Sweet Potato is the Secret Ingredient at the Asheville Chef’s Challenge!

Posted on August 13, 2014 by Susan Murray

Behind the Treats: Sourcing Asheville’s Sweets

Maggie Cramer
 

How Sweet It Is: A Chocolate Primer
-Maggie Cramer

"There are four basic food groups: milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate, and chocolate truffles." - Anonymous

Whoever said it, well, they’re one smart (chocolate) cookie. But reading the sweet-toothed sage’s wise words made me realize I wasn’t knowledgeable about the differences between three of the “groups.” So I studied up, and here’s what I learned:

by Angela Roberts on July 27, 2014    http://spinachtiger.com/

In August we are making our way to Asheville, North Carolina for the Asheville Food and Wine Festival. The three day event kicks off August 21 with ELIXIR a cocktail mix-off by over twenty of  the best bartenders in town. The event location is a secret, creating lots of buzz around the buzz.

By Jenna Walton

The calm warm hues of the Century Room, from the barn rafters and red brick walls to the late evening sunlight slipping across the hardwood floor, belie the buzz of anticipation infusing this classy second-story dive.  Some in attendance are guest judges, restaurateurs, and media personnel; others and all – food connoisseurs from every walk of life.   In short, we are the tables of hungry gung-ho foodies. And we are waiting for 7:00.

July 23, 2014

BY CARLA SEIDL

Forty-seven other diners and I gathered at eight circular tables last night, striking up conversation with new friends and delighting in the abundance of flavor, skill, and artistry before us.

With its open, high ceilinged loft space, and inviting wood beams and decor, the Century Room at Pack's Tavern provided the perfect ambiance for the event. Everyone could easily see everyone else: a mix of local foodies, professional judges, and a few out of town visitors.

Drink Up, Prohibition-Style
By Maggie Cramer

Curious about what you’ll drink at ELIXIR, Asheville Wine & Food Festival’s Prohibition experience on August 21? Prohibition-inspired cocktails, of course—with creative spins by local master mixologists! Here are some tasty possibilities they might use as muses:

The Parlance of Prohibition
By Maggie Cramer

As a writer, I’m certainly a logophile. But although I’m telling you this via blog, a term that only entered our lexicon 15 years ago, neologism isn’t my thing. I love bygone words and phrases—whizbang, snollygoster, hornswoggle, anyone?