I just have to tell all you Slashfoodies about the new Astor Center in New York City. Some of you may have heard me mention one of my favorite shops, Astor Wine & Spirits before; like when I reviewed St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur. When I lived in NY I stopped by there on a weekly basis, now it's more like 6 times a year, which is pretty good when you consider it's over 400 miles from my new home in Mid-Coast Maine.

For the past three years I have been hearing rumors about the Astor Center being developed by Astor Wines & Spirits and they finally opened just last month. The Astor Center is a state or the art culinary education and events center where they have panels, workshops, symposia, seminars, courses on every aspect of the food and beverage world. They have three beautiful spaces for their events, courses, and seminars. The Study- a seminar hall with stadium seating looking down to a teaching kitchen and podium from comfortable seats set at counters set up for professional tastings; with a light box, running water, and a sink for every seat. No spitting in nasty slop buckets here. The Kitchen- A huge, top of the line teaching kitchen with every gadget you can imagine. The Gallery- a multi-use space for wine pairing dinners, food festivals, lectures, and other events.

Their presenter list is nothing short of amazing with top experts in all areas of the culinary world joining together to explore both the cutting edge and historical aspects of food and beverages. There is a strong focus on wines, spirits, and cocktails; something you would expect from the Astor Wines folks. F Paul Pacult, Jim Meehan, Maximilian Riedel (of Riedel Crystal), Kara Newman, Brian Van Flandern, Timothy Sullivan, Henry Sidel, and more experts on various libations are on hand to delve into the glorious world of all that is wet and tasty; for beginners and experts, consumers and those in the trade.

With only a few days left until Valentine's, we thought that it would be fun to take a look at the role that food can play in our relationships with a little series leading into February 14th. Only one day left in the countdown, now!

If you're looking for a recipe for romance, are you more likely to plan for dinner at home, or to make a reservation at your favorite romantic restaurant? There are advantages and disadvantages to both options. Eating at home will give you control over the food and the atmosphere, both of which can be tailored to your, or your significant other's, tastes. The drawbacks are that you have to do all of the prep work yourself, as well as the cleanup, and you're limited by what you have to work with, which could mean mismatched serving pieces and no espresso after dinner.

In a restaurant, you won't get the kind of privacy that you can enjoy at home and you are limited in your menu options - especially on Valentine's Day when many places offer prix fixe dinners. On the positive side, you are free to focus all of your attention on your dining partner, rather than on cooking and cleanup.

Restaurants are a done deal, but if you do decide to dine in, there are a couple of alternatives to you doing all the cooking and serving. For example, you could consider hiring a personal chef to work for the night, effectively bringing the restaurant home. Alternatively, you could cook with your partner, which will keep you together, engaged and making a very special meal.

Easy meal prep is hot right now. By this, I am referring to the make-and-freeze dinner businesses that are thriving all across the US. With names like Dream Dinners, Super Suppers, My Girlfriend's Kitchen, Supper Thyme USA, What's for Dinner and Dinner by Design, all appeal to the "busy family demographic, where people want to have home cooked meals but don't necessarily feel that they have the time to do it themselves. These businesses offer kitchens with lots of partially assembled meals and ingredients that you can put together in combinations that your family will like. Typically, meals are prepared for a week or two in advance and everything can be frozen. Heating instructions (and any other cooking suggestions, if needed, are included.

The trend is so popular that it is starting to spread out of the US. In London, a chain called Dinners Made is springing up and gaining popularity with those who are looking for food to make in advance and freeze, and also with those who want to entertain and don't have time (or perhaps the ability) to cook everything from scratch without some assistance. Using Dinners Made means that the recipes are included, prep is done and cleanup is taken care of, as they are at every similar easy meal prep shop. Combining the convenience of working in the store with below-restaurant prices, a flexible menu and fresh ingredients, it's not hard to see why the idea is spreading so rapidly.

What we're eating has put an amazing twist on a favorite Thanksgiving side dish, making Bleu Cheese Candied Yams that sound like they would be a perfect addition to just about any winter meal. The recipe is very easy and just uses yams, molasses, honey, sage and blue cheese, with a bit of butter added for good measure. Yams (or sweet potatoes) are naturally sweet, and while it might sound as though the sweetness would be overwhelming with the addition of honey, the salty and strongly flavored blue cheese cuts that sweetness and balances the dish. The flavors work in reverse, as well, with the honey and molasses slightly tempering the strong cheese. All things considered, this would make a great addition to your menu for Thursday if you are still looking for sides. It doesn't take too much work and you and your guests will be delighted with the results.

The idea of making meals in advance and freezing them is appealing, but because most recipes are not really intended to be prepared then stored, as opposed to eaten, taking the time to make these "extra" meals can seem like a daunting task. This new cookbook, Dream Dinners, is entirely geared towards these make-ahead meals. It was written by the two women who already turned the concept into a profitable enterprise with Dream Dinner stores where busy people (families or otherwise) can come in and prepare healthy, tasty foods in advance to take home.

All of the recipes in the book can be prepared in two ways. The first way makes up one dish for that night's dinner, while the other makes three meals' worth of food, so two portions can be frozen for future evenings. Naturally, the focus is on preparing the meals in advance and not necessarily on the meal just ahead. In addition to main dishes, there are also salads, soups and a handful of desserts to keep things interesting. Check out two sample recipes for Caribbean Pork over Rice and Pork Tenderloin with Pears to give you an idea of the techniques used in the book.

Many experts say that it takes time for a child to accept a new food once it has been offered to them. The number of times you should offer a food varies according to who you ask. The most recent number seems to be 15 times, but once of the reasons to bring up new foods so often is to prevent the kids from getting into a rut with what they eat.

Pediatric nutritionist Jeanne Cox says that variety is important to make sure that kids are getting all of the nutrients that they need, even if the foods that they like are already healthy ones. New foods add flavor variety and change the vitamins and nutrients the children take in. If they are offered, and allowed to eat, the same foods every day, they may be less likely to try new foods in the future.

Cox tells parents that they should offer children, especially picky eaters, very balanced meals that include protein, starch, vegetables and/or fruits. Each element should be varied, serving potatoes, bread (whole grain, of course), pasta or rice for the starch, for example. Even if a child only eats the protein on one night and the starch on another, in the long run, the child will have eaten a relatively balanced diet and probably tried a few new foods, too - new foods that he or she might just want to eat again.

More about picky eaters:

• The "Cool factor" and picky eaters
• The science of picky eating

To indulge those who want to protest - in their own, small way - the bans and restrictions on various foodstuffs in the country, the Noé restaurant in the Omni Los Angeles Hotel will be hosting an Outlaw Dinner on July 27th. The dinner will be a 7 course meal based around forbidden, or almost forbidden, foods and techniques, including hemp seeds, absinthe and sous vide. The star of the dinner will be foie gras, as the meal both begins (a trio of foie gras as an appetizer) and ends (a dessert of Foie Gras Hot Chocolate and Toasted Marshmallows) with the fatty delicacy. All the food will be prepared under the direction of chef Robert Gadsby, who will preside over a similar dinner in Houston later in the summer.

The dinner is $95 per person and seating is limited. Contact the restaurant for reservations. 

Why does the term 'self-heating' worry me now? Maybe it has something to do with the recent recall of Wolfgang Puck's self-heating coffees. Maybe it's that the warnings for Crosse & Blackwell's Hunger Breaks HeaterMeals that say that if you're going to heat one in a car, you'd better crack a window first. Basically a commercial version of the U.S. military's Meals Ready to Eat (MREs), HeaterMeals include a small heating pad that is activated with a packet of saltwater. Get the pad hot by adding the water and then stick it back in its box with the tray of food. After it's done heating your steak and vegetables or chicken curry, the pad can be used as a body warmer, "you can even sit on it!" the manufacturer says. You could probably warm up your dinner by sitting on it too. These seem just a little different than the Kashi meals.

The next year could see lots more of Linda McCartney's frozen vegetarian foods on shelves throughout the U.S. and Europe. The former Beatle's former wife's line of food was recently bought from Heinz by American company Hain, according to The Guardian. Hain produces products like Celestial Seasonings teas, Terra Chips and Soy Dream. The figures involved in the deal weren't made public. Perhaps the best of the headlines to come out of the deal is Newsday's: "Hain Celestial and HJ Heinz 'Come Together' Over McCartney Foods."