Here’s a mix of songs from D. that will get you in the holiday spirit without making you feel like you’re trapped in an elevator with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Another good Christmas album, not available on iTunes, is Kindercore Christmas Two, an $8.99 download on Amazon. It includes the Kings of Convenience singing an a cappella version of the traditional Norwegian hymn “Deilig Er Jorden” and other rare finds.

She’s not just a proponent of fresh, organic food for all, she’s also a Radiohead fan. Who knew?

It’s definitely worth listening to Alice Waters’ guest DJ set on KCRW, if only to be hypnotized by her surprisingly sexy voice intoning, over Nina Simone’s “I Want a Little Sugar in my Bowl”:

It’s a beautiful sensual song, and I am always trying to get people to open up and to touch and to taste and to smell and really engage in a different way with food…. I play it when I’m cooking in the kitchen and it’s so beautiful and so deep in its sensual appeal.

Put out the fire! Other highlights: bribing a taxi driver with dinner at Chez Panisse, dancing in the kitchen to David Byrne, going to a peace march in Berkeley, and other zany facts you never knew about her.

KCRW: Alice Waters – Guest DJ Project

Here’s an October mix of some of the best new songs coming out and a few rediscovered classics. Favorite sources include KCRW, the recent Fever Ray concert, the Where the Wild Things Are soundtrack and more. It has already accompanied us on several very long weekend drives, and we’re still not sick of it!

Dozens of NYC’s top chefs gathered on Sunday to turn out their best meatballs for the Meatball Madness event. A $5,000 prize was at stake, with proceeds from the event benefitting the Food Bank for New York City and Share Our Strength.

Here’s one sample of the deliciousness: Joey Campanaro’s meatball sliders for Little Owl. More meatballs and a video of the winner, after the jump. Continue reading…

Perhaps the most controversial part of the NYC Wine & Food Festival is the reason it exists at all: The Grand Tasting mixes mass-market sponsors like ShopRite, Barilla and Skyy Spirits with upmarket chefs like Amanda Cohen of Dirt Candy and Jason Neroni of 10 Downing. (Sponsors – can’t cook with ‘em, can’t eat without ‘em.) Fortunately, any umbrage guests might have taken at the commercial nature of this festival was offset by tons of tasty food and wines by Joseph Carr, Antinori, Chalk Hill and more.

photo via Marie Fromage

Marie Fromage headed into the fray this past Saturday to sample ocean trout tartar from 10 Downing, house-smoked meat stew from Inside Park at St. Bart’s, and coffee glazed pork belly from Yerba Buena Perry – all while scoring a free nail file courtesy of… Aruba?

Marie Fromage: New York City Food & Wine Festival