Tomato Watch 2014

Tomato Watch 2014—you know, the thrice-daily trips to your garden to see if they’re maybe just maybe ripe and ready, or the weekly “Are they here yet?” ask of farmers at your neighborhood tailgate market—has officially ended, and tomato season has finally arrived. Knowing how painful a tomato-less winter it was for Ashevilleans, Festival Director Bob Bowles didn’t waste any time revealing ‘maters as the secret ingredient to a hungry audience at the third Asheville Scene Chefs Challenge Tuesday.

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BATTLE OF THE BLUEBERRY

My intention was to have a few days in Asheville to support Charleston’s Bloom Supperclub, in town competing at the Asheville Wine and Food Festival…BATTLE OF THE BLUEBERRY!!!  This became an   unexpected opportunity to start The Diva is a Chef blog.

 

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July 1, 2014 - First Day of the Asheville Scene Chefs Challenge

The day started early for everyone. Sun was bright early and the chefs were ready for action! The big day is here! It is the first day of the Asheville Scene Chefs Challenge at the Century Room at Pack’s Tavern, downtown Asheville.

 

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Commercial and Non-Commercial Winemakers Competition

Wine. Food. Spirits. Mountains. Beer. Desserts. Wine… Yep. The Asheville Wine and Food Festival is coming up August 21 – 23, 2014 in Asheville, North Carolina. The Festival is an opportunity to finish off the summer by indulging in craft cocktails, decadent desserts and all kinds of fabulous food. It’s going to be a great three days and the end of August seems just too far away to bear.

 

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Paris of the South Pasta and Why Asheville is Calling Me

I'll never forget the day that I first heard about Asheville.  I had just landed a job at a prestigious college in Montecito, CA, and my boss said he was heading there the next day for a conference.  My first thought was, where in the world is Asheville (we didn't have Google back then).  And my next was, is there actually life outside of California?

 

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A Fly on the Festival Walls: Grand Tasting 2013

You couldn't swing a hock of Iberian ham in the U.S. Cellular Center on Saturday without hitting a table teeming with tastes of wine, food or craft beer. Armed with a wine glass in one hand and a tote in the other, Festival goers could choose their own foodie adventure, going either left or right around the concourse before heading down to the lower level for even more sweet and savory morsels.

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FRS Chefs Challenge Finale: And the Winner Is...


By Maggie Cramer

 

One hour. Three courses: appetizer, entrée, dessert. At 2pm sharp, Asheville Wine & Food Festival Founder and Director Bob Bowles began explaining the rules of the FRS Chefs Challenge Finale to the competitors and crowd. “Now, if you can’t make a dessert, I understand,” Bowles teased the chefs, reminiscing about the, well, challenging ingredients of past challenges. 

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ELIXIR Recap

They had me at ham biscuit bites and mini rum and Cokes. Our first ELIXIR event entailed two very happy hours filled with food, spirit samples, and a mixology competition that brought out the creativity in some of Asheville's best bartenders. Each bartender in the competition had to incorporate Angry Orchard Hard Cider into the mix.

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