The Roger Smith Cookbook Conference

I'm off today to The Roger Smith Cookbook Conference which, luckily, is taking place right in my own backyard: NYC.  I can't wait to get inspired and learn all kinds of new things at panels like "The People Behind the Pages: The Appeal of the Personality-Driven Cookbook" and "Cookbooks in Libraries: Gateways to Food Studies".  And some of the best in the biz will be speaking: Betty Fussell, Molly O'Neill, Rebecca Federman, Joan Nathan, Laura Shapiro, and so many more.

I'll be live-tweeting, barring any unforeseen technical difficulties, so check it out over on Twitter.

New Orleans

In a week I'll be off to New Orleans for the American Library Association conference. I've never been to Louisiana, let alone New Orleans, so I'm pretty excited...though I'm fairly nervous about the June weather there. Have you seen my curly hair?!  But I've got scarves ready to go, and I'm taking a bunch of up-do ideas with me, courtesy of Joanna Goddard of A Cup of Jo.

I also have some dinners planned that are work-related, committee entertaining and the like.  I made reservations for Galatoire's and The Palace Cafe, though I actually won't be attending the dinners.  I will, however, be able to attend a dinner at Bayona, and I can't wait!  We're going to try to hit up Cafe du Monde, of course: BEIGNETS!

The timing is perfect then for Alice Q. Foodie to be posting about New Orleans!  Check out her posts here and here.  Her photos are getting me so excited for the trip - check out the photos from the crawfish festival!!!

Amazing photo courtesy of Alice Q. Foodie

I do have one night free and I'll be going out with some colleagues.  When we do get a chance to be free from authors and guests, we tend to try to get to local places, if we can, and something very relaxed (since these are usually the only opportunities we have to get out of our business attire).  Those of you who have been to New Orleans, do you have any suggestions for something relatively close to the convention center that's relaxed with a local flair?  I know we'll be right in the French Quarter and, thus, probably in tourist hell...but there's got to be something, right?  Let me know!

Eat, drink, and hope this

Simple Food

I know my last post was about crostini.  And you know what?  This one features crostini too.  But there's a reason for that: I need simplification.  It's Conference Season at work, which means three conferences in three different cities for the next three months.  And all I want at the end of the day, or during the weekend, is simplicity.  A steaming cup of coffee...a dozen oysters shared with Adam paired with Veuve Clicquot...bread dipped in olive oil.

And the seasons are so weird right now.  All the cellared apples are turning mealy.  I despair at the idea of any more root vegetables.  But I haven't seen asparagus and fiddleheads yet.  Just as the seasons are in limbo, so am I.

Thus, I find myself making things like crostini a lot.  Simple, easy, flavorful, uncomplicated, straightforward.  Here is my latest:

I started by brushing a large piece of thick-cut bread with olive oil and then grilling it on my cast-iron stovetop grill.  I like a light black char on my bread and, once achieved, I take it off the grill and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

I added fresh ricotta (to taste), followed by roasted red peppers (yes, from a jar) which I julienned.  I topped the peppers with red onion sliced thinly.  Last but not least, I had some leftover basil in my fridge, which I sliced into a chiffonade and sprinkled over the top.  Paired with a spinach salad, it was a light and satisfying meal.  And here is Bug's boring version (in my judgmental opinion, anyway...):

But I got dairy, fruit, and a starch in her (super dark picture but those are grapes to the right).  I argue that this is well-balanced...

This meal - and the others like it that I've been preparing lately - wasn't challenging.  But you know what?  With three conferences between now and June, if it scores me more time with my family, then I'm a very happy woman.

Eat, drink, and savor your free time.


Wine pairing note: I recently visited the Soul Twin and we visited Villa Appalaccia, a lovely winery in Virginia (see my photos from the last visit).  I bought a bottle of their Simpatico, which is a blend of three grapes: Malvasia Bianca (30%), Pinot Grigio (5%), and Trebbiano (65%).  It's a sweet wine with some heft, but still has a bit of the crispness that I like in a white wine.  Wonderful pairing with this meal.

California Food Love

I'm back from ALA Midwinter and so thrilled - I feel like the holidays and this conference have taken away so much of my free time.  I'm so ready to enjoy some food and time with my family!

I did have a truly awesome food moment at the conference: Liz Burns who blogs at A Chair, A Fireplace, and A Tea Cozy and Angie Manfredi (who blogs at Fat Girl Reading) stopped by the booth and told me they were going to In-N-Out, the greatest  fast food burger joint ever (as far as I'm concerned).  The California Girl in me oohed and aahed, and Liz and Angie were so affected by my food geekdom that they offered to bring some back for me.  One $40 round-trip taxi ride to In-N-Out later, and here is me gushing over my animal-style cheeseburger and cheese fries:

Amazing.  An absolute highlight for me.  It reassured me that, even though I live across the country, the things I love about home are still within reach.

Eat, drink, and get by with a little help from my friends (thanks, Liz and Angie!)

Celebrating Winter with Friends

I've missed being here so much and I can't tell you what a huge relief it is to come back here: it's a sign that my life is returning to some amount of normalcy.  I was drowning in all things NCTE and ALAN before Thanksgiving (check out the recaps here and here) and then I was on the loveliest trip ever to Anguilla for the holiday (photos forthcoming).  Christmas and ALA Midwinter are looming larger and larger on the horizon but, for right now, I'm here.  And I'm determined to enjoy this moment and not think about the rest.

Our first weekend back from the sunny beaches of Anguilla we were faced with 40-degree winter days and I thought that there wasn't a better way to brave the weather than to hole up with good friends - Jenn and Phil - and catch up on all our news.  On the menu: Brussel Sprouts with Bacon, Creamy Parmesan Polenta, and Grilled Sausages.

Jenn and Phil are regulars at the Lutz table and we've settled into a nice routine where we cook and they bring dessert. Often, it's petits fours from this wonderful bakery near Jenn and Phil but, last night, it was Salted Maple Walnut Thumbprints, made by Miss J herself.  Fabulous.

Things are always crazy during conference time at work and the holidays compound that.  My blog dropped off...I didn't contribute to the holiday fair at Bug's school like I had intended...I haven't set my fantasy football teams for three weeks.  But there's always time to get together with friends, to catch up over food and drink, and to share laughs and smiles.

Eat, drink, and prioritize.

Nonexistent Balance

The work-life balance has been a bit, um, unbalanced lately. Between leaving for ALA tomorrow and a flu-ridden sick kid, I'm being pulled a bajillion directions and feeling like nothing is ever going to get done. And certainly won't get done to the standards to which I hold myself and my performance.

But I'm sitting at home today, working from home, and just made myself a snack/lunch. I had buffalo mozzarella in the fridge, some crackers, and a half-drunk bottle of rose. I sprinkled the mozzarella with salt and pepper, grated some lemon zest over it, and drizzled balsamic vinegar and olive oil over the top. For the finishing touch, I cut basil from my balcony herb garden and julienned it. Here are the results:


So I once had someone ask me to put into words why I love food so much. Well, this is why. In the midst of insanity comes simplicity and nourishment. No matter what goes down at ALA (there's a certain author/illustrator I'm FREAKING out about!), I can still come home to this. Food gives me the balance that work and family certainly don't allow and forces me to take a moment for myself.

Eat, drink, and seek out meaningful experiences to you.

Weird Weekend

Like the post title says, it was a weird weekend. First, it was Saturday at NY Brewfest on Governor's Island (Kelso of Brooklyn was very good and Keegan's Mother's Milk was by far the best I tried) .
But we weren't fans of the event and probably wouldn't go again. The pictures from the ferry to the island were the best part. The company was great - me, Adam, our friend Josh (my friend-in-food, particularly the inspiration for Bacon Fest), and his friend Justin - but the thousands of other people at the Brewfest? Not so cool. Even in one of the best foodie cities in the world, you still get jerks that just want to slam beers and get drunk. Ugh.

Then Adam and I had squash blossoms on Sunday night that were unreal:

If you tell me that this is all namby-pamby fancy food, I'll dispute it 'til I'm red in the face. This was So Easy. First you mix fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, rosemary), salt, and pepper into ricotta. Then you stuff it into squash blossoms. Where does one find such fancy food? Either at your local farmers' market or, in this case, from Fresh Direct. Stuff the blossoms with the ricotta. Dredge in beaten eggs. Roll around in panko crumbs (Japanese bread crumbs. You could also use finely ground cornmeal or even regular bread crumbs). I seasoned my panko with lots of salt and pepper. Fry in vegetable oil until browned. Out of this world, melt in your mouth goodness. And paired with a flute of cava (or prosecco or Champagne)? Even better.

But we enjoyed it while Bug was in bed with a 103 fever. Weird, right?

Add to all this that I'm leaving for ALA in tomorrow. Even weirder.

So you'll probably get radio silence from me for awhile. I'm back from ALA for one day and then off to Hawaii and Oregon for two weeks after that. I'd love to blog from there...but I make no promises.

Eat, drink, and cheers to the end of the tunnel that is ALA...

Author friends

One thing that happens at conferences is that authors stop by the booth who are either 1) Harper authors who, for whatever reason, aren't signing in the booth or 2) non-Harper authors who are just looking around the exhibit hall and stop by to say hi. At TLA and IRA, I had the opportunity to meet two fabulous authors.

First, at TLA, I had the pleasure of meeting Bettina Restrepo, author of our upcoming Illegal (Harper, March 2011). When Bettina stopped by the booth, I had already partially read the manuscript weeks before so I knew how special the story was (it very much reminded me of Esperanza Rising, which is just so stunning). It was a pleasure meeting Bettina and look for Illegal in the months to come.

While at IRA, I was thrilled to meet Danette Haworth. It was an odd moment meeting her because I recognized her name...but couldn't place it. Which is an occupational hazard, I can tell you! Then it came to me when Danette told me that she wrote Violet Raines Almost Got Struck by Lightning (Walker, 2008) - which was edited by my friend Stacy over at Walker Books. Aha! The connections were becoming clear! I had visited the Walker offices back in 2008 and Stacy gave me a galley of Violet Raines...and now I was finally meeting the author. Danette also has an upcoming book, The Summer of Moonlight Secrets. Here's the pretty cover:

I was lucky to score a galley...but when I asked Danette if the secret was that the girl was a mermaid, she wouldn't give up the info. So I'll look forward to reading it to find out.

And that's one of those things I love about what I do - accidental and unexpected meetings that happen at conferences, especially since most of what I do at conferences is so scheduled and planned out. As I'm planning ALA Annual (check out the HarperCollins' Teachers and Librarians website for some details that are already set, like our signings), I'm already getting excited to see who I'll meet this time around. Authors truly are some of the nicest and most welcoming people I've met, whether I meet them in the office, in a hotel lobby, or in a conference booth.

Eat, drink, and hang out with authors

NOTE: No disrespect to the illustrators out there, of course. Just put in "illustrators" where I wrote "authors" above...

IRA 2010 recap

As mentioned earlier, IRA was my second conference in April. TLA for a week...home for a week...then Chicago for a week. I know, it's a hard job but someone has to do it.

Chicago tortured me...as I shared here. I can't wait to go back.

And that was just the beginning. Here are the highlights:

• For heaven's sake, Seymour Simon and his wife, Liz. They will be the highlight at any event I attend where they are present so get used to hearing their names. I'm going to cap myself here because I could write my entire post about how much I adore them. But Seymour was on Facebook saying that they wanted to adopt me and Liz and I shared garlic and truffle infused ice cream at Bistro 110 together...I mean, helloooo. Enough said, right? By the way, the ice cream was sick. As in, good. But Seymour would have told you that. Because he's way more tech-savvy and hip than I'll ever be.
• Seeing Monica again. I'd think she was stalking me, except that she's so sweet and so wonderful and I love seeing her. Again, I never think you guys are actually going to say "hi" when we're in the booth together, but that is two conferences that I've seen Monica and her presence has become totally grounding. Thanks for stopping by!
• Going to Publican. Guys, it's RIDONKULOUSLY loud in that place. And the chairs are hideous. And to be quite frank, I wouldn't host a publisher-type dinner there again. But somehow it came together this instance, sort of. Henry Cole and our assistant got into an in-depth discussion of all things Marilyn Monroe. Which got us - Henry, Stephanie, Neal Shusterman, and me - into the Hepburns...and Cary Grant...and All About Eve. And all these people just got how much I love these classics. I was in heaven. The location wasn't ideal for a dinner with 10 people...and yet...it came together and I still soaked in the fabulous conversations.
• Getting On Meadowview Street signed by Henry Cole. I've been a fan of Henry's for years...in my previous life as a librarian. I sat across from him at dinner and apologized before reciting Why Do Kittens Purr? to him. I know the whole damn book by heart. And the illustrations? Swoooon. And here is a little known secret: in my new job, I rarely remember to have an author and/or illustrator sign a book for me. I'm usually too busy with Post-its, line management, etc. to remember my own geeked up fandom (i.e. Ryan Smithson at TLA - I can't believe I didn't have him sign a book for me!). But I remembered with Henry and I'm entirely grateful to him.
• Frontera Grill. Okay, so here's a disclaimer: we did Frontera Grill the last night of the conference so...to say that we were tired was an understatement. And yet...and yet...Dina (my predecessor) says to me in a hushed whisper, "Laura! Laura! Is that Rick Bayless?!?!" Yes, everyone. I'm here to confirm that it was. And I lost my cool. All my professionalism. Rick-friggin-Bayless!!!!! And, ladies, he looked gooood. That was enough for me. Especially seeing as he had a man near him who was warding off the fan boys and girls...like me. Sure, I could have used my feminine wiles to get close but, seeing as he was already dining with a beautiful silver-haired older woman, I had no chance. I mean, it was the last day of the conference! I was not at my best, looks-wise...

April kicked my arse...but DAMN I had a good time. So a huge thank you to Chicago and San Antonio...and PLEASE keep stopping by the booth to say hi - I love chatting with all of you and I hope you're not alarmed by the hugs and happy dances!

Eat, drink, and look forward to ALA...

More Texas? Yes, please!

As Joanna and Patti's comments in my previous post point out, next year's Texas Library Association conference will be in Austin.

I'll be there and to say that I'm excited is a vast understatement.

I have heard nothing but good things about Austin, and I've always wanted to go. Combine that with some of the nicest, most enthusiastic librarians in the country and I think it'll be stellar.

As if anticipating all this, one of my favorite food blogs, Endless Simmer, just posted about the food truck scene in Austin (and check out this Austin post too). All I have to say is please, please, let me have time to visit at least one food truck while I'm there. Please! Or, barring that, do you think our authors would be down with having dinner there instead of an actual restaurant? Unlikely...depending on the author...

At the very least, maybe some fabulous librarian will deliver the goods to our booth! Volunteers?

Eat, drink, and look forward to Austin in 2011!

Texas Library Association conference recap

As mentioned before, April was a bit...um...hectic. Two conferences in three weeks? Awesome*.

The first conference was Texas Library Association in San Antonio. Having never been to San Antonio - nay, never having been anywhere in Texas - I didn't know what to expect. But Texas delivers, man. The people were super nice, the cabbies were uber-chatty (in a good way), and the conference organizers are some of the best I've encountered so far.

I have a ridiculous amount of highlights to share with you so stay with me, folks:

• Hanging out with my fabulous publishing friends at Liberty Bar. It's hard to describe but it's this bizarre building, almost an Old West homage to the Leaning Tower of Pisa. I was introduced to Shiner Bock, which all my Texan friends told me I had to have, and it was every bit as awesome and refreshing as I had heard. But the stand-out was the venison burger - holy crap, it was out-of-this world.
  
  
• Meeting the ladies of Oops...Wrong Cookie. I've been a fan for awhile and it was fantastic to meet them in person. When I say to all of you, "Hey, stop by and say hi to me in booth #2222", I have to confess that I never believe anyone will. Shows me that I need to stop underestimating bloggers! This was a huge highlight for me, as evidenced by the happy-dance I did when Patti introduced herself!
  
  
• Meeting Ryan Smithson, author of Ghosts of War, who signed in our booth and spent quite a bit of time with us during the week. I've met people that served in Iraq before but, for some reason, meeting Ryan was just incredibly poignant for me. He's incredibly smart and bright and has so much to say and so much to add to the conversation (the conversation, of course, being teens serving in the military). It was an honor for me, truly, to spend time with him.
  
  
• Dinner out on Thursday night. A couple of us took out Sophie Jordan for dinner ( What, you haven't read Firelight yet?! The directions are easy: get yourself to a bookstore come September and buy a copy. You won't regret it. Or if you've read an ARC already, let me know what you think). But our reservation was canceled because we were too late. So, long story short, they were ridonkulously accomodating and set us up in their "sister" restaurant, Zinc. And we had our own little table in this little alcove on the patio while the rain fell five feet away - it was private and fun and intimate. In short, everything you want an author dinner to be. It's a HIDEOUS picture but feast your eyes on the truffled Parmesan fries:
  
  
  
  Need I point out that this photo does NOT do them justice?
  
  
• This is a walking town. Seriously, you could walk everywhere, which was just heavenly. I can't say the same for my next conference recap...
  
  
• Lastly, the Watermark Hotel. I can't recommend it enough. Remember the line in Ferris Bueller's Day Off? "I love driving it - it is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up." He could have been talking about the Watermark. Is there a better place to stay on the Riverwalk? I doubt it**.

San Antonio, I love you...just as others who have come before me have declared. I will gladly return...in 2013! Can't wait!

Eat, drink, and look forward to your next Shiner Bock.

* When will someone finally perfect the sarcasm font?!

** Keep in mind that it's the only hotel I've ever stayed at anywhere in Texas. So no disrespect to other San Antonio hotels.

First Supper

You might think that I come back from conferences wanting to get into the kitchen and make something rather fancy, something show off-y. But when I'm at conferences, I eat out every meal so when I come home, I prefer to get back to the basics, to cleanse my system, to keep things simple. So my first meal back from the IRA conference was Ina Garten's Mâche* with Warm Brie and Apples (which I also made here):


It was exactly what I needed. I also found some ramps at the store so I fried those up in bacon fat ('cause that's how I roll):

But it's not just about food. It's about being in my home, about conversation, about sharing with my family and friends - that's what I miss most when I'm away. So let me set the scene for you and let you in on what sort of things the Lutz family talks about at the table after I've been gone for a week:

A family sits around the table eating dinner: a man and a woman, in their 30's and rather dashing, and a darling young girl, about 8 years old. The young girl has studied some art at school, which informs the family's conversation.

Woman: There was a Matisse exhibit at the Art Institute during my conference. It was torture! Every day I drove by the museum on my way to the convention center and the Matisse signs just taunted me. But you know how conferences are...

Man: But don't you think it'll come to New York?

Woman: Maybe. I'll keep an eye out.

Man: Which reminds me, I still want to see that Picasso exhibit before it leaves the Met.

Girl: I want to see it! I love Picasso. He's my third favorite.

Woman: Your third favorite?

Man: Who are number 1 and 2?

Girl: My first is Eric Carle. My second is Mo Willems - I love him. And then Picasso.

And there you have it, folks. Carle, Mo...and Picasso.

Eat, drink, and do both en famille.


NOTE: Unlike my previous attempt, I was actually able to find mâche this time. It was really wonderful - super delicate and light - and I highly recommend that you snatch it up immediately if you see it at the store.

Homecoming

Just when I thought I wouldn't have time...I've sneaked away to send this missive. Or maybe I'm just stealing a moment while Adam reads Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets to Bug during bedtime...

A post is forthcoming about my adventures at the Texas Library Association (TLA) conference in San Antonio but, in the meantime, feast your eyes on this:

Yep. That's a crepe with Nutella and bananas. Don't I have the best family?

I arrived home from Texas on Saturday night around 9:00 p.m. Bug was in bed so there wasn't much else for me to do, post-conference, but follow suit. But the next morning? A feast awaited me! Adam and Bug had shopped for all the fixins for crepes!

Home sweet home, indeed.

Shortly after Adam and I married, I bought a crepe maker (similar to this one). Really, there isn't an easier way to make crepes than this. It may not be authentic, but it's accessible and simple and delicious. Not to mention that my crepe maker has lasted me more than 10 years. And I still use the recipe that came with the contraption. Here it is:

1 c. flour

2 eggs

1/2 c. milk

1/2 c. water

1/4 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. butter, melted

Mix in bowl with a wire whisk or mixer, first combining the flour and the eggs, adding liquid gradually. Beat until smooth, add other ingredients. Makes about 16 crepes.

That's the official recipe but you wanna know the truth? I dump every ingredient together, whisk, and start the crepe making. No muss, no fuss.

It's kind of breaking my heart that I have to leave again in a short four days for the IRA conference. But I sure am enjoying the food and the joys of the kitchen while I'm here.

Eat, drink, and enjoy your family.

The Glamour! The Grace! The STYLE!

I just have to get this over with quick...I have bad news. I'm taking a blog break for a couple weeks. This probably won't surprise my regular readers and/or those who know me personally: with two conferences in the next three weeks, my time is not my own. I do not exaggerate. It really isn't my own. Just ask Adam.

The good news is that I'll come back with all kinds of stories about TLA (Texas Library Association conference in San Antonio) and IRA (International Reading Association in Chicago). I mean, I'll be hanging out with the likes of Chris Crutcher and Kevin Henkes, for heaven's sake. That won't suck. And we have lovely new authors to our list that I can't wait to take out to dinner: Sophie Jordan and Tera Lynn Childs. And I'll get to be all fangirl on Henry Cole - I might have to recite Why Do Kittens Purr? to him...which, thanks to Bug, I know by heart.

So I'm getting ready to leave on Tuesday for San Antonio. This being my third conference since joining Harper, I'm making better and better choices about packing. For ALA Midwinter, I bought (splurged ridiculously is more like it...) on a 3-piece suit from J. Crew. So I have one skirt, one set of trousers, and a suit jacket. All I have to do is swap out different tops. It drastically reduced the amount of clothes I had to pack.

So here is my new thing:

It's my Conference Care Package! Inspired by my colleague Kayleigh, I put together this kit. Conferences are murder on your body in every way and, in order to not reveal the magic that goes on behind the scenes, I'll avoid the dirty details. But my body truly suffers. This will help! Here's what's inside:

• Raw almonds (for protein)
• Breakfast bar (when I don't have time for breakfast)
• Ibuprofen
• Advil Cold and Sinus
• Echinacea
• Green tea (I swear by it)
• Band-Aids
• Tums
• Gas-X
• Muscle cream (odorless, of course)
• Heating pads
• Hand lotion
• Visine (how do convention centers manage to suck every ounce of moisture out of the air?!)

In addition, I also bought a waistband clip for my cell phone and my Blackberry so I'll have TWO phones attached to me at all times during the conference.

Between my Conference Care Package, my phones, and my J. Crew suit of armor, I am UNSTOPPABLE!

So I'll be back in a few weeks. If you're going to TLA, visit me in booth #2222 and, at IRA, come say hi at booth #2433. And I might actually have some free moments at each conference, so let me know if you have any recommendations for must-see things (or, more importantly, must-eat things) in San Antonio or Chicago.

Eat, drink, and learn survival skills!

P.S. Wonder what I'm taking to read en route? Firelight by Sophie Jordan, Sir Charlie by Sid Fleischman, The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller, Gastronomical Me by MFK Fisher (for a break), A Nest for Celeste by Henry Cole, a Jane Austen (I haven't decided which one yet). Is it any wonder I throw out my back all the time?! If someone would just buy a damn iPad, this wouldn't be an issue...

San Antonio Regrets

I think I've made it clear to anyone who asks that, yes, my new job in publishing is kicking my arse...but it's doing so in the most challenging, most fulfilling way possible. I'm exhausted but I'm also engaged and enthralled by my new world.

One thing I do love is the travel. At least I do at this point (I'm only 7 months in so that could change eventually). For instance, in a month, I'll be at the Texas Library Association conference. I've never been to Texas, let alone San Antonio, and I'm so excited. I've heard Texan librarians are super friendly and super fun - many folks in publishing passionately declare that the TLA conference is their favorite all year. I'm stoked.

But then...

...I read my blogroll and Kitchn seems to be writing love letter after love letter to foodie haunts in San Antonio.










Like Tienda de Cocina, Melissa Guerra's shop.

Or the Pearl Farmers Market.

And guess what? I won't get to go to either of these places. Conferences do give me a chance to travel and go to great restaurants in the cities I'm visiting...but farmers' markets and pottery shops? Ha! Don't I wish!

So if you're Texan...or at least going to the TLA conference in April...stop by the booth and say hi. And tell me about all your fabulous San Antonian finds so that I might live vicariously through you and experience the city!

Eat, drink, and do it like a Texan!

ALA Midwinter highlights

It can be officially declared that I don't think I'll ever have time to blog at a conference, and I probably won't have time to tweet either. It's just too crazy. So I hope to make this a feature instead: highlights from the conference. I won't cover everything that happened, of course, but I'll share with you the best bits for me. As a reminder, I did this for NCTE as well.

So here are the particularly special things that happened at Midwinter:

• Meeting so many special authors. Linda Urban wandered into our booth and, being a huge fan of Crooked Kind of Perfect, I was able to gush and slobber all over her. I'm sure it wasn't as good for her as it was for me, but I loved seeing her. Loree Griffin Burns, author of Tracking Trash, was with Linda and they were both incredibly sweet and gracious, given that they were dealing with a crazy fangirl. I also met Stuart Murphy rather spontaneously and, as a librarian, I always found his books invaluable because they filled such a particular niche. Holly Cupala also stopped by the booth, as Harper is publishing her upcoming book Tell Me a Secret. She is a sweetheart with a smile that'll stop traffic (who also turned me on to Sock Dreams).
• Eating at Hamersley's Bistro. They had a crispy duck confit that stopped me dead. Perfect in every way. Kayleigh had the roast chicken and believe me when I assure you that it was in no way ordinary or plain. In fact, I never knew chicken could melt in your mouth. And I mean that in the best way possible.
• Eating (always food, right?) at Taberna de Haro. The food was pretty good, but the dessert...well, I had an intimate experience with the dessert. The server put the plate on the table with three small truffles and some small pieces of grilled bread. He sprinkled a generous amount of sea salt on the truffles, followed by a good shake of cocoa powder, and then poured olive oil over all of it. The olive oil and chocolate became this decadently goopy syrup and we used the bread to mop it up. The truffles were super dark and, combined with the salt, were small pieces of ecstasy. It was a once-in-a-lifetime dessert.
• The ALA Youth Media Awards. Even though it's a bit different now that I'm working for a publisher (I have a team to root for now!), I still experienced the same thrill and excitement as before. And I loved the Printz announcement - the room was in an uproar as there was one surprise after another. They shook it up big time, and thank goodness for that. It was a hoot.
• The ALA Tweet-Up. It was insane, just insane, but it was also a great chance for me to hook up with old friends (Liz, Heather, and Jen) and meet some new ones (Laura and Melissa Rabey).
• The Seaport Hotel. Need a place to stay in Boston that, frankly, is not terribly near convenient stuff? Stay here. The decor in the room wasn't anything spectacular, but the staff was super nice and there were all kinds of cute amenities: terrycloth robes, a "pillow library", an umbrella in the closet, and a black washcloth labeled "makeup" on the toiletries shelf. And the quality of the room service food was very good. And the "tip is already included" policy was awfully nice as well.
• I got a kick out of this: Saturday's top tweets as chosen by Library Journal. And here are Sunday's as well.

I have no complaints about this conference at all, though I do have to ask what the heck is up with Bostonian cabbies - they're infinitely more shady than the NYC variety. Wow.

Eat, drink, and finally get some sleep.

2010 ALA Midwinter Conference

Patty, my boss, warned me that the Midwinter conference would come screaming around the corner after NCTE, and she wasn't lyin'. My second conference since joining Harper is coming up this week, and I'm fired up. For one thing, ALA folks are my peeps, my friends. Second, having one conference under my belt, I have a better idea of what to expect when I get to the convention center (clue: endless boxes...go armed with a box cutter).

Here are some more reasons I'm excited to get up to Boston:

• Three words: Megan. Whalen. Turner. As you may know, her next book, Conspiracy of Kings, is coming out this year (Apr 2010). While we're not having her sign in our booth, she will be doing a signing at Harvard Bookstore on Saturday, January 16th at 12:00 pm. See more details at Megan's website.


• Foodie field trip! I'm going to score some sticky buns from Flour Bakery with Kayleigh (The Roaring 20s) on Friday morning!


• The fab ladies of the HarperCollins Children's school & library marketing team (that would be Patty, Emilie, and yours truly) will be presenting titles for our upcoming 2010 spring and summer season. There will be food, there will be laughs, there will be FREE BOOKS. See our website for the full details. All are welcome, no need to RSVP. Be there or be square.


• I love the Youth Media Awards. Love them. The anticipation, the surprises, the cheering, the crowds. I'll be there in person, but you can watch the live webcast here.


• In addition to Flour Bakery, I'll also be eating at Hamersley's Bistro and, tentatively, Taberna de Haro. Anyone else have any must-eat recommendations in the downtown Boston area?

Again, if you're in the Boston area and/or will be at the conference, make sure to stop by and say hi (just like Monica did at NCTE)! I'll be in booth #1404, waiting for you with a smile and free books!

Eat, drink, and don't be shy!

NCTE/ALAN 2009

So this week is my first conference since I have joined HarperCollins Children's Books: NCTE, followed shortly by ALAN. Part of my day-to-day job, among other things, is to coordinate our booth at conferences. So as you're walking up and down those aisles and you see the booths, consider that someone had to make sure the books arrived on time. Someone orders the furniture, the carpeting, the big signs. And the author signings? Someone organizes that schedule, avoiding overlaps and making sure everyone is where they need to be at the right time. And those various meals that you get invited to by publishers? Reservations are made, menus are decided on.

Ever wonder how that all happens?* That's me! At least at Harper...

So I've been at Harper for three months and this is my first time on the road. Am I nervous? Hell to the yeah. But I also think it's going to be a good time. Will I screw up? Drop the ball? Inevitably. My goal is to handle it all with grace, self-possession, and a wicked sense of humor.

Aside from the nausea and sleeplessness, on the bright side, I'm looking forward to two things in particular:

1. Meeting author superstars. Among them, Chris Crutcher, Beth Kephart, Patricia McCormick, Naomi Shihab Nye, Jerry and Eileen** Spinelli (though I've met Jerry before), and Gordon Korman. And this is just the beginning - there are a slew of other amazing authors I'll be working with at the conference and I can't wait, particularly since I've been exchanging emails furiously with most of them for weeks.

2. Dinner on Sunday night. On Sunday night (11.22), the booth will be all broken down. NCTE will be over. Whatever hiccups come my way will be dealt with by then. So Sunday night I get to enjoy the dinner I'm planning at a fabulous restaurant in Philadelphia; it's the HarperCollins Children's "Family Dinner" so it's just the editors, authors, and library marketing folks. The menu isn't completely finalized but there will be duck. There will be "squash tortelli with amaretti cookies and sage". There will be wine. It'll be fabulous and I hope to get a moment to myself so that I can forgive myself for whatever mistakes I made in my planning and congratulate myself for getting through a major career milestone.

So if you're going to be at NCTE and/or ALAN, be sure to stop by and say hi. We'll be in booth #213 - I'll be the curly-haired one with the smile on my face and the wildly beating heart.

Eat, drink, and face a trial by fire with style and humor.

* Okay, you probably haven't ever wondered. In fact, part of my job is to make sure everything is so seamless that you don't.

** I fully intend on GUSHING to Eileen how much I desperately loved Where I Live, her book illustrated by Matt Phelan. That book just got me where I live.