Go “Back on the Farm” with Gunshow, 5Church and Others at Atlanta History Center’s Smith Family Farm Sept. 22

Urban farmhands, swap shovels for forks and cocktail glasses for the fifth annual “Back on the Farm” fall social at the Smith Family Farm on the grounds of the Atlanta History Center on Friday, Sept. 22. Event executive chef and James Beard Award-winning cookbook author and chef Virginia Willis steers a herd of top chefs, farmers and bartenders preparing for a night of cocktails, lite bites and supper in the Grand Overlook. Gunshow “curator of all things cocktail and cocktail cart conductor” Mercedes O’Brien and 5Church Atlanta lead bartender Keyatta Mincey will be on hand harvesting their own special libations while White Oak Pastures’ Jenni Harris takes her place with the participating farmers. The 6 p.m. event supports the Smith Family Farm, its educational programming for Georgia school children and the newly established 4-H program run in conjunction with UGA Extension at the History Center. Buy tickets online, $225/individual through various sponsorship levels.

#Foodgram

How does Virginia Willis keep a spoon in so many pots with just two hands? Five cookbooks. Food Network. Cooking Channel. Mega-magazine contributing editor and food writer. Missionary to the word that Southern food can be healthy and easily prepared. Help yourself to a “square” meal from her buffet of Instagram pics (https://instagram.com/virginiawillis/). Inevitably, you’ll hunger for more. Her blog awaits. Y’all come.

Check out Virginia Willis Tonight on "Chopped"

As exhilarating as the experience was, Virginia Willis says being a "Chopped" chef-testant was one of the hardest things she's ever done. This coming from one of the South's grand dames of cheffing, a hard worker who has worked her way up through the culinary world since age 16! We're sure Virginia handles the challenges of this high-pressure competition with true southern grace and some fast-thinking chutzpah. We hope you'll join us in cheering her on to victory! The episode premieres tonight at 10 p.m. on the Food Network. 

It's Follow Friday: Meet Our Tweep of the Week @virginiawillis

We don't think Willis actually tweets in her pantry, but she gets fine inspirations as well as ingredients in there.  The rest of the time she's out experiencing the food world and tweeting newly uncovered tidbits of info and events with the rest of us food lovers.  Got a moment?  Fill your coffee mug and sit a spell so you can peruse her blog and shop!

Cookbook Publishing 101 in New Orleans Next Week

Have you ever been told you should write a cookbook? Is it on your bucket list? Now you have a chance to learn how from two experts. And it requires a trip to New Orleans! Doesn't get much better than that.

You've probably seen Virginia Willis' cookbook, "Bon Appétit, Y'all. Recipes and Stories from Three Generations of Southern Cooking" (Ten Speed Press, 2008) around town. It's a beautiful book and has been very successful. One of the key women behind the book is cookbook literary agent and culinary publicist Lisa Ekus. She and Virginia have teamed up to teach "Cookbook Publishing 101" on July 20 at the Southern Food & Beverage Museum in New Orleans. Tuition for the 6 - 9 p.m. class is $199. Read more about the class experience at Cooking From Scratch and register online at the Southern Food & Beverage Museum website.

Maybe one day we'll be writing about your cookbook on our blog!

Reflections from Alisha Bess on the Eat Local Challenge

As you may remember reading, our office took the Eat Local Challenge two weeks ago. We each planned a dinner that used all local ingredients and shared with you (and our flickr friends) the outcome. Well, now we have a guest writer sharing her experience. Alisha Bess is from Whole Foods Market Buckhead and is responsible for organizing the second annual Eat Local Challenge. Below she shares why this challenge was important to her and her overall thoughts on Atlantans eating local...

"It all started last year when I read an article about how writers from a local newspaper decided to eat nothing but local foods for 1 week. After reading about their experiences I was inspired to take the challenge myself. As I started talking to my fellow Whole Foods Market Team Members, we not only decided to do it ourselves, but challenge customers to eat local as well. And thus the Eat Local Challenge was born. This was our 2nd year of the Eat Local Challenge and it was bigger and better. There were so many highlights to this year’s challenge that it’s hard to stay focused on just a few. First, of course, there’s the food. The number and variety of delicious food treasures across Georgia could keep the most advanced culinary mind tantalized for days. It was a pleasure for my team and I to compile recipes to help people along the challenge. Our own writings, in addition to recipes generously contributed from local chef/writer Virginia Willis and various local producers gave us more recipes than we could include!

"In addition to the amazing recipes, this year’s challenge showed me a community more engaged in the local food movement. The awareness of gas prices on food prices has really impacted pockets and awakened consumers’ minds about where food comes from. Not to mention the recent food recalls and the abundance of information about the down right scary things that occur in some food production has no longer made words like “irradiation,” “pesticides” or “animal byproduct” a mystery. Never before have I heard more people say “I already eat as much local as possible. Between Whole Foods and the farmer’s markets, this is where I do all my shopping.”
"Whole Foods Market has always been a big proponent of eating local and supporting the farmers and producers who put their hearts into making the most delicious foods around. And now it is starting to make sense to others. And by others, I mean the tons of other retailers who have jumped on the local bandwagon. Local is the new organic. And as we know, trends sell.

"So although we may not have had tons of people sign up for the challenge, we were able to engage and continue the conversation about the ease and importance of eating local. So to the Georgia newcomer, who has never been blessed with fresh pasta from Via Elisa, mouthwatering beef from Harris Family Heritage Beef, creamy chevre from Sweet Grass Dairy, sipped one of Georgia’s award-winning wines, or had peaches, tomatoes, squash or any other amazing Georgia foods-wake up and embrace what it really means to be Georgia-grown."

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.