New CIA Scholarships; Batali's Table to Farm Series

EVERYWHERE— Because everybody's celebrating the release of Jon Favreau's film Chef, the Culinary Institute of America has announced three Chef FIRST Merit Scholarships, issued to full-time, four-year students interested in the culinary arts. (Chef Roy Choi, who consulted on the film, is a CIA graduate.) Three scholarships will be available every year for the next five years and are valued at $16,000 each. More information here. [EaterWire]

VIDEO INTERLUDE— Over on his official site, Mario Batali has launched a new video series that takes viewers from "Table to Farm." The premiere episode, focusing on ramps, is like a cooking show literally in reverse: Starting with the completed dish, it follows the ramp's trajectory backwards, from the farmer's market stand to the forager. Give it a watch here. [EaterWire]

BOOK CLUB— Melody Overton, the writer behind insidery Starbucks blog Starbucks Melody, has released a book: According to an announcement, Tales of the Siren chronicles Overton's "unique experiences during the brand's transformation," it's available for download now. [EaterWire]

The Culinary Institute of America. [Photo: Facebook]