October 18th I attended the NYC Wine and Food Festival with my husband and had a fantastic time.  ‘Foodies’ are warm, fun people…when you add a little free wine, it is quite a party!

Upon arrival Ludo was posing and smiling with fans.  Since I find his grumpiness endearing, I asked him to stop smiling and give a scowl and he obliged.   He let me know that starting this December, I can get my Ludo grumpy fix by watching the next season of ‘The Taste’, can’t wait.

We visited some great booths of all natural products and drinks that I will cover in future posts.  Lots of great finds, from globally sourced ingredients to all natural dressings great for marinades to lovely loose teas and pre-made cookie doughs (without any preservatives or chemicals, that’s a first!)  I also sampled some wonderfully smooth domestic and imported wines.

My husband and I enjoyed the demos, and I had 2 opportunities to chat with an inspiration of mine, Paula Deen.  She looked amazing ya’ll!

I explained to her that in my forties I am just starting down the  road as a cookbook author, and I often think of how she started out later in life, and did so well, paving the way for others.  She shared with me the secret of ‘never giving up’, and I am happy she never did.  She also generously let me know that she was 54 years old the very first time she was on TV.  She seems very kind and such a dynamic force of nature!

Michael Simon, another absolute favorite of mine from The Chew, did a demo and book signing.  I love that he cooks from his Greek heritage.

I asked his advice for how to become successful in this industry, and his comments were similar to what I have been trying to convey in this site – to cook from the heart, keeping family memories and traditions alive through passionate cooking.  I think that is why I find him so engaging, because his love of family shines through.  He is a kind, generous, down to Earth guy in person.

I left the festival pumped, and can’t wait to continue to share my family’s recipes with you, and keep cooking up a storm.

Deidre