Last week I was in the Bay Area thanks to a $9 flight I snagged on JetBlue.  I saw a lot of friends and ate a lot of really good food, but the one thing I can't stop thinking about is a fresh strawberry-filled donut I devoured during lunch at Napa Valley College's Cooking School (NVCCS). And it wasn't even my donut to devour! It was on my friend's plate, but that's another story.

Lunch at NVCCS is like reality TV meets The French Laundry. If you're lucky enough to land a reservation, ask for a seat in the kitchen---really. Bubbling pots, tantalizing aromas, and the energy of a real working kitchen make this experience like none other. There's even a large mirror perfectly angled for watching students plate your next course.

Needless to say, lunch was amazing---I had a shot of a cool cucumber soup, perfectly cooked asparagus with a fresh poached egg, a sardine crostini---the list goes on. After the fourth course (or thereabout) I stopped counting and entered a state of pure food bliss. 

What made this meal a real standout (aside from that blessed donut) is the school's sustainable practices. From day one students are taught about the  environmental impact of their chosen industry. And the school? It endeavors to reduce its carbon footprint by establishing its own biodynamic system. So composting, recycling, caring for a flock of rare and heritage breed hens, and nurturing a rare-seed organic garden? That's all part of the program. Bonus: I hear that the day's leftovers are sent to a local food bank (although I have a hard time believing there are any leftovers).

Napa Valley College Cooking School
1088 College Avenue
St. Helena, CA 94574
Phone: (707) 967-2900
www.napavalley.edu/cookingschool

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If smell-o-vision existed, you'd probably be drooling right about now.  I know I would.  I'm practically salivating just thinking about Levain's too-good-to-be-true chocolate chip walnut cookies. And I don't even like walnuts!

On a recent trip to New York, a bunch of friends and I schlepped all the way to the Upper West Side just for a cookie---as in a single one. You can't tell from the picture, but that baby is almost a good half-pound (6 oz. to be exact), so sharing is a fine, if not necessary, idea.

My friend, Amy, had been raving about these cookies, but when I entered the shoebox-sized bakery, all I saw were scones. Nope, I was informed. Those were the cookies.

I became skeptical. Not because they were big---lots of cookies are big nowadays, but these were THICK, and like nothing I'd ever seen before (or since). But one bite is all it took.  I don't know how else to describe them except to say that they embody pure deliciousness. Chocolatey, buttery and kind of gooey on the inside, one bite made the sounds of the city go quiet for a few blissful seconds.

The two women who started the bakery, Connie McDonald and Pam Weekes, are surprisingly svelte for owning such an establishment. And they recently won a chocolate chip cookie throwdown against Bobby Flay, so you can just toss that old adage about not being able to trust a skinny cook. Their secret is running and swimming and biking, and lots of it. They're triathletes, so they earn every delectable, calorie-dense bite.

Their secret to a good cookie? They bake everything fresh and on-site every day, and donate the day’s leftovers to charity each night. They make good cookies, but they're good cookies, too!

Levain Bakery
167 West 74th St
New York, NY 10023
T: 212-874-6080 • F: 212-874-6413
Hours: Mon-Sat 8am-7pm, Sun 9am-7pm

OR

Wainscott Village Shopping Center
354 Montauk Hwy • Wainscott, NY 11975
T: 631-537-8570 • F: 631-537-8572
Open seasonally, call for hours

www.levainbakery.com

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Up until now, all I've asked of my breath mints is that they work. I mean, we're talking breath mints, right?  But on a recent trip to my old stomping grounds, I came across Project 7's Heal the Sick Cinnamon Mints.

For a buck and some change, you get fifty tasty mints that come in a clever, recycled test tube-like container. Sure, they did the trick, but here's the real perk---Project 7 donates 50% of their profits to charities supporting critical needs, like HIV/AIDS, immunization relief, rain forest conservation and clean water for those in developing nations, among other things.

And they don't just make mints. There's water, gum, t-shirts---everyday items that you're going to drop some dollars on anyway, so why not make a difference while you're at it.

Heal The Sick Cinnamon Mints made by Project 7
1560 E. Southlake Blvd., Suite 220
Southlake, TX 76092
Phone: 817.488.9777
Fax: 817.421.1229
About $1.89 per test tube
www.project7.com
info@project7.com

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