Calphalon is also introducing its innovative “Your Set by Calphalon” technology to the conference. With “Your Set”, you mix and match any Calphalon cookware to assemble your dream collection.  Calphalon is offering two different chances to score your own $500 “Your Set” gift card.

Here’s the first way you can win:

Before the conference, attendees create their own Pinterest board called “Calphalon Inspiration” and pin 5 recipes from the Calphalon recipe archives or Calphalon Pinterest page that they would love to cook. Then, they peruse yourset.calphalon.com and create their dream cookware set. Once created, they share their set by sending their name and the link to yourset@calphalon.com. Calphalon will will go through the entries and then determine two random winners, announced at Eat Write Retreat.

Follow these instructions to enter:

Create your perfect set of cookware on Calphalon.com/YourSet

• Select “Customize Your Set”
• Select your base set
• Select your Mix It Up Add On Items
• Select “See Your Set”

Share the set you create to our online gallery

• Select “Share”
• Give Your Set a name
• Provide your own name
• Tell us where you live
• Tell us about your inspiration for using our products
• Select Your Set photo
• Select “Share Your Set”

Email your name, email address and link to Your Set to yourset@calphalon.com

• Select “Discover and Share”
• Find Your Set in the scrollable list
• Select “See It”
• Copy URL from browser window
• Paste into email with your name, email, and the link to your Pinterest “Calphalon Inspiration” board.

Here’s the second way you can win:

During opening night activities at the conference, you’ll have a chance to test drive “Your Set by Calphalon.” Try it out for yourself on Friday for a chance to win one of two $500 “Your Set” gift cards that will turn your dream set into a reality!

To get a jump start on creating the winning Calphalon submission, visit http://yourset.calphalon.com and take notes about what your dream set would include. Then come back here and follow the instructions to get cooking with Calphalon!

For the third year in a row, we are delighted to announce that once again, Eat Write Retreat attendees will have the opportunity to get their grips on some fabulous OXO kitchen tools, quite literally! As our 2013 Kitchen Tools sponsor, OXO will provide their innovative tools for every facet of our hands-on programming.

To start, attendees who register by April 15 will find OXO tools and recipe inspiration in their Amazing Apps Culinary Challenge packages. (Those shipments are set to go out today, so if you want to take part, make sure you register right away!) Next, we’ll kick off our Core Curriculum with an invigorating session with Monica Bhide, who will guide us on “Writing in the Age of the Sponsored Post.” We can’t reveal any secrets, but Monica will have us all looking at OXO in a whole new light!

If that’s not enough OXO, we’ll also work with their tools during Signature Cocktails, Low Tech Photography, and One Potato, Two Potato! with numerous additional OXO gifts sets given away throughout the conference.

And if that’s still not enough? Enter the Amazing Apps Culinary Challenge. Four Grand Prize winners will receive $500 in their choice of OXO tools.

Remember when we suggested an extra suitcase? We really weren’t joking.

Register today for your chance to win and work with OXO tools all weekend long!

This 3-in-1 Avocado Slicer from OXO is just one of the tools you'll take home from the conference.

VIP Treatment

In The Raw is sending all Eat Write Retreat attendees who register by April 15, 2013, an exclusive offer — a sample pack of the Monk Fruit In The Raw™ Bakers Bag, along with a secret recipe for a fantastic sugar cookie developed specifically for this innovative sweetener.  To “sweeten” the deal, In The Raw is sponsoring a ‘Show Your Raw Talent Cookie Decorating Photography’ Contest.  Simply ‘Show Your Raw Talent’ by trying out the recipe and decorating the cookies in your own signature style. Upload a photo of your masterpiece and link to your blog post containing the photo, and you might be rewarded with VIP treatment (two winners will be chosen!):

• A one-year supply of In The Raw products
• 1,000 individual In The Raw sugar packets.  Working with an In The Raw Designer, you can create customized packets with your name, illustrated image/photo or blog logo and URL. (Join famous people such as Jimmy Kimmel, Rachel Ray, Regis Philbin, and Rocco DiSpirito who have also received this exclusive perk.)

The In The Raw VIPs will be announced at the conference, during the In The Raw Milk and Cookie Break on Saturday.  Plus, we’ll all enjoy In The Raw products throughout the weekend, during the Signature Cocktail event on Friday night and various coffee breaks.

So get registered if you’re not already, and get ready for the VIP treatment from In The Raw!

Guidelines

To enter the contest, you must register for Eat Write Retreat by April 15^th. After that date, In the Raw will send you their top secret recipe, along with a Bakers Bag of Monk Fruit In The Raw. Simply “Show Your Raw Talent” by trying out the recipe and decorating a sugar cookie (we recommend at least a 4-inch diameter size) in your own signature style. Upload a photo of your masterpiece and link to your blog post containing the photo by May 17^th at https://www.wf-site.com/microsite/pages/f0dc69f8025b8a54

The winning photograph will be judged on creativity, originality and visual presentation.

If you don’t have a decorative flair, don’t be discouraged, a second winner will be selected at random.  Both winners will be rewarded with the VIP treatment. By entering this contest you allow In The Raw to use your photograph (with a credit and link back to your text URL and website) on In The Raw’s social media pages: Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest; Contest photos (with credit and link back to your text URL and website) may also be posted on In The Raw’s web page at www.InTheRaw.com.

The In The Raw VIPs will be announced at the conference, during the In The Raw Milk and Cookie Break on Saturday.

We are excited to welcome KitchenAid to Eat Write Retreat, along with a lovely assortment of their timeless countertop appliances. Since the introduction of its legendary stand mixer in 1919 and first dishwasher in 1949, KitchenAid has built on the legacy of these icons to create a complete line of products designed for cooks. Over 90 years later, the KitchenAid brand now offers virtually every essential for the well-equipped kitchen with a collection that includes everything from countertop appliances to cookware, ranges to refrigerators, and whisks to wine cellars.

At this year’s conference, KitchenAid will be on hand to share their latest product news and to introduce you to the KitchenAid blogger outreach program. What’s more, KitchenAid will be giving away a selection of their most popular countertop appliances to lucky Eat Write Retreat attendees, including their 7-qt. Stand Mixers, 13-Cup Food Processors and 5-Speed Hand Blenders.

Look for additional KitchenAid appliances in action throughout the conference as we whip up Signature Cocktails on Friday night, grill flatbread pizzas on Sunday, and enjoy our exclusive Williams Sonoma lunch on Sunday, just to name a few.

To connect with KitchenAid before the conference, follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube!

Register to join us for the weekend, and you could walk away with a fabulous KitchenAid appliance and a great relationship with an iconic brand!

Eat Write Retreat Culinary Challenge Guidelines:

Four delicious and versatile ingredients will be highlighted in the Amazing Apps Culinary Challenge: California Figs, California Ripe Olives, US Potatoes and California Raisins.

Each participating blogger has been randomly assigned one of these ingredients to feature in an  Amazing Appetizer recipe blog post.

Here are the Culinary Challenge guidelines:

• To participate, create and post an original appetizer recipe featuring your designated ingredient
• In your blog post, include at least one piece of new information that you learned about your ingredient from materials included in the box
• All blog posts must be published by May 15, 2013 to be eligible
• You must submit your post on this page (http://eatwriteretreat.com/amazing-apps-culinary-challenge-recipe-link)
• One winner will be selected in each of the four ingredient categories
• Winners will be selected by the ingredient sponsors based on the following criteria
• 25% originality
• 25% uses ingredient in a creative way
• 25% photography quality
• 25% follows “Amazing Appetizers” theme

The Amazing App Culinary Challenge will culminate at the Eat Write Retreat Gala Awards Ceremony on Saturday evening, June 1 at R2L, one of Philadelphia’s premier dining destinations. All attendees will be treated to spectacular views of the Philly skyline while enjoying delectable bites highlighting the four delicious ingredients

The winner in each ingredient category will be announced during the Gala Awards Ceremony. The grand prize in each ingredient category is an Apple iPad and a $25 gift card to pick some amazing apps to use on your new iPad, an OXO Cookbook Holder to keep your screen shiny and new while cooking, and $500  of your choice of OXO tools…and of course, year-long bragging rights.

Questions? Feel free to contact us, and in the meantime, get cooking!

Liz Conant
Fleishman-Hillard
Liz.Conant@fleishman.com
916-492-5333

Casey Benedict
Eat Write Retreat
Casey@eatwriteretreat.com
610-322-8035

At Canadian Beef, they LOVE food bloggers. They love your stories, your delicious recipes and they even love your kitchen disasters. To celebrate all that makes food bloggers fabulous–and to help you do more of what they love–they’re providing six scholarships to the Eat Write Retreat food blogger conference in Philadelphia, PA, May 31 – June 2, 2013.

Before we dive into the details of these scholarships, we want to make sure you know about the growing collection of Canadian Beef culinary videos on YouTube, created to help home cooks prepare Canadian Beef. Two libraries–Easy Cooking with Canada Beef and Quick Canadian Beef Cooking Tips–offer inspiration, education and insider tips for preparing a variety of different cuts a variety of different ways. From broiling to burgers, from pan searing to pot roast, they’ve got what you need! Check ‘em out at the links above.

By now you’re probably wondering what these beefy videos have to do with Eat Write Retreat. It’s pretty simple, actually. To enter to win one of the six scholarships, we’d like you to write a post about an experience you’ve had with Canadian Beef. You can describe a treasured beef memory, share a go-to beef recipe, or even recount a kitchen disaster involving Canadian Beef. Then, we’d like you to pair your memory, recipe or flop (or whatever you write about) with one of the Canadian Beef videos. Link to a video that offers a tutorial of a technique that complements your recipe, or select a video that could have saved the day when you were headed for an epic fail. The choice is yours!

Once your post is ready, visit this page and let us know with a link in the comments. It’s that simple! What’s more, you can enter as many times as you like, as long as each entry is unique and follows the guidelines.

Of course, we have some “official” guidelines below. Read up, get started and good luck! Who knows? You could be headed to Eat Write Retreat at the end of May!

Guidelines

No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Must be 21 or older to enter. Open to Canadian-based bloggers only. Entry deadline is 11:59 PM ET April 10, 2013. Six winners will be selected at random from all eligible entries. Winners will have 24 hours to claim prize after being notified, at which time a new winner will be chosen. Odds of winning approximately 1 in 50.

Eligible entries must include the following:

• link to Canadian Beef website: http://www.beefinfo.org
• reference to Canadian Beef video (link or embed directly in your post). Start your search here: Easy Cooking with Canada Beef and Quick Canadian Beef Cooking Tips
• link to Eat Write Retreat website: http://www.eatwriteretreat.com/
• At least one Twitter update using #loveCDNbeef hashtag

Total retail value of prize not to exceed $749 and includes a Double Occupancy Registration to the 2013 Eat Write Retreat conference, as listed here. No cash value will be awarded. Travel and additional expenses are the responsibility of the winner.

 

Create a delicious dish featuring Tuscan Fields farro and you could be headed to Eat Write Retreat!

If farro is new to you, you’ll love discovering this ancient grain. It has a mellow, nutty taste, a pleasing “al dente” texture when cooked, and offers loads of nutrients in each bite. Plus, it’s versatile enough to elevate side dishes, salads, soups and main courses to culinary excellence!

To enter to win this scholarship, you will need to:

• Register below to receive your free sample of Tuscan Fields (limited to the first 50 bloggers to sign up by March 17, 2013).
• Create an original post featuring Tuscan Fields farro, including an original recipe and photo as well as links to Tuscan Fields (http://www.tuscanfieldsfarro.com/) and Eat Write Retreat (http://eatwriteretreat.com).
• Mandatory: Leave a link to your Tuscan Fields recipe post in the comments on this page by 11:59 PM ET, April 7, 2013.
• Optional: Follow Tuscan Fields on Twitter and leave a comment here letting us know for an extra chance to win.
• Optional: Like Tuscan Fields on Facebook and leave a comment here letting us know for an extra chance to win.

We can’t wait to see what you come up with! Best of luck!

Rules and Guidelines

No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Must be 21 or older to enter. Open to US residents only. Entry deadline is 11:59 PM ET April 7, 2013. Winner will be selected at random from all eligible entries. Winner will be announced on April 8, 2013. Winner will have 24 hours to claim prize, at which time a new winner will be chosen. Odds of winning approximately 1 in 50.

Total retail value of prize not to exceed $749 and includes a Double Occupancy Registration to the 2013 Eat Write Retreat conference, as listed here. No cash value will be awarded. Travel and additional expenses are the responsibility of the winner.

Monica Bhide, food writer and writing coach extraordinaire

What could be more effective and helpful than personalized feedback on your work from one of the premier food writers in the industry?

We are pleased to offer one-on-one mentoring with Monica Bhide, our writer-in-residence for Eat Write Retreat. Eight meetings will be available during our innovative Pitch to the Pros session. During 10-15 minute meetings, Monica will personally advise attendees on any number of subjects: culinary writing, branding, mission, and more!

Spaces are limited and will be released at 12:00 PM ET on Saturday March, 2, 2013. Only registered attendees will have the opportunity to sign up for an individual mentoring session with Monica. Register today, during early bird registration, for your chance to directly benefit from Monica’s insight and savvy!

About Monica Bhide

Monica Bhide has written on food for such publications as The New York Times, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Christian Science Monitor, Bon Appetit, Town and Country Travel, Food and Wine, Cooking Light, Health, and Better Nutrition. She has authored three cookbooks, the latest being: Modern Spice: Inspired Indian recipes for the Contemporary Kitchen (Simon & Schuster, 2009), which Padma Lakshmi called her personal – “BEST.BOOK.EVER” in Newsweek.

In 2012, The Chicago Tribune picked Monica as one of seven note-worthy food writers to watch. And Mashable recently picked Monica as one of the top 10 food writers on Twitter.

Carolyn Ketchum

Sarah W. Caron

Stunning visuals are a must these days, especially for a food blog. Our readers eat first with their eyes, and a captivating photo can help build readership as much as an engaging story.

But great photography doesn’t always require the latest gadgets, a premium lighting package and pricey editing software. Successful bloggers Carolyn Ketchum and Sarah W. Caron will share “grass roots” tricks of the trade that have allowed them to prosper professionally while still considering themselves amateur photographers.

From utilizing natural light and emphasizing the basic appeal of a dish, to entry-level software packages and semi-manual settings, Carolyn and Sarah will walk you through the choices and challenges of a home photographer. Their photography education will begin in a core workshop, and continue through “refresher moments” during other sessions of the conference, with ample opportunity to apply their insights on the spot to improve your results.

What’s more, this invigorating session is presented at Eat Write Retreat in partnership with Watermelon and Jarlsberg USA. During the workshop, you will benefit from direct feedback from the PR pros in charge of their brand’s image, including frequent collaboration with stylists and photographers. Stephanie Barlow and Ronnie Campbell(Watermelon.org and Jarlsberg USA, respectively) will offer pointers and insights into what they look for in brand imagery as the session unfolds, giving us a crash course in best practices when working with clients.

About Watermelon.org

Who knew you could do so much with a watermelon? We did! At Watermelon.org you can browse our extensive watermelon recipe collection and get inspired by our exciting watermelon carvings! Learn everything there is to know about watermelon, from the health and nutrition aspects to obscure fun facts and frequently asked questions. We have lots of fun for kids, classes, families and everyone who loves watermelon like we do!

About Jarlsberg USA

Jarlsberg is a mild, semi-soft cheese with large eyes and a slightly sweet, buttery and nutty flavor, with creamy texture. America’s most popular specialty cheese, Jarlsberg is incredibly versatile, complimenting a broad range of meat, fish, vegetable, egg, rice and pasta dishes as well as salads and sandwiches galore. Ideal for cooking and for entertaining, Jarlsberg is also great for munching as is, and melts readily and smoothly in sauces and toppings.

Monica Bhide

Join us at Eat Write Retreat and learn to master the written word with intensive instruction from noted food writer Monica Bhide. Named one of Mashable’s "Top Ten Food Writers to Watch on Twitter" and by The Chicago Tribune as "one of seven note-worthy food writers," Monica will challenge you to rethink your blogging identity and breathe new life into your writing. Not only will she lead a core class focused on food writing in the age of sponsored posts, but she will provide insight and feedback on your writing throughout the weekend. Her tips and techniques will jump start your passion for your work! Plus, you will have ample opportunity to connect with Monica throughout the weekend, as our all-inclusive programming focuses on strengthening connections and nurturing relationships.

Get to know Monica before the conference on Twitter and through her wonderful website, A Life of Spice.

***

To kick off registration in high style, we’re throwing in a brand new Nikon D5100 D-SLR kit for one lucky attendee who registers between now and March 1, 2013*. What’s more? Take advantage of early bird pricing with 10% off your registration (until March 1, 2013).

Visit the Eat Write Retreat website for more information on schedule, speakers and sponsors. Stay tuned for updates as we reveal all the fabulous events and sessions we have in store for you!

*Winner will be chosen randomly from all attendees who register on or before March 1, 2013. Must be in attendance to win. See website for more details.