Food agenda: Release of Gwyneth Paltrow's new cookbook

Female chefs dominate this week's gastronomy agenda, with the release of Gwyneth Paltrow's first cookcook My Father's Daughter. S. Pellegrino World's Best Restaurant Awards also announces the winner of the Best Female Chef Award this week, the first year for the category.

45th Annual Vinitaly
April 7-11
Veronafiere Fairground
Verona, Italy

Vinitaly is the largest five-day event devoted to international wines and spirits, winemaking and wine business. Each day offers a series of technical tastings, food & wine pairings, haute cuisine and much more with 4200 exhibitors ranging from Champagne to Grappa. Over 153,000 participants including producers, importers, distributors, caterers, technicians, journalists and opinion leaders come together to celebrate wine and food with Taste of Italy, an opportunity to experience Italian products from cereals to truffles and the world of olive oil; the annual International Wine Competition and various business workshops. Daily tickets are 45 euros.
http://www.vinitaly.com/visitatori_en.asp

The 25th Salon de Gourmets International Fair
April 11-14
Feria de Madrid
Madrid, Spain

The world's largest trade event for gourmet food and beverage products highlights this year's program with over 36,000 gourmet products from over 16 nations from Argentina to Malaysia and hosts over 76,000 professional visitors. Last year's invited guest of honor was Ireland. This year, the country being featured is Poland. Gourmet cuisine from Russia will also be featured.
http://www.gourmets.net/

First World's Best Female Chef Award announced
April 11
London
This year marks the first time that the S. Pellegrino's World's Best Restaurant Awards honors the best female chefs in the world. Finalists in the new category include Anne-Sophie Pic, a three Michelin-starred chef who helms Maison Pic in France; Elena Arzak of Arzak restaurant in Spain; and Nadia Santini of Dal Pescatore in Italy. The winner will be announced Monday, April 11 and recognized at the S. Pellgrino awards gala April 18.
http://www.theworlds50best.com/

World Whiskies Conference
April 12-13
Glasgow, Scotland

A trade event that brings together whisky producers of the world, the conference is billed as a networking event among industry leaders. This year's event will forecast the next five years in the whisky business, effective marketing techniques, and the role of social media in scotch branding.
http://www.whiskyconference.com/

Official release date of Gwyneth Paltrow's cookbook My Father's Daughter
April 13 in the US and Canada
April 28 in the UK, under the title Notes from my Kitchen Table

Rumour has it that Paltrow, who already writes a well-read blog Goop, is trying to spread her wings into many different pots. In addition to pursuing a country music career, Paltrow releases a new cookbook today in homage to her late father. She also co-hosted a travel and culinary show in Spain, "On the Road Again," with Mario Batali and food writer Mark Bittman.

Slow Food Market or Markt Des Guten Geschmacks
April 14-17
Stuttgart, Germany

Slow Food Germany's exhibition of good, clean and fair food is held in Stuttgart for four days each April, bringing together artisan producers and traders from across Germany as well as from Austria and Italy. The marketplace is the central attraction of the event, which also presents a series of workshops, discussions, excursions and dinners.
http://www.messe-stuttgart.de/cms/slowfood11_besucher_messe0.0.html

Wine China Exhibition
April 17-19
National Agriculture Exhibition Center, Beijing, China

Wine China Exhibition is the 2011 China International Wine & Spirits event that will focus this year on channel developing, brand building and sharing cultures. Beijing will host importers, wholesalers, dealers, agents and consumers from all over the world to expand brand promotion and education within China's rapid growing wine market. Exhibitors from wine producing countries range from Algeria to Paraguay.
http://www.winechinaexhibition.com/en/index.html

45th Pillsbury Bake-Off
Contest closes April 18
Orlando, Florida, USA

It's a cooking contest that comes with a staggering one million-dollar prize. The winning idea, which is submitted online - could be a new twist on a family favorite, a variation of a restaurant favorite or a recipe inspired by a single ingredient. Judging will be based on taste, appearance, creativity, and how it will appeal to families across America. The Bake-Off contest takes place in March of next year, 2012. One hundred finalists will compete in Orlanda, FL, March 25-27, 2012.  
http://www.pillsbury.com/bakeoff/finalists

10th annual S. Pellegrino World's 50 World's Best Restaurant Awards
April 18
London, United Kingdom

The S.Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants list is announced annually and based on its academy's votes. The academy is comprised of 800 international food critics, restaurateurs, writers and chefs. Each member of the academy votes for his or her top seven restaurants, not the chef.  The criteria is two-fold: voters are to have dined at the restaurants within a period of 18 months and three votes are to be given to restaurants outside the voters' geographic locale.
http://www.theworlds50best.com/

National Garlic Day
April 19
US and UK

What started out in the US as a day to celebrate the stinking rose, is spreading across the pond with the UK publicizing the event as well. No one seems to know where it originated from, however it's become a nationwide excuse to consume large quantities of the pungent flavor-enhancer without apologies.

Release of The Dukan Diet
April  19
US and Canada

The controversial weight-loss book that is a bestseller in France and was followed by Kate Middleton's mom, releases in the US and Canada. The book largely resembles another controversial program, the Atkins diet, and stresses a diet heavy on protein, light on carbs.
http://www.dukandiet.com/

McDonald's mass one-day hiring spree
April 19
US

Career day at McDonald's will see the fast-food chain hire 50,000 people across the US in one day to fill full and part-time positions at their 14,000 restaurants in the country. The hiring spree has been said to try and reinvent the negative image of a "McJob" as one that has career growth and endless possibilities.