Yesterday in a jetlag haze, I turned on the television. On a certain morning program a certain host was discussing insomnia and in the same breath joked that watching "c-span" might serve as a possible cure. It struck me as pretty funny that even daytime TV has staked out its place in the pecking order. Ok, I can hear them saying, we might not be primetime but we're better than c-span!

In addition to tips on skin care, a recap of the Miss America contest and Oscar fashions (now you know why you don't watch daytime TV) was a segment with Mario Batali and Kristin Davis promoting a free pasta cookbook that is also a fundraiser for America's Second Harvest. Hold the phone! I take back all the mean things I said about daytime TV!

I love Mario Batali, I love pasta and I passionately believe in the work of America's Second Harvest. Believe it or not, I'm pretty big on Barilla pasta too. In Italy it was the "house brand" with my family and so it is for me most days.

I checked out the cookbook and found it filled with celebrity recipes that have been "tweaked" by Mario Batali and Giada De Laurentis. The recipes look terrific, and why wouldn't they be? But better yet, by downloading a copy of it, for free, Barilla will donate a $1 to America's Second Harvest and you can even specify your own local food bank if you so desire. Nice. A definite win, win, win. Go get your copy. And stay away from morning TV, unless of course it's Sesame Street.

post written by Amy Sherman