Normally a table for four at New York's storied "Elaine's" restaurant required nothing more than a reservation. That hard to get table known as "Table Number One with Four Chairs" is no longer available following it's sale Tuesday at auction for $8,750, far exceeding the pre-sale estimate of $400- $600.

Doyle's Auction house hosted the auction featuring the contents of not only the famed literary and celebrity haunt, but also personal artwork, books, memorabilia, furniture, decorations, fashion and accessories that the legendary owner, Elaine Kaufman who died in December 2010, collected or was given.
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5@5 is a daily, food-related list from chefs, writers, political pundits, musicians, actors, and all manner of opinionated people from around the globe.

Excess herbs - there are worse problems to have. But when you've gone to the trouble of growing them in boxes on a rooftop in the middle of a busy city, you want to make sure you use them to their fullest potential.

Scott Walton, executive chef at Markethouse Restaurant in Chicago specializes in fresh, locally sourced ingredients - some grown mere feet above diners' heads - and it's his mission to make sure every bit of it is sufficiently savored.

C'mon - thyme's a wasting!

Five Ways to Use Herbs Year 'Round: Scott Walton
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Wild boar, rabbit, goat and venison may rank as alternative foods for carnivores around the world, but a slowly growing industry in Australia is taking to lesser-known native animals. Australian farmers are reporting an increased demand for local game supplies as they make their way onto restaurant menus - particularly in Melbourne.

Pubs are beginning to order game meat for their bistros. Philosophically, consumers are taking to game due to its environmentally-friendly, methane-free qualities.

A native food revolution? Not quite. But there is a push for these meats to gain more local and international attention, reports The Age.

Read Fry me kangaroo brown, sport! Aussies tucking into more native animals on CNNGo

Sheila Steffen is a producer for CNN. Tune in to American Morning this week for special reporting on hunger in America, and check back with Eatocracy to see how she does on her food stamp challenge.

That is the reality for the more than 40 million Americans who rely on food stamps. According to the Food Research and Action Center the average food stamp allotment is just $30 per week.

I began thinking about taking a food stamp challenge earlier this month when I met several women who we profiled on hunger for two CNN stories (which will be posted on this site later in the week). These women had to make tough choices between paying bills and buying food. Often they skipped meals so their children could eat. Often the amount of food stamps they received was not enough.

Living on a food stamp budget for just one week won’t begin to put me in these women’s shoes or come close to the struggles that millions of low-income families face every day; week in and week out, month after month. But I do expect to gain a new perspective and a better understanding.
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Sink your teeth into today's top stories from around the globe.

• Will you have to chuck pumpkins from your Halloween festivities? Weather challenges may mean a shortage this year. - Time

• Cup Noodles Museum opens to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Momofuku Ando's invention. College students expected to flock once tickets go on sale 8 for $1. - Dawn

• 16 bucks for a muffin? Justice Department spending called "extravagant." They never hear of Cup Noodles? - NPR

• Candy corn with that Chardonnay? Here's how weird food trends get spawned. - Charlotte Observer

• Drop the chalupa! Taco Bell employee omit hot sauce packets. Customer returns with shotgun. - KCTV

Gentlemen - dare I say your special lady friend looks just smashing tonight? She went out and got her hair and nails done, tweezed various things, squeezed herself into magical, shape-carving, circulation-repressing undergarments (that she'll discreetly remove before you ever see them), and painted on her date face. She's pretty hot.

But you, sir. Would it truly unman you to put on a tie? Maybe one without a passive-aggressive Looney Toons character or sports logo stitched uponst it? Okay, okay - that was overreaching. Might you consider dress shoes? Perhaps something with a non-rubber sole or without a visible logo? Maybe something that covers the toe area? No?
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While you're frying up some eggs and bacon, we're cooking up something else: a way to celebrate today's food holiday.

Go a little nuts with your cookies - September 21 is National Pecan Cookie Day.

You can create your own pecan cookie adventure, or recipe, today! It's one of those lovely munchies that you can make a multitude of ways, and none of them are wrong.

We already celebrated pecan sandies, but you can also raise a toast to pecans by tossing them into cookie dough alongside chocolate chunks, raisins and oatmeal, caramel, orange or lots of butter. Pop 'em on top or chop them into pieces - no matter how you like them, pecans are a great addition to your favorite cookie recipe.

But beware - it's how you pronounce "pecan" that's nuttin' but trouble.

Pssst! Got a sec to chat?

We are utterly thrilled when readers want to hang out and talk – whether it's amongst themselves or in response to pieces we've posted. We want Eatocracy to be a cozy, spirited online home for those who find their way here.

Consider the daily Coffee Klatsch post as your VIP lounge – the primary comments thread for readers who'd like to chat about topics not related to the articles we're running. That way, everyone knows where to find each other, and each post's comments section remains on topic.
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