Won't mid-week lunches pack so much more panache if a star chef like Alice Waters, Grant Achatz, Tom Colicchio or Mario Batali has a hand in 'em? You'll still have to make your own PB&J, but now you can tote it along in celeb-stamped style with a one-of-a-kind lunchbox decorated by your favorite chef.

"The Lunchbox Auction presented by Gourmet which benefits hunger-relief organizations Food Bank For New York City and The Lunchbox Fund of South Africa, kicks off live on the World Wide Web at www.thelunchboxauction.org on Thursday, December 11th at midnight and continues through Thursday, December 18th at noon. Almost 100 celebrities from film, television, fashion, art, music and the culinary world have united to remind us that food matters and that hunger is an on-going problem.

Each lunchbox reflects the personal style and individual flair of the person designing the box and no two lunchboxes are alike. Collectors will find that each box is signed and numbered, and some will even contain hidden surprises inside. The collectible lunchboxes make a great gift for the holidays!"

I've already been outbid on Grant Achatz's stainless steel and tension wire armature, and Ruth Reichl's epicurean treasure trove, yet still hold out hope for Michel Richard's mustard-gilded, postprandial bonescape. Mostly because I'd have a chance to say "mustard-gilded" all the darned time -- for charity.

[via: thelunchboxauction.org]

Russ Parsons pays some respect to chef Michel Richard, who at one point, threatened to kill the writer for a review of his first LA restaurant, Citrus. Don't worry, they are friends now.

For cooking, want some real barbecue? Dig a hole. Pit barbecue is where it's at. And if you're looking to cook Indian, Madhur Jaffrey's new cookbook, Climbing the Mango Trees: A Memoir of a Childhood in India. Betty Hallock find and shares the recipe for chicken liver crostini from AOC.

Out on the restaurant scene, SIV gives sushi newcomer on the Westside, K-Zo, two stars (**). Susan La Tempa tries out a new take on Thai at Busaba Thai Vegetarian Kitchen on Melrose. Betty Hallock goes to the Water Grill.

To say that the food of Michel Richard is art is almost an understatement. He loves to create, innovate and alter dishes as much as he enjoys eating the near-to-perfect results. In Happy in the Kitchen: The Craft of Cooking, the Art of Eating, Richard shares many of his techniques with home chefs, providing details that he and his staff use to make some really amazing things.

The book focuses on technique - dicing, slicing, poaching and substituting one ingredient for another. There are lots of step-by-step photos to demonstrate all these skills, so the reader doesn't have to rely on imagination alone. This is a good thing, since how many people are likely to think up raspberry and almond "salami" on their own?

The recipes in the book are really for those who enjoy the "craft of cooking" and want to spend time in their kitchen experimenting. The time will be well-rewarded with dishes like Chicken Faux Gras, Lobsterburgers and Le Kit Cat. You're not going to find any 30-minute meals here, but you will probably have some fun.

The James Beard Foundation has just announced their nominees for the 2006 James Beard Foundation Awards. The awards are the most prestigious in the industry and honor the top culinary professionals in every category, from journalists to cookbooks to chefs. There are 62 awards in all this year. Nominees include:

Best General Cookbooks

• Cooking School Secrets for Real World Cooks by Linda Carucci; The Cook's Book by Jill Norman; The Instant Cook by Donna Hay

Internet writing on Restaurant, Food, Beverage or Nutrition

• "Reserve Wines Score, by at What Price?"; "Down with Gloves: Why Chefs Shouldn't Have to Wear Them"; "Star Wars: Did Michelin Lower the Bar for New York?"

Best Internet Website for Food

• AliceFeiring.com; Epicurious.com; LeitesCulinaria.com