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Cookbook Author Diane Morgan’s Bay Area Events, MasterChef Casting Call & More

Diane Morgan Visits the Bay Area

Veteran cookbook author Diane Morgan will host a series of events in the Bay Area to introduce her newest cookbook, “Roots” (Chronicle Books).

The book, which features more than 225 recipes, will show you creative ways to enjoy familiar root vegetables such as carrots and potatoes, as well as the more obscure ones such as galangal and crosnes.

Meet Morgan at 6 p.m. Oct. 10 at Omnivore Books in San Francisco, where she’ll be signing copies of her cookbook. The event is free.

Then, join her Oct. 11 at 6:30 p.m. at Draeger’s in San Mateo, when she’ll teach the class, “From Cocktails to Dessert: The Delicious Underground World of Root Vegetables.” Cost is $60 per person.

Casting Calls For MasterChef Season 4

If you’re a fan of “MasterChef” (and yes, I count myself among them), you’ll want to make plans for when casting calls are held nationwide to find contestants for Season 4.

The popular culinary competition — hosted by the triumvirate of Chef Gordon Ramsay, Chef Graham Elliot and Restauranteur Joe Bastianich — aims to find the best home cooks in America.

For those in the Bay Area, the closest casting calls to you will be:

* Oct. 6 in San Diego

* Nov. 3 in Los Angeles

* Nov. 10 in Portland, Ore.

For more details, click here.

Annual Literary Festival Celebrates All Things Delicious

Litquake, San Francisco’s annual literary festival, Oct. 5-13, is sure to be a scrumptious time this year because its focus is all about food.

Among the fun events will be “Novel Endings: Spicy Drinks and Artisinal Desserts,” 6 p.m. Oct. 12 at the Bold Italic Offices, 34 Page St. in San Francisco.

Enjoy dessert tastings and after-dinner drinks from Jake Godby and Sean Vahey of Humphrey Slocombe, Laura Starr of “The Party Girl Cookbook” (Conari), pastry doyenne Alice Medrich, and Master Sommelier Evan Goldstein.

St. George Spirits will craft a special cocktail just for the event: the Spiced Apple Thief.

Tickets are $20. Attendees must be 21 years or older.

Oct. 13 at 6 p.m., join in the fun at Craftsman & Wolves in San Francisco when Marcia Gagliardi of Tablehopper hosts “Out of the Kitchen and On the Road: Local Chefs Share Their Travel Stories.”

Among those on the panel will be Daniel Patterson of Coi and Ritchie Nakano of Hapa Ramen.