Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

I recently saw Bobby Dean at a book signing here in Austin. He will be a food correspondent on the show, and according to him, the show will not focus primarily on food. It will be similar to The View, minus the heavy political talk.

Thanks for all the great ideas!

@heddylamar The recipe I made produced about 4 cups for the 6 of us.

La Boca is great for tapas and one of my favorite restaurants in Santa fe, but it's small and romantic, probably not for kids. Harry's or Bobcate Bite are iconic restaurants, a few minutes outside of town that are great family-friendly options. If you're looking for brunch, try Chocolate Maven bakery and cafe which is an obscure warehouse, but it's cute once inside, and they have a nice menu. They also have a window where you can watch them bake pastries every day of the week. Your kids will enjoy watching. Hope this helps!

Well the way you described them @donnacarpentier, yes cake balls do sound gross. Must not have gone very far with your google search though because there are plenty of foodies out there baking cake balls from scratch the right way. The Holy Cacao Trailer and Austin Cake Balls are two local companies here in Austin that bake pretty outstanding balls.

Okra

One the Hudson's on the Bend Cookbooks (published a few years ago) describes a beer cooler method similar to this one. Chef Jeff Blank suggests submerging a vacuum sealed grilled or smoked piece of meat in heated oil stored in a beer cooler. He describes it as the best method for pre-cooking and storing meat because like sous vide, the oil keeps the meat at a constant temperature, which prevents overcooking.

machellebelle: Thanks for the tip. After I started doing more research, I realized the dinner could include other Asian cultures. I love Vietnemese and Koren bbq so that'll be a nice addition.

Didn't mean to offend anyone with the "god awful commercialized vday" line. I am in a relationship, as well as most of the friends I'm inviting, but I hate how restaurants can over charge on a holiday that was created by greeting card companies. I'm all for romance, flowers, and spending time with someone special, but I'd rather it be on a random day, when it's not forced. I am including hearts in my Lunar New Year dinner though!

I found my favorite foodie spot while visting the city last March. In Greenwich Village, my friend and I stumbled upon Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks, a vintage cookbook store where you can find all the classics and a great collection of Junior League books (my favorite.)

Here are my Santa Fe suggestions. I lived there for a year, and made it my business to know where good food was served.

Chocolate Maven: I used to work there. I love their carrot cake cupcakes, chocolate croissants, and they offer a tasty brunch on the weekends.

La Boca: A Spanish tapas restaurant by James Campbell that's to die for! I actually got engaged here, and even though that didn't last, I'm still thinking about the meal.

Clafoutis: A great French bakery that offers delicious lunch options.

Harry's Roadhouse: A classic joint on the outskirts of town that serves up good food and rotates specials.

Bobcat Bite: Also a bit out of Santa Fe, but they make a mean burger. Has often made some of the top national burger lists, but if you don't feel like making the trip. I was a sucker for Blake's Lottaburger.

For more suggestions, check out the SF Reporter. I really respect their food writers' opinions.

I only made it through 30 seconds; I couldn't take it anymore.

@ mr. guy: your girlfriend is hilarious.

I'm surprised Cooking for Real wasn't mentioned in his memo. It's ranks high on the terrible scale, right up there with Sandra Lee's show. I do however enjoy Ace of Cakes; I find their laid-back attitude amusing, but it's the only entertaining cake show.

My North America choice is a 5 day food tour of the Pacific Northwest that includes Vancouver, Seattle, and Portland. My abroad pick is a serious food binge in Morocco.

water balloons = genius