memorable dishes for me were The Globe's green curry & coconut soup shooter, Aria's housemade pork schnitzel with tomato ginger jam, Beleza's tuna & watermelon skewer, and, my favorite, Craft's braised pork lettuce wraps.

Now, I know what you really want to know is, where was honorary guest chef Tom Colicchio during this full-house event? He was standing at Craft's table all night, shaking hands, taking photos and serving up lettuce wraps. He even auctioned off his chef's coat from the evening. Poor man must have been asked a million times if Richard Blais will win this season's Top Chef. Chef Colicchio held his tongue and didn't give away any secrets.

The evening ended with a exceptional live auction. The highest auctioned item was a special Atlanta Chef's dinner for 11 at home. The dinner included the participation of some of Atlanta's most darling chefs - Gerry Klaskala, Gary Mennie, Carvel Grant Gould, etc. The bidding got so high that the chefs actually huddled on stage, mid-bid, and declared they were changing the dinner from 11 guests to 14. Then Ted Turner, honorary chairperson for this year's event, chimed in and offered to match the top bid. In the end, the dinner went for $17,000! Incredible!

Virginia Willis Picks up Pan and Pen at Cook’s Warehouse - Midtown for Bon Appétit, Y'all Book Signing

As a California girl to the bone, I am much more likely to say “dude” than “y’all,” but I have to confess -- I have been enamored with Southern cooking since the first day I relocated to Atlanta. Synonymous with Southern hospitality, Southern food is all about making oneself at home with a plate of food; which is something I can definitely dig my fork into! As I continue to develop my skills as a weekend cook, I love to chat and swap recipes with others who have the same passion for Southern food as I have. That’s why I was so excited to hear that the author of my new favorite cookbook is coming to the Cook’s Warehouse.

Y’all come, now! Virginia Willis will sign her much anticipated new cookbook, Bon Appétit, Y'all: Recipes and Stories from Three Generations of Southern Cooking (Ten Speed Press 2008) and engage in cooking demos at Cook’s Warehouse – Midtown on Friday, May 2 from 7 – 9 p.m. Such multi-tasking comes easily to the former producer for “Martha Stewart Living” and “Epicurious” television shows. Why buy this southern cookbook? Alton Brown sums it up best, “Although her food is undeniably southern, it comes across as international, universal even. Other than Patricia Wells and Marcella Hazan, I cannot think of another cook who has managed to pull this off."

Come taste, talk, and take home an autographed copy (hint, Mother’s Day is May 11) . . . you may even win a copy as a prize during the evening’s raffle. Music, entertainment and tastings are a given. $25 per person; proceeds benefit the Les Dames d'Escoffier Scholarship fund and the Atlanta Community Food Bank. Click here to register. Cook’s Warehouse – Midtown is located at 549-I Amsterdam Avenue, NE; 404-815-4993.

Already “booked” this Friday night? Stay tuned! We’re in the know as to where and when Willis will be signing this gem again, and we'll never let you down!