For the MidAtlantic Wine and Food Festival's Grand Finale, seven contestants representing all three seasons of Chef Gordon Ramsay's MasterChef TV show on Fox got together and wowed the hungry guests with their fabulous cooking. The MasterChefs included Christian Collins, Suzy Singh, Dave Miller, Tracy Kontos, Becky...

© Joel Plotkin

From street vendor celebrations to private dinners with winemakers and acclaimed chefs, lovers of libations have much to celebrate this year. 2013 offers no shortage of opportunities to indulge. Listed are both large international events, as well as small intimate...

Oh Sarai, beautiful mommy and traveler. My grief of your death spills over my heart and I sob with pain. As a mother and a solo traveler, I understand your reason for your last sojourn. And, I honor your decision to go alone, regardless if others condemn you. I know...

Eighteen months ago I did not hold the title "mommy," but on this day I do. And, it was with this fairly new lens that I watched the movie Les Misérables. I was invited to a private screening with my girlfriend who is a makeup artist to celebrities. It was...

Johnny Singh has been the marine biologist on staff at the Jean-Michel Cousteau resort for the past seven years. His job is to teach and inspire the guests to take responsibility for how their day-to-day choices affect the global ecosystem. He grew up in Suva, the capital of Fiji, and...

Just in time for the holidays, celebrity chef Michael Mina has created a daily email and website called Cook Taste Eat where wannabe chefs can spice up their rudimentary repertoires with some of Michael Mina's most famed dishes. The service is free and super simple. Just sign up...

What do you get when you add the power and passion of a woman like Randi Zuckerberg (yes, the Facebook family) with the creativity and innovation of famed Chef Michael Mina? You get one of the most dynamic dinner parties in Silicon Valley. Invited to this...

Colorado's high country harvest is in full swing, with the Heirloom tomatoes ripening on the vine and Palisade peaches sweetening on the trees. Luckily, the talented chefs in Vail are taking advantage of the delicious produce by creating innovative dishes that they are showcasing at their restaurants.

For years, when Winston-Salem was mentioned, the only thing that would come to mind is a pack of cigarettes. The iconic brand created by R. J. Reynolds in 1875 has all but disappeared and the new players in town include a bevy of wineries that are taking the...

Most mothers would agree that they need a vacation after the family vacation. Between trying to get everyone packed, organizing the tickets, making reservations and caring for the kids, a vacation is anything but. That's all about to change, thanks to some smart resorts and hotels in North America and...

Louis Vuitton, Prada, BMW, international sailors, yachts, champagne and celebrities -- these are a few of the things that make The America's Cup one of the most prestigious yacht races in the world. But here in San Francisco, the focus has been on city politics, the bird population...

In a rare opportunity, I got the chance to meet the fashion designer who has been rocking the world of haute couture since the seventies. Indeed, when first launched, his style of gritty-street-verve-meets-high-fashion was met with more apprehension than applause. But now, Jean Paul Gaultier is a fashion legend and...

Gone are the days where I would find a pair of Manolo Blahniks under my Christmas tree. Hell, since I had a baby, I can't fit into a pair of stilettos anymore anyway. Nor can I sausage my new baby body into cute, tight cocktail dresses. So Santa, please take...

Three hours northwest of the frenetic haze of Cancun's Hotel Strip floats a tiny island that is a sanctuary to Whale Sharks and pink flamingos. Lost in the quiet, tropical bliss of the Caribbean Sea, Holbox Island has been a natural refuge for both animals and humans for centuries. The...

It's been five painful, mind-numbing months of breast-feeding my daughter. While I was still pregnant and completely naïve, I proclaimed that I would solely breast feed my daughter for at least a year. Well, three weeks into the job I was ready to quit. But I continued with the hope...

Easy, breezy. Getting a passport for your baby is super simple and should be mandatory. Especially for parents who encourage independence and exploration for themselves and their children. The task can seem overwhelming, but it is actual quite painless if you have all the pieces you need to file. So...

The Cook Islands' vaka (canoe) set sail from New Zealand in April alongside several other vakas representing other Polynesian nations. The journey was to honor Polynesian culture and revive traditional respect for the ocean by using celestial navigation propelled by the wind, sun and solar electrified motors. Although the voyage...

Ready to step into summer with a super-charged positive attitude? Here are 9 activities that are guaranteed to get you motivated, reconnected and excited. Some are week-long vacations, others are just day trips, but one thing is for sure, you will leave feeling refreshed, satisfied, and renewed.

1.Get Healthy:...

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With websites like tripadvisor.com, orbitz.com, expedia.com and the numerous others that are promising incredible discounts on random hotel rooms, hotels are working extra hard to get guests' attention and create loyality. Travelers looking for...

Less than two hours north of San Francisco is a tiny town called Hopland. As its name suggests, decades ago it was a bustling community of beer makers, but those glory days have passed and Hopland disappeared into oblivion. But with the rise of organic wines and biodynamic farming, Hopland...