If it weren't for the rows of mustard blanketing the vineyards and plum blossoms lining the streets, I wouldn't believe March could be here already. But I'm ready . . . and excited to share this news with you.

On the Newsstands
I've got two features out this month. One is an in-depth primer on whole grains in the March issue of Prevention with recipes like Quinoa and Corn Griddle Cakes with Black Bean Salsa and Yogurt Parfait with Bulgur, Cherries and Almonds. The other, on slow cooking, is in the March issue of Cooking Light and includes dishes like Asian-Spiced Veal Shanks and Curried Beef Short Ribs, named one of the favorite recipes of the issue. In fact, I was honored to have two of my recipes included in Cooking Light's recent list of their "20 Best Recipes of All-Time" (Beef Daube Provencal and Cornflake-Crusted Halibut with Chile-Cilantro Aioli).

In Person
On March 24th, I'll be moderating a panel on food prices, health and access to food at the inaugural Food Systems and Sustainability Symposium at UC Davis. The symposium's goal is to bring together leading scholars to engage with the media, politicians, and other leaders and stakeholders in the food and agriculture sectors to build a plan of action moving forward. I'm thrilled to be playing a part in such a momentous event and look forward to reporting on it both online and in print. In early April, I'll be speaking in Denver at the International Association of Culinary Professionals' annual conference as an expert on building your brand, and later in the month in New York City about how to break into magazines.

In the Kitchen
Also in April, I'll be teaching a course on how to make pasta at Relish Culinary Center (which was just featured in O Magazine!). Way back when, my husband and I were going to open an artisanal pasta shop here in Healdsburg. Which meant going to Italy to "study," of course (I wrote about the trip here). I learned how to roll sfoglie from nonnas and how to stuff tortellini from chefs (I was even accused of having a distinctly Bolognese flair to my tucks when we were in Romagna). In this class, I'll be teaching dishes like Farfalle with Prosciutto and Asparagus and Mezzalunas with Ricotta, Pancetta and Chard. Donna has also just signed me on for three other courses this summer--A Greek Grilling Feast; Less Meat, More Flavor; and Summer Salads. More details on those to come.

Online
In the meantime, construction of the Nourish Network is well under way while I finalize the business and marketing plans. A soft launch is planned for April, with a full-on take-off in mid- to late-May. Stay tuned . . . and go to www.nourishnetwork.com in the meantime to see the splash animation and sign up for a weekly "nibble to noodle."

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