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PEGGY TROTT - INN AT LAGUNA BEACH 

A Southern California boutique escape for business and pleasure designed for an intimate and relaxed getaway. This Laguna Beach, CA hotel features 70 thoughtfully appointed accommodations, including spacious village and ocean front guest rooms. Poised atop a bluff near Heisler Park and overlooking the famous Main Beach, Laguna Village and Pacific Ocean, the view is unparalleled and the main attractions are within walking distance. Known as a premier American art colony, Laguna Beach offers a creative culture with an abundance of Zagat and Gayot rated restaurants, unique shopping boutiques, world-renowned art galleries and the annual Pageant of the Masters. For those seeking a business retreat, the Inn offers executive and ocean front meeting facilities for small groups of 2-40. Local catering cuisine and planning services are available.

RESTAURANTS: The INN AT LAGUNA BEACH offers coffee service with fresh baked goods, delivered to your guest room for $15. The Inn is within walking distance of 40 diverse restaurants offering an excellent variety of cuisine, including Mediterranean, Italian, Traditional American, Contemporary American and much more.

www.innatlagunabeach.com


STEVE EVANS   "THE MOVIE GUY"

GREAT MOVIES OPENING THIS WEEKEND AND BOX OFFICE PREDICTIONS AND HOPES. FIND OUT WHAT MOVIES ARE WORTH YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY. GET SET FOR THE WEEKEND.

MAGGIE STUCKEY – AUTHOR, ‘SOUP NIGHT’ 

It wasn’t that long ago that children freely played in the streets, neighbors exchanged good words, and a sense of togetherness filled the air. Now, the modern community reflects something similar to this: Men and women hurry home to immerse themselves in television shows, surf the internet, and chat online. The news continually highlights painful stories of destruction and war, and we look at ourselves and wonder, “How did the fabric of our communities unravel so far?” But amongst the fear that today’s media portrays is a wave of optimism that’s sweeping neighborhoods nationwide.

In her new cookbook Soup Night, Maggie Stuckey presents the story of this optimism through mouthwatering recipes and inspiring anecdotes collected from preexisting soup night groups. What Maggie has found and documented in this gorgeous four-color cookbook is that the humble idea of gathering friends and neighbors on a regular basis for a casual night of soup and sides has an extraordinarily positive ripple effect on children, senior citizens, families, and communities at large. The idea of breaking bread is deep-rooted in American tradition, but it’s now that our country needs to bond together, and Soup Night is the call to action that we’ve been waiting for.

Soup Night far extends the stories of these communities. This cookbook with a special personality offers more than 90 soup recipes, plus 40 more recipes for sides, salads, and desserts. With dishes like Asparagus-Leek Chowder, Vegetarian Eggplant Chili, Carolina Cornbread, and Lemon Ice Cream, readers will be savoring the local flavors of the season. Tips and tricks to hosting a soup night, stocking a soup pantry, and adapting recipes to fit any dietary need are interlaced throughout the pages of the book.

With simple ideas for gathering neighbors and friends together readers will be looking for any opportunity to make Soup Night a part of their lives.

Maggie Stuckey is a writer, who grows vegetables and cooks up a storm in her Portland, Oregon, home. The author of The Bountiful Container and seven other books on gardening and horticulture, she is happiest when tending her vegetable garden and using the outcome to create new soups.

Leslie Renaud – Winmaker - Lincourt Vineyards & Foley Estate - San Diego Food & Wine Festival

San Diego Food & Wine Festival: As one of the largest wine and food festivals in the nation, the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival has helped shine the light on San Diego's thriving food scene. We've got our eyes and ears peeled for the city's most drool-worthy restaurants and newest food trends to hit the streets, bringing you an epicurean experience unlike any other. The magnitude of culinary talent in San Diego combined with an international showcase of the world's premiere wines and spirits, and the nation's trendsetting culinary masters, makes attendance at the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival a mouthwatering feast and precursor to the Thankgiving holiday.

About Leslie: Leslie graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor’s Degree in Natural Resources, with an emphasis in aquatic resource management. After school her appreciation for nature led to several years of working for the Forest Service in Oregon, hooting for spotted owls in the forests of Mt. Hood. Next she relocated to California where she worked as an urban forester with PG&E. Leslie’s career path took a significant turn when she applied for a position as a lab technician at Ironstone Vineyards in Calaveras County. She quickly realized the wine industry’s combination of science and artistry was perfectly suited to her own talents and interests.

Committing to a career in winemaking, Leslie moved to Sonoma County to be in the heart of the wine country. There she worked at Clos du Bois, Sonoma Creek Winery, and Hans Fahden Vineyards, adding to her knowledge base and honing her skills. She later moved to Santa Cruz and became the production manager at Bonny Doon Winery. In 2005 she joined Talley Vineyards as an enologist, quickly moving up to Assistant Winemaker, and then was promoted to Winemaker in January of 2007. She joined the Foley Wine Group in August of 2010, assuming her current duties as Winemaker for both Lincourt Vineyards and Foley Estate.

Leslie is the Chairperson for the World of Pinot Noir, her second time serving in this capacity for the popular Central Coast event. She is constantly seeking to expand her knowledge of wines and winemaking, which has lead to her enrollment in the WSET Diploma Program. Leslie is a fan of the SF 49ers and Peter Gabriel, has sky dived (once), and loves to travel. She enjoys great food (both eating and cooking), extremely cold martinis, dogs (she has two at the moment), the outdoors, motorcycles, and convertibles.





LARRY LIPSON - Costa Rica Report       

For fifty years Larry Lipson was the food critic for the Los Angeles Daily News and now reports from Costa Rica weekly with his thoughts and favorite picks for Food & Wine.  His lovely Wife Lillian is also on hand at the Lipson Institute for advanced wine studies. 

PATSY MCGAUGHY - COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, NAPA VALLEY VINTNERS  

A seamless year of steady weather and optimal ripening brings in above average yields and excellent quality fine wine grapes.

St. Helena, CA: The Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) reports that the region’s winemakers expect to be done with the 2013 harvest within the next week. “Early, even and excellent” are three words being used to describe this year’s growing season and the Napa Valley wine grapes that have come from it, reflecting the consistent quality for which this world famous wine region is known.

A warm, dry spring brought early bud break, helped with canopy vigor and berry size and created ideal conditions for flowering and fruit set under sunny skies. With the exception of one heat spike in late June/early July, temperatures were consistently in the zone for optimal vine activity, resulting in notably healthy vines as fruit went through veraison and started ripening.

The August 1 start of harvest was the earliest in recent history. White wine grapes came in at a furious pace throughout that month, moving on to lighter reds by early September. Two brief mid-September rains had virtually no impact on the grapes. The vast majority of the more delicate skinned grapes had already been harvested and sunny weather with breezes followed the rains, allowing for the mostly Cabernet Sauvignon that remained to dry out almost immediately. The cooler, sunny weather throughout October allowed the final grapes still on the vine to linger longer, developing more phenolic and flavor maturities with sugar levels remaining steady.

As this harvest comes to a close, it is about two weeks earlier than other Napa Valley harvests in the last decade. Yields on the whole have been above average.

“In a nutshell, this vintage has given us the extraordinary gift of enabling us to pick exactly what we wanted, when we wanted, at perfect ripeness and ideal hang time,” noted Paul Colantuoni, winemaker at Rocca Family Vineyards.

Winemakers from around the valley agree the 2013 vintage holds exceptional promise and potential and exceeded expectations following on the heels of 2012 – another year that has been described as “nearly perfect.”

To relive the Napa Valley 2013 harvest experience, visit napavintners.com/harvest to view more than 800 candid photos, videos chronicling the season from Carneros to Calistoga and hillside to valley floor, along with two harvest-themed word games developed by the NVV.

CHRISTY JORDAN - FOUNDER OF SOUTHERNPLATE.COM AND AUTHOR

COME Home to Supper by Christy Jordan, reflects the reality of today’s family schedules, gathering more than 200 deeply satisfying dishes that are budget-conscious, kid-friendly, and quick to make. These are the everyday meals that Christy most loves to cook and her family most loves to eat, and she serves them up with generous helpings of her folksy wisdom, gratitude, and lively stories.

JAMES WOLPERT (TEAM ADAM) – NBC, "THE VOICE"

After attending Carnegie Mellon for two years, James dropped out to pursue music. Despite his family’s hope of re-enrollment, he moved to Pittsburgh, where he’s an Apple Store Genius by day and musician by night. James recently moved to LA for a fresh start and is hoping The Voice will help jump-start his career. Follow James on Twitter at @jamespwolpert


DOROTHY HAMILL - FIGURE SKATER AND OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 27 million Americans over the age of 25 are affected by osteoarthritis (OA), a painful joint disease that limits daily physical activities. While OA can hinder physical activity, routine exercise is recommended by the CDC to help reduce these arthritic symptoms. That is why world champion, Olympic gold medalist and “Dancing with the Stars” alum Dorothy Hamill has partnered with the Get Moving America campaign, a national initiative that encourages men and women to become more active to help reduce chronic stiffness and pain associated with OA. As an OA sufferer for more than 10 years, Dorothy knows what it’s like to live with chronic joint pain, and her mission is to inspire those living with OA to “get moving” and manage their pain.  Among the first national health campaigns leveraging social media to reach, inspire and connect adult OA sufferers, the Campaign is housed on Facebook and features a 90-Day Challenge where adults can discover new exercise routines from celebrity fitness trainer, Terri Walsh; receive advice from Dorothy Hamill; unlock virtual fitness badges; and get daily motivational messages. People can share their progress and experiences on the page with fellow OA sufferers. For each person that signs up for the Challenge, AstraZeneca will make donation to the Arthritis Foundation, up to $25,000.


DAYLE HAYES - NUTRITIONIST, "SCHOOL MEALS THAT ROCK"

For years, school lunches have been lambasted for lack of taste and nutrition, but that has changed – big time!  Even the nation’s harshest nutrition critics agree school meals have improved drastically – in fact, some school meals rock!   Dayle Hayes has visited hundreds of schools nationwide and chronicles the hippest, trendiest and tastiest school meal offerings coast-to-coast in her popular posts, www.schoolmealsthatrock.org.

TRACY SMITH - 48 HOURS: “Loved to Death”  

Tracy Smith and 48 HOURS report on a special investigation into the rise of dating and breakup violence among adolescents in “Loved to Death” to be broadcast Saturday, Oct. 26, 2013 (10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Lauren Astley was a popular teenager from Wayland, Mass., looking ahead to starting at Elon University in the fall. Her ex-boyfriend was Nathaniel Fujita, a star football player with a football scholarship to Trinity College. They had a tumultuous relationship with a pattern of breaking up and getting back together. But as their senior year was ending, Lauren had broken it off for good. By all accounts, Nathaniel struggled coming to terms with the breakup. Nathaniel’s mother was so worried about his post-breakup behavior she took him to a psychiatrist. Among Lauren’s friends, their relationship was discussed on social media.


Ching-He Huang - Chinese Expert Chef - "Cooking Channel"

Ching-He Huang,  Chinese cooking expert chef on the Cooking Channel and cookbook author of Chinese Food Made Easy, is taking on a double challenge to update tired, dated menus in two place of great importance: the ever-important tailgate (indoor or outdoor) and the neighborhood Asian restaurant!  As host of the  new show, Restaurant Redemption, she helps owners of struggling Asian restaurants revitalize their menus by giving them new inspiration and direction.


STEVE EVANS   "THE MOVIE GUY"

GREAT MOVIES OPENING THIS WEEKEND AND BOX OFFICE PREDICTIONS AND HOPES. FIND OUT WHAT MOVIES ARE WORTH YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY. GET SET FOR THE WEEKEND.

AMIT KLEINBERGER – CEO, MENCHIES - 48 HOURS

THE CEO OF MENCHIE’S, THE YOUNGEST BOSS FEATURED TO DATE, DELIVERS A BABY CALF AT A DAIRY FARM, ON “UNDERCOVER BOSS,” FRIDAY, OCT. 25  “Menchie’s” – Amit Kleinberger, CEO of Menchie’s, a popular frozen yogurt franchise, delivers a baby calf while working as a herdsman at a dairy farm. Also, the youngest Boss featured to date in the series goes deeper undercover when he dons a Menchie’s mascot uniform at a kid’s birthday party, on UNDERCOVER BOSS, Friday, Oct. 25 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.


CLAIRE COFFEE - NBC, GRIMM

Claire Coffee stars in NBC's acclaimed drama series "Grimm" as the seductive villainess Adalind Schade, nemesis to Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli). Coffee has appeared in several pilots and held recurring roles on "Franklin & Bash," opposite Mark-Paul Gosselaar and on the acclaimed NBC drama "The West Wing."  Her numerous guest star appearances include "The League," "CSI," "Psych," "Bones" and "Cold Case."   Most recently, she starred as the title character in “Holly’s Holiday,” a film airing on Lifetime as part of their holiday slate. She created and starred in the web series “Chelsey and Kelsey are Really Good Roommates,” which won Best Mobile Series at ITVFest in Los Angeles. Coffee was born in San Francisco and grew up performing in the regional theaters of Northern California -- notably The Mountain Play, Marin Civic Light Opera and The Western Stage.

She graduated from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., with a Bachelor of Science Degree in theater. Coffee is also a rabid fan of football (particularly of the San Francisco 49ers) and publishes weekly NFL picks videos on her website, clairecoffee.com.

GRIMM - Fridays (9-10 p.m. ET) on NBC - "Grimm" is a drama series inspired by the classic Grimm Brothers’ Fairy Tales.  After Portland homicide detective Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli, “Caroline and Jackie”) discovers he’s descended from an elite line of criminal profilers known as ‘Grimms,’ he increasingly finds his responsibilities as a detective at odds with his new responsibilities as a Grimm.

Now that Juliette (Bitsie Tulloch, “Parkland”) has learned Nick’s secret, he can bring her into the fold with his partner Hank (Russell Hornsby, “Lincoln Heights”) and his Wesen friends Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell, “My Name is Earl”) and Rosalee (Bree Turner, “The Ugly Truth”).  Following the events of season two, Nick will learn his abilities have grown exponentially.  Unfortunately, so have the dangers, and he now will need all the help he can get to bring order to Portland’s Wesen community.

In Europe, major events have begun to unfold on behalf of the Royals. Nick’s Captain, Sean Renard (Sasha Roiz, “Pompeii”), has done what he can about his estranged family while working stateside, but may find himself needing to take a long overdue trip across the Atlantic.   Also overseas is Adalind (Claire Coffee, “Franklin and Bash”), who continues her quest to regain her Hexenbiest powers by using the biggest bargaining chip she has – her unborn child.

Reggie Lee (“The Dark Knight Rises”) returns as the ever-sarcastic Sgt. Wu.  His time spent working with Nick and Hank may finally cause him to change his tone, however, when he sees more than he can handle.


HEATHER MURAN -  SLO Wine Country  

The wineries of SLO Wine Country boast an average distance of just five miles from the Pacific Ocean, resulting in prevailing marine conditions that are among the most pronounced of any wine region in California.

Collectively, these growing conditions forge a unifying wine quality that is native to SLO Wine Country: The reliable cooling effect of the nearby Pacific Ocean ensures a long growing season, enabling the grapes to achieve physiological ripeness and natural balance. Cool-climate varietals such as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir excel in the heart of SLO Wine Country, and even the warmest areas benefit from considerable marine influence.   The ocean proximity also exerts a moderating effect on the climate, minimizing temperature swings so that growing conditions are rarely hot or cold. The result is an extraordinarily steady growing season that fosters balanced ripening and consistent quality from vintage to vintage. The imprint of the ocean is also evident in SLO Wine Country's uncommonly complex soils, which are frequently riddled with ancient sea fossils. Soil variation enables the winegrower to mix and match varietals to specific soil profiles, or to add more "colors" to the palette of a single varietal, heightening overall quality and complexity.