I spent my vacation, as usual, under a beach umbrella, reading while wiggling my toes in the sand. It's all the effort I want to make near the waves.

After finishing a Michael Jackson biography, I needed to shake the psychological claustrophobia out of my head and so I picked up "Julie & Julia: 364 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen" by blogger Julie Powell. The book has been made into a movie that is playing now.

If you are faint of heart when it comes to graphic language and sex, skip this book, because it's really not so much about cooking as it is an exploration of one woman's life and psyche (and one thankfully far different from MJ's). It's very funny.

She endeavored to cook every recipe in Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" and blog about it as a way to jump-start her life, but really, it all jump-started some nice writing, as such things can do.

The book sent me to the Web to see some of Ms. Child's shows. I have memories of watching them after school and being alternately somewhat frightened by Ms. Child -- quite a visage, she was, to an elementary school kid -- and fascinated by her cooking.

And in rewatching, I remembered why: You learned so much from the show. Omelets were the subject of one. Julia Child not only showed you the technique for flipping a perfect omelet, she showed you again: Here's how to hold the pan, here's how to toss it, here's what it should look like when it's done, and if it doesn't, here's how to fix it.

If you want to see anything again on a cooking show now, it's up to you to hit the playback button on your DVR. Not such a bad thing, and modern cooking shows have a lot to offer. But I do like the more intensive instruction Ms. Child gave on hers. It seemed to treat the cook, and the food, with so much more . . . respect.

Her shows were never about her. I mean, she didn't disguise the age spots on her hands.

To watch, go to pbs.org, where you can also buy her shows on DVD. They're all back-ordered, which goes to show how popular she remains.

We had it wrong last week: You can have a green drink from 5 to 9 p.m. tomorrow at Six Penn Kitchen, Downtown, courtesy of folks who work in the environmental field or seek a greener planet.

Get ready for the fourth Savor Pittsburgh: A Celebration of Cuisine competition, to be held Sept. 2 at the heart of the SouthSide Works, under sprawling white canopies. The event benefits the American Respiratory Alliance of Western Pennsylvania.

Chefs will compete for the title of "Dish of the Year," and more than 20 restaurants will offer some of their best fare. Beginning at 6 p.m., a $50 ticket covers unlimited cocktails, wine, beer and soft drinks, music and a silent auction. Tickets to a pre-event VIP reception at sponsor McCormick & Schmick's are $75.

Call the Alliance at 1-800-220-1990, or visit healthylungs.org. You can also learn more about the Alliance and its programs to support lung health. It serves more than 3 million people in Western Pennsylvania.

Judges for the Dish of the Year will include former PG Nibbles columnist Nancy Anderson; food and wine writers Marlene Parrish and Bruce May; Chris Fennimore and Rick Sebak, WQED-TV; Victoria Bradley, Whirl magazine and Edible Allegheny; Christina French, Table magazine; John Gruver, executive development chef, Giant Eagle Market District; Ann Haigh and Sally Quinn, Pittsburgh Tribune Review; chefs Art Inzinga and Ray Wesolowski, Pennsylvania Culinary Institute; and, oh, moi.

Jim Lokay of KDKA-TV is emcee, with Theresa Colaizzi of WWSW-FM.

The winner gets a seven-night Wine Harvest Cruise along the Rhine.

I predict some outstanding food.

For a list of participating restaurants, go to savorpgh.org.

A five-course gourmet wild game National Road Frontier Dinner will be prepared by Chef Joe Carei beginning at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 28 at Christian Klay Winery, Chalk Hill, Fayette County. The farm-to-table menu includes duck perogies among the starters, and entrees of pheasant from Four Seasons Farm, Butler County, and Pennsylvania whitetail venison. There also will be wine pairings from Christian Klay from start to finish, Pittsburgh Boyd & Blair potato vodka and so much more. Silent and ticket auctions of Steelers, Penguins, Pitt and WVU tickets and more. $65 per person in advance. Visit nationalroadpa.org or call 724-437-9877.

The Downtown farmers market moves today from Market Square to Gateway Center, due to reconstruction of the square. It is now in Gateway Plaza, between Gateway II and the Hilton Hotel and Towers. The location will be used through the end of the season in December.

EQT will hold a 2009 Steelers Pre-season Roundtable beginning at 6 p.m. next Thursday at the Holiday Inn, Meadowlands. Proceeds will go to Corner Cupboard Food Bank and Habitat for Humanity in Greene County, the Greater Washington County Food Bank and Washington County Literacy Council.

Speakers include sports talk radio host Ellis Cannon of WPGH 104.7 FM; Edmund Nelson, former Steelers defensive tackle; and Dale Lolley, sports writer, the Observer-Reporter.

A tailgate buffet dinner precedes the roundtable, and there will also be a silent auction and special prize drawing. Tickets are $35 each and can be purchased by contacting the benefit agencies. For more information, call Diane Balcom at 412-600-6176 or e-mail dbalcom@msn.com.

The Slow Foods chapter at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh will hold a HomeGrown Festival from 2 to 8 p.m. Saturday at the school, 420 Blvd. of the Allies, Downtown. The farmers market and sustainability festival will feature local bands, free pulled pork sandwiches, games, prizes and student art.

A "Preserving Food at Home" workshop by the Penn State Cooperative Extension will be held from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Buffalo Inn, South Park. The workshop is for both experienced and novice canners. Cost: $25. For those with pressure canners, dial gauge testing will be done after the workshop. Register at 412-473-2540..

Achieva will hold its 11th Million Dollar Golf Outing beginning at 9:30 a.m. Monday at Valleybrook Country Club, Peters. Brunch at 10:30, shotgun start, 11:45. Five golfers will be chosen at random to participate in the Million Dollar Hole In One Golf Challenge at 5:30. Dinner at 6:30. Contact Deb Malanowski, 412-995-5000, ext. 452 or e-mail dmalanowski@achieva.info.