| Food Network Launches 'Gourmet Next Door'
The star of Food Network's new show “Gourmet Next Door" literally could have been next door a year ago. The program is hosted by Amy Finley, who was the season-three winner of “The Next Food Network Star." Other “Next Food Network Stars" are on the menu in other shows on the channel. “The Gourmet Next Door" is scheduled to premiere Sunday, Oct. 14, at noon as part of the network's “In the Kitchen" daytime lineup. In the show, Ms. Finley demonstrates how easy living a gourmet life can be with time-saving tips and tricks for turning everyday meals into feasts and mixing flavors from abroad with favorites at home. Ms. Finley is an avid traveler who attended culinary school and wrote a travel book about Italy. In addition to writing, she is a stay-at-home mom who lives with her husband and two children in San Diego.
Back-to-school orientation meeting dates announced
Students in Penn-Trafford School District have 12 more days of freedom. School opens on Monday, Aug. 27. Bus schedules will be posted on Monday at the schools and on the Web site, http://penntrafford.org. This year, the bus contractor is Laidlaw, which replaced Student Transportation of America. .
Meals Offer New Details To Digest
Loudoun County's school cafeteria food is about to get a closer inspection from parents this year, as the school system publishes ingredients for every item on the menu. The 34-page list of nutritional content is intended to inform parents of students with food allergies, religious dietary restrictions and other concerns. .
An outdoor feast for our farmers
Local farmers will take the spotlight Aug. 26 at the third annual "Incredible Feast," where 22 growers team with 22 chefs to make 22 meals. Chefs will include Scott Staples of Restaurant Zoë, Seth Caswell of Stumbling Goat Bistro and Taichi Kitamura of Chiso. Farmers and fishermen include Kittitas Valley Greenhouse, Fishing Vessel St. Jude, Rent's Due Ranch, Pipitone Farms and Tonnemaker Family Orchard. The event, which includes live music, country-fair-style games and prizes, is the brainchild of Brasa chef Tamara Murphy and takes place outdoors at the Phinney Neighborhood Center, 6532 Phinney Ave. N. It aims to raise awareness of local family farms, support local farmers markets and raise money for a disaster-relief fund for area farmers in need. Tickets are $50 per adult and $10 for children 12 and under.
Desi Dialogues
If I cherished one special day during the year, besides my birthday, it was the New Year - not Jan. 1, but a day in August when members of my tiny Zoroastrian community in Mumbai, India, celebrated the beginning of their calendar year. Colloquially referred as Parsi New Year, the day was extra-special as community members, the Parsis, party all day long. One prime reason that this day was special is that unlike the scores of Hindu festivals, which are an all-year-round affair, our community celebrates only two others in the year. Navroze, a celebration of spring equinox, and Khodadsal, the birthday of our prophet Zarathusthtra. You see, our forefathers landed in India in the eighth century after fleeing the Arab invasion in Persia, refusing to leave their Zoroastrian religion, which is said to be one of the world's oldest monotheistic religions, founded around 1200 B.C.
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