International Home + Housewares and a Giveaway!

Elly
Mar 18, 2008 at 7:27 PM
29 comments

This weekend, my friend Joelen invited me to tag along with her to the International Home + Housewares Show here in Chicago. Being that "home and housewares" = food, I definitely couldn't turn down that opportunity! Joelen and I got to sample tons of great food, see some new, innovative kitchen products and meet a few celebrity chefs. We also snagged some free stuff and a lot of trade magazines.

We were able to meet and get (free) cookbooks signed by Cat Cora (Cooking from the Hip), Todd English (The Figs Table) and Curtis Stone (Cooking with Curtis). All seemed really nice but Curtis was my favorite. He was seriously hilarious! After Cat realized I was Greek, she let me know she had dinner with Nia Vardalos that weekend. Greeks unite! Hah.

As a bonus, we got Pam Anderson's The Perfect Recipe cookbook for free, too. I also hung around Joelen as she got a book signed by Rocco DiSpirito, who was a lot friendlier and warmer than I imagined, to be honest. And did I mention gorgeous? *swoon* Although the line to meet Alton Brown and get his Gear for Your Kitchen book was ridiculously long (and they ran out), I did see Alton on my way to the bathroom so I said hello to him, as well. I *heart* Alton.

Cookbook Giveaway!

To spread the love, I want to give away an extra cookbook that I was given (not autographed): Cat Cora's Cooking from the Hip. So, if you are interested in the Iron Chef's cookbook, please comment on this post by Sunday night. On Monday morning, I will randomly select a comment to win the book. Please be sure to leave your email address or blog URL if I don't already "know" you so that I have a way to be in contact if you're the winner!

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Um. Yes, I'd love to add another book to my collection! : )

Elly, so sweet of you! I'd love a copy of this book! Consider me entered!

i am so jealous that you live somewhere with such cool events! and i'm a total cookbook junkie so you can count me in!

Yay Elly! What a great idea, and so generous of you!

Thanks so much for having the giveaway!

I would love the cookbook!

Curtis is really nice....He has certainly made a name for himself in the US. Great giveaway Elly...very generous f you.

Oh, I would have loved to go to that show! I was just in Chicago, too, last week. Great give-away idea!

Sounds like you had so much fun!!
::crossing my fingers::

Ok, I'm not entering in the contest (because I know there are people out there who would make MUCH better use of the cookbook than I), but I HAD to comment because for me, watching 'Take Home Chef' is almost like watching porn. That adorable, sexy Curtis and food! Who could ask for a better combination???!!! And he's NOT my type, generally speaking. I love those tall dark haired Italian or Greek looking men. Ahhhhh....now I'm hungry. :-)

Wow! Sounded like you had fun at the event!

I'd love to enter the contest! Thanks so much for your generosity.

[this is good]

I didn't even realize this was going on, and I live in Chicago! Damnit!

Well, if it was last week/this week, I have a good excuse as I had food surgery. Otherwise, I don't have a good excuse =P

I did get to meet Mario Batalli at Fox and Obel though!! Super friendly guy! I think it would be cool to meet all of those other chefs. Rocco cooked a really great meal for Biggest Loser: Couples using Quinoa that I've been meaning to try. Have you cooked with that before?

I love your posts, btw. The anecdotes are great with the recipes :)

That's an awesome idea. And a very sweet one as well. I'd love a chance in your drawing as well.

[this is good]

How cool that you got to meet them!

Hey Elly,

I'm jealous that we don't have big events like this over here! Sounds like you had a great time!

Ruth

Cat Cora is one of my fave Iron Chef's...she is a woman afterall. We don't have any of these events here in our neck of the woods...but we do have an event coming up at the end of the month!!!

Hi Elly! Sounds like and Joelen had a fabulous time, I'm jealous! Maybe I will get some of the love :)

ced, you crack me up! I have to say that I was not the world's biggest fan of Take Home Chef (not that I don't like him but the premise and the women kind of freak me out, lol) but now that I've met him, I will definitely be watching more! *rawr*

Elly replied to Everyone Loves an Irish Girl’s comment:
Mar 19, 2008
Reply

Hey Irish! Good to know that Batali is a nice guy. Something about the orange clogs makes him seem that way. Heh. I have cooked with quinoa before. Here is a super basic recipe: http://ellysaysopa.vox.com/library/post/lickity-split-lebanese.html. You can also just sub it for rice in something like a veggie pilaf, or even in a soup in place of barley. It's versatile and good!