It's Follow Friday; Meet Our Tweep of the Week @cookswarehouse

From premier gourmet cookware and chef tools to a-ha moment classes and necessities for novices, Atlantans know they can turn to The Cook's Warehouse.  

Turns out you can follow them on Twitter at @cookswarehouse, too!  The Cook's Warehouse Owner Mary Moore unleashes volumes of info -- in tweets of 140 characters or less -- on classes, informative links, entertaining ideas, recipes and so on.  

We recently followed her tweets to find "10 Signs You're Wasting Money on Food," "Martha Stewart's 21 favorite Hanukkah recipes" and "The 7 best doughnut shops in America."  

Even on Twitter, The Cook's Warehouse lives up to its mission of providing "every excuse to cook!" 

Entertaining Made Easy with Gena Knox and Salud! Cooking School

Join Gena Knox for a demonstration and book signing at Salud! Cooking School at Harry's Farmers Market in Alpharetta on Tuesday, December 14.  Knox will prepare some of her favorite recipes from her new cookbook "Southern My Way:  Simple Recipes, Fresh Flavors."   

She has selected recipes that are perfect for entertaining, whether for New Year's Eve or a fun weekend get together and will show students how to easily entertain at home from start to finish.   On the menu are manchego-stuffed dates, an orange-avocado salad with poppyseed dressing, shrimp and artichoke bake with creamy stone-ground grits and milk flips, a frozen vanilla ice cream drink with brandy.  Register for the 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. demonstration online; cost is $39 per person.  

Harry's Farmers Market - Alpharetta: 1180 Upper Hembree Road; 770-664-6300.

It’s time to cheer – they’ve been here one year: It’s Ormsby’s anniversary!

My how time flies!  It’s been one year since Ormsby’s hit the Atlanta scene, and now your favorite Westside tavern is inviting you to help celebrate their anniversary!  There will be a limited open bar, a tasting station, plus special Ormsby's giveaways for lucky guests.  So come out this Sunday, December 12 from 6 – 7 p.m. and join in on the gifts and good times!  We’ll see you there!

Ormsby's:  1170 Howell Mill Road, NW; 404-968-2033.

Our Weekend Agenda: Cooking Demo with Chef Kevin Gillespie

We like a good surprise as well as anyone, so we're not peeking or passing on hints as to what Woodfire Grill Executive Chef/Co-owner and "Top Chef" star Kevin Gillespie will be preparing during his Piedmont Park Green Market demo on Saturday, December 11. 

Look for him from 11 a.m. until noon inside the Community Center.  Our plan: come with a hot java, shop a bit and then warm up while we watch Gillespie dole out culinary wit, wisdom and magic!

More and More, Gifts Cards Galore!

Can't decide what to get family and friends for the holidays? Luckily for you Atlanta restaurants are offering bonuses on their gift cards when purchased by Friday, December 31. Now you can gift the bonus or tuck it away for yourself...it will be our little secret.

Aqua blue has a gift with purchase -- a $20 bonus card with any gift card purchase of $100 or more. Davio's Northern Italian Steakhouse is giving guests a $20 bonus card for any gift card purchase of $100 or more. Fifth Group Restaurants® is adding a 20 percent value to all gift card purchases of $100 or more. Choose to add the extra value to the card purchased or put it on a separate card. Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar is offering guests a $20 bonus card for any gift card purchase of $100 or more. Use your bonus card from January 1 through February 10. Visit any of the seven Marlow's Tavern locations around metro Atlanta to purchase gift cards and receive a $20 bonus card for any gift card purchase of $100 or more. Pacci Ristorante is giving guests the gift of a good deed with its gift card offer. The Midtown restaurant is making a difference by donating 10 percent of each gift card purchase to the HIV/AIDS service organization H.E.R.O. for Children's (Hearts Everywhere Reaching Out for Children, Inc.) "Gifts for a Cure" program. RA Sushi keeps the theme rolling, tossing in a $10 bonus card for every $50 in gift cards purchased. Bonus cards may be used from January 2 through March 31. Ray's Restaurants is giving guests a bonus dining card worth 20 percent of the value of their purchased gift card. Spice Market, located inside the W Atlanta Midtown, is giving guests a complimentary copy of Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten's latest cookbook, "Asian Flavors of Jean-Georges," when they make a gift card purchase of $100 or more. Uncle Julio's Fine Mexican Food is giving a $10 reward card for every $50 in gift cards purchased. Use reward cards from January 1 through February 28.

Atkins Park Smyrna Breaks Up the Week With "Wine Down Wednesdays"

Every Wednesday, Atkins Park Tavern in Smyrna is giving you the chance to enjoy a collection of distinctive wines by the bottle for half off the regular price. The new "Wine Down Wednesday" special is an great way to discover new favorites without breaking the bank. Wines and special prices include: Apothic Red ($19) tastes like chocolate-covered cherries in a glass; Bridlewood Pinot Noir ($20) promotes dark fruit flavors with a hint of vanilla and a smooth, lingering finish; Lamarca Prosecco ($20) sparkles with fresh citrus and honey on the nose; Maso Canali Pinot Grigio ($25) plays up lemon and fresh apple notes with a long, clean finish; and William Hill Chardonnay ($19) hints of vanilla and toasted oak with a well-balanced flavor and a concentrated finish. For savvy savers who like to sip popular wines, "Wine Down Wednesday" is the perfect way to treat friends to a night out.

Atkins Park Tavern - Smyrna: Market Village, 2840 Atlanta Road; 770-435-1887.

Get a Taste of Mike Lata's Cuisine at JCT. Kitchen This Thursday!

Get ready to start smacking your lips over the menu for this year’s last “Farm to Table and Back” quarterly guest chef dinner at JCT. Kitchen & Bar. Mike Lata (pictured at right) of FIG in Charleston, S.C. will be Ford Fry’s guest chef for the Thursday, December 9 dinner that totally benefits Georgia Organics (not to mention your mouth).

The four-course prix fixe menu with wine pairings begins with an amuse-bouche of farro arancini with pimento cheese. The first course brings Caw Caw Creek pork “pozole,” a soup with fresh hominy, radish, cilantro and finger limes. Next comes sheep’s milk ricotta gnocchi with Charleston stone crab and white truffle. Lata continues with Low Country-inspired salt-crusted black grouper with pumpkin seed gremolata and butternut squash romesco before moving into a dessert of Carolina Gold rice pudding with citrus salad and vanilla. The featured dinner cost is $75 per person, and 100 percent of the proceeds are going to Georgia Organics.

To join in the fun, call JCT. Kitchen at 404-355-2252 and reserve the special “Farm to Table and Back” menu, which is available during regular 5 – 10p.m. dinner hours. Everyone at the table must order the special menu, so be sure to check with your dinner guests. JCT. Kitchen & Bar is located in Atlanta’s Westside Urban Market at 1198 Howell Mill Road, Suite 18; 404-355-2252.