Welcome to
Our Benefit Auction
for The Cowgirl Cure Foundation
and Ovarian Cancer Research
at The Mount Sinai Medical Center
A glorious dinner for 4 guests at Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich’s flagship, Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca in Greenwich Village. You and your guests will enjoy a special multi-course tasting menu with distinctive wine pairings from Babbo’s award-winning wine list. Experience the inspired menu, gracious service, buoyant atmosphere and warm townhouse setting that only Babbo can deliver. And we’ll make the reservation!
A pizza-making lesson and lunch for 6 with Jim Lahey at Co. Pizzeria. From the moment the doors opened, Co. has been dishing up artisan pies to the hungry masses that line up to every night to snag a coveted seat at the communal tables. You and 5 guests can learn the ins and outs of making a great pizza, from mixing the dough to sliding it into a blazing hot oven, then feast on your own crusty creations.
A Trip Through The Delicacies of Italy with Lou DiPalo of DiPalo Selects. Lou and his family will guide you and your group of up to 10 people on a private tasting extravaganza through the regions of Italy at his historic DiPalo Dairy on Grand Street in New York’s Lower East Side. Learn about and taste artisan cheeses, olive oils, vinegars and other imported specialties with this icon of Little Italy. This very special, exclusive event is an Italian food lover’s dream!
An Abbondanza of Italian Specialties from Mike’s Deli, The Original Arthur Avenue Deli. Gina’s cousin David Greco will compose a basket of hand-picked specialties from Mike’s Deli, located in the landmark Arthur Avenue Retail Market, including cured meats, imported cheeses, fresh antipasti and David’s now-famous winning Eggplant Parmigiana from his Throwdown with Bobby Flay. This will feed a crowd!
A Dessert Party for 4 at your house! Have fun with Babbo Executive Pastry Chef Gina DePalma in your very own kitchen. She’ll bring signed copies of her book, Dolce Italiano, for you and your guests, and show you how to prepare three of her favorite recipes. Everyone goes home with handmade Italian sweets and a few secret surprises.
Original ceramic sculptured tiles from Diana Baur of Creative Structures in Piedmont, Italy. A master potter and artist, Diana Baur runs Creative Structures, adjacent to The Baur B&B in Acqui Terme, an ancient Roman city in Italy’s Piedmont region. “Out of the earth, into the fire...” Diana’s sculptured tiles are representative of the elements - earth, air, water and fire - which are critical to the ceramic process. Artistry which is derived directly from nature is the driving force behind her creative projects. Diana has created an original series of these gorgeous mosaic pieces to honor Gina and her cause.
A personal library of signed books by Mario Batali. Mario’s greatest hits, full of expertise, humor and wisdom, not to mention great recipes! Includes signed, personalized copies of Simple Italian, Recipes From My Two Villages, Holiday Food, The Babbo Cookbook, Molto Italiano and Italian Grill.
Books for the budding expert: Together these titles can start you on the way to becoming an expert in the foods and wines of Italy. Includes signed, personalized copies of Vino Italiano by Joseph Bastianich and David Lynch, Molto Italiano by Mario Batali, Dolce Italiano: Desserts from The Babbo Kitchen, by Gina DePalma and Lidia’s Italy, by Lidia Bastianich.
Libro, Vino e Olio: A fun collection of signed books, wine and extra-virgin olive oil, and a terrific gift for the Italophile. Includes signed copies of Vino Italiano by Joseph Bastianich and David Lynch, and Lidia’s Italy, by Lidia Bastianich, plus two bottles of wine: Joe’s award-winning Friulano from The Bastianich Vineyards in Friuli Venezia-Giulia, and I Perazzi, Morellino di Scansano from the La Mozza Vineyard in Maremma, Tuscany, plus a bottle of our favorite first cold-pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Our Benefit Auction IS CONTINUING LIVE, on Ebay Giving Works!
The following items are still available and accepting bids:
Award Winning Wine from Bastianich Vineyards: Named “Winery of The Year 2006” by Wine Spectator Magazine, Gambero Rosso’s prestigious Vini D’Italia has proclaimed, “All wines boast such incredible structure that the whites are a match for food even after you have been drinking a red..” A Magnum (1.5 L) of 2007 Friulano is a sought-after treasure, and we have six of them to offer to our lucky bidders! The Tocai Friulano varietal is the best expression of the terroir of Friuli, the region of northeast Italy that produces some of the world’s greatest white wines. Medium bodied, with ripe, luscious pear flavors carried by a refreshing mineral flavor and zesty, mouthwatering acidity, creating the perfect wine to enhance food. This is the perfect match for proscuitto!
The Unique Personality of Tuscany’s Maremma is expressed in the wines of La Mozza, a partnership between Chef Mario Batali and Joe and Lidia Bastianich. They are generously offering our bidders One Jeraboam (3 L) of I Perazzi 2006 Morellino di Scansano. The Wine Advocate said it is “an exceptionally sexy, juicy Morellino loaded with fruit, underbrush, smoke and licorice nuances that emerge from its generous, plump frame...” The flavor is bright, bursing with bright, ripe cherry flavor and a soft texture that makes it a perfect match for the foods of the Mediterranean. This is a GREAT gift.
The Books Professionals Turn To, Again and Again: There isn’t enough room to list the accolades, awards and critical praise for America’s preeminent food writers, Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg. This is a package of our favorite, groundbreaking and award-winning titles, signed by the authors: Becoming A Chef, Culinary Artistry, What To Drink With What You Eat and The Flavor Bible. “If you look on any professional chef's bookshelf, chances are that Page and Dornenburg's books are going to be there, battered and bruised, coffee stained and taped together at the spine...." If you daydream about becoming professional chef, or long for a peek inside the creative minds that drive America’s top kitchens, this is the collection for you.
Relaxation and Rejuvenation at the Guerlain Spa!
Who doesn’t need this these days? The Guerlain Serenity Spa Package includes a rejuvenating footbath, Five-Senses Hydrotherapy, a 60-minute Guerlain Imperiale massage and the Guerlain Complete Facial at the Guerlain Spa at The Waldorf-Astoria in New York City. Guerlain Spa transforms each treatment into a customized moment created for each guest. From the selection of a personal Guerlain scent to the expertise of Guerlain’s highly skilled beauty therapists, guests will embark on a journey towards rejuvenation. Guerlain Spa at The Waldorf-Astoria offers five-star delivery of beauty and well-being treatments.
An Autographed Book and Knife Set from Ming Tsai:
Simply put, Ming Tsai is mad talented. His top-rated and award-winning television show, Simply Ming, is in its sixth season on PBS, where he continues to inspire us with his unique and delicious East-West recipes and menu ideas. Ming’s accolades include numerous awards and nominations for his landmark restaurant, Blue Ginger, in Wellesley, MA, and in 2002 he was honored as the Best Chef, Northeast by The James Beard Foundation. He’s autographing a copy of his book, SImply Ming: Easy Techniques for East-Meets-West Meals and throwing in a 2-pc. set of his favorite, razor-sharp ceramic knives by Kyocera, featuring a 5.5-inch Santoku knife and a 3-inch paring knife.
A Francis Francis X7 Espresso Machine from Illy Caffe:
The revolutionary new X7 is designed to use Illy’s revolutionary new coffee, iperEspresso. Italian design and fuction are joined together in the X7, bringing the perfect Italian coffee experience to your home. Features include a one-touch brewing cycle, a lighted central display and acoustic signals to guide each step, excellent steam production with a traditional wand for steaming milk, an auto-stop feature to control cup volume and an automatic decalcification cleaning system. To go with your shiny new machine, you’ll get a case of Illy’s iperEspresso coffee capsules to use with the machine - that’s over 120 cups of coffee to start you out!
Thanks again to all the generous donors and winning bidders!
Giddy-up for The Cowgirl Cure Foundation!!!
A Set of Cookbooks from Bon Appetit:
Accessible, instructive and inspirational: that’s how to describe these two stunning volumes from Barbara Fairchild, editor-in-chief of Bon Appetit Magazine. The Bon Appetit Cookbook contains the best-loved recipes gathered from the glorious pages of one of America’s longest-running food magazines. And as the perfect companion, you’ll also enjoy The Bon Appetit Fast, Easy Fresh Cookbook, filled with perfect dshes that you’ll want to make again and again, comfortable enough for a busy a week night and special enough for entertaining weekends. Together, you’ll have over 2,300 recipes, perfect for every season and every celebration!! Complete your kitchen this superb collection, and Barbara will sign both volumes especially for you!
A Seriously Delicious Walking Tour with Ed Levine!:
Four serious eaters explore the city's best food stops with Serious Eats founder and New York Eats author Ed Levine. From doughnuts to pastrami, pizza to tacos, the tour will be tailored to your taste. Wanna explore the secrets of New York’s dill pickle history? Find the ultimate everything bagel? Ed’s got it down, and he’ll also include autographed copies of Pizza: A Slice of Heaven and New York Eats (More) for you and your guests.
A Year of Free Coffee from Joe The Art of Coffee! There’s a coffee craze in New York, but it all started in 2003 when Jonathan Rubenstein opened the first location of Joe The Art Of Coffee on Waverly Place. With five locations and an army of expert baristas spread throughout Manhattan, you can treat yourself or someone you love to their signature brews and graceful foamed-milk artwork every day for a full year.
The following auction items have now CLOSED and are no longer accepting bids. Thank you to all the generous winning bidders! Yee-haw and Congratulations!!!