SOMETHING ABOUT MARY: Call it a Foodie boner but we flubbed the name of Mary Gebrin in last week’s review of Bravo Nader on the Foodie pages. Considering we get mad when someone spells our name wrong, we can’t imagine how Mary felt when she saw her name spelled Cathy. Well, actually we can, because Mary dialed us up and gave us an earful. We considered leaving her little gifts… a little stuffed lamb (as in “Mary Had A…); a DVD of Something About Mary; a statue of the Virgin! We settled on a bunch of flowers and a humble apology. Sorry, Mary.

IRON CHEF: Commack’s Jeffrey Baruch, Executive Chef of London Lennies’ in New York City, will cook on the Food Network’s “Iron Chef America” in an episode to air July 5. Baruch will assist award-winning celebrity chef Sue Torres, who worked as Baruch’s sous chef more than 10 years ago at Isabella’s in Manhattan. With the tables turned this time around, Torres leads the kitchen with the assistance of Baruch as they challenge Iron Chef Bobby Flay to a spicy southwestern culinary duel. The duo spent over five weeks practicing for the challenge, but Baruch brought 31 years of culinary experience to the stove. He worked at such famed New York City restaurants as The Maurice in the Parker Meridian, The Rainbow Room and Isabella’s. He also opened top rated Zagat restaurants throughout Long Island including Metropolis Restaurant in East Setauket, Bistro Blue Restaurant in Greenport, Station and Park Restaurant in Wantagh and Harpoon Harry’s Restaurant in Mattituck. Check it out on the Food Network, July 5.

THANKS, HUNTINGTON FOODIES: The Huntington Referral Network, a local consumer source for recommended business and trades people, recently conducted its 2009 food drive appeal to benefit Island Harvest. Prior to the recession, Island Harvest was supporting over a quarter-million Long Islanders who must turn to soup kitchens and food pantries to eat. Island Harvest was selected this year because it had the lowest administrative costs and highest rate of food supply to the ones that need it most. HRN members solicited local merchants, friends and business partners for donations for a period of two weeks, beginning on May 21. The food drive concluded with a wrap-up event at Honu in Huntington village on June 10, where additional funds and food items were donated. Island Harvest attended the regular business breakfast meeting of HRN on June 23 at Toast & Co. and was presented with $3,550 in donations. Special recognition was made to Huntington restaurants Honu, for hosting the wrap-up event, and Toast & Co., where HRN meetings are held. Many Long Island Stop & Shop stores also donated food cards.

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