(article, Kim Carlson)
Like thousands of other Americans, Alice Waters and other notable chefs have descended on Washington, D.C., for the inaugural festivities. But as Marian Burros of the New York Times reports, these citizens aren't just there to watch; they've come to cook, at a series of $500-a-plate dinners held tonight to benefit local food-based charities and raise awareness about sustainable food. According to Burros' blog post on the Times, last night the chefs (including [/author/RickBayless "Rick Bayless"] and Dan Barber) partied at the home of cookbook author [/author/JoanNathan "Joan Nathan"], where some 200 people ate spit-roasted lamb. Among those in attendance were former ag secretary Dan Glickman and his wife. Said Ms. Glickman: bq. “It was like no other party we had been to,” she said. “People were exchanging food off their plates. No one cared how they looked and only cared what they were eating. They were all so relaxed and it was like being in your neighbor’s kitchen . . ."