When Cork & Knife catches up with Gary Vaynerchuk, star of Wine Library TV, he is in Las Vegas at a tea expo (just try explaining that one to your grandma). He notes, as we begin to chat, that there are interesting similarities between tea and wine. This is more proof to us that this person's hunger for knowledge just doesn't stop. (read more)

This column was going to be about asparagus. But isn't that the beauty of the open-air market? We arrive with shopping lists and preconceived notions, and what do we encounter? Lynne Rossetto Kasper, voice of the NPR weekly show for those of us who love to eat. (read more)

I'm definitely coming late to this party, but I just read Phoebe Damrosch's Service Included, an enjoyable book about the author's time working as a back server and captain at Thomas Keller's Per Se in New York. (read more)

"Vayniacs" will no doubt be pleased to know that video wine blogger Gary Vaynerchuk will soon bring his picking personality to bookstores everywhere. His "101 Wines" book is slated to be published in mid-May and should please current fans and find new ones as well. (read more)

What does it mean to be a chef? At the most basic level, the word connotes an air of professionalism in the preparation of food for other people. Beyond just skill, a chef possesses a dedication to the craft that the best cooks, even the ones who cook for a living, cannot muster. (read more)

Food and sex, sex and food. Are there any two subjects so fascinating to us voyeurs, so intricately intertwined? (read more)

Have you ever wanted to create your own cookbook, either with your own recipes or your favorite ones from other sources?  If so, you may find the just-launched TasteBook service to be of interest.  This web site takes the index... (read more)

Amy Sedaris’ I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence is about food the same way “Field of Dreams” is about baseball. In Kevin Costner’s film, the National Pastime is a vehicle for exploring family relationships. In Sedaris’ book, food is the gateway to an explanation of a philosophy of entertaining. Recipes take a back seat to advice on how to counsel a grieving neighbor or host a rich uncle. (read more)

Since 2000, Holly Hughes has edited an annual anthology of excellent articles, columns, book excerpts, and blog posts about food and drink.  Appropriately titled Best Food Writing, these books provide a sampling of entertaining, informative, and provocative food authors from... (read more)

Julia Child influenced how countless Americans cook and eat. Two new biographies shed light on the master of French cuisine. One takes you behind the scenes with Julia from the eyes of one of her assistants, while the other offers an objective, well-written look at her life. (read more)

In the days after the tragic events of September 11, 2001, Adam Roberts -- like most Americans -- sought to escape the haunting images repeated hourly on the TV news, even if only for a moment. He started to cook. Six years later, he has a successful blog called The Amateur Gourmet and just recently published a book by the same name. He helps demystify cooking in and dining out for friends and readers alike, and visits Cork & Knife to answer our questions – and yours! (read more)

Like a good flight of wine at the tasting room, Best Food Writing 2006 allows you to sample some of the finest writing about food from the year’s vintage. It may introduce you to new writers and publications. It will surely inform you about chefs, restaurants, and ideas you might have otherwise overlooked. And it includes lots of great entertainment. (read more)

PBS recently launched a new series focusing on the stories of 27 prominent chefs around the country.  Although the "Chef's Story" show itself is unavailable for viewing in many parts of the nation, a companion book of the same title... (read more)