Test, test, test

By Courtney, Coco Cooks ~

Since I started catering  on my own as Coco Cooks,I’m obsessed with presentation. The challenge is to provide high flavor and appeal, low-cost, but not sacrifice taste. Summer is coming and I have some events lined up. An inexpensive option for passed  appetizers is  always a tasty chicken wing. 100 wings can be cut down into 200 pieces easily. But how  can I make it more highbrow , than low brow? Lollipop them!

In catering or restaurants starters are either cleverly skewered or lollipop-ed.  It’s easy to pick up, and not messy. One or two bites and your guest is  done, with your server tastefully moving away the small remains left behind. Not to mention the variations in sauces and cooking applications.Spicy, sweet, sour, dry, wet, fried,smoked, baked, etc. The list is endless. You just need a good small sharp knife or poultry shears. [Read More & Get Recipe]

By Rocquie, Sage Trifle ~

My Mother is a marvelous cook and loves to cook. I loved spending time with her in the kitchen when I was growing up, watching her, and when I got old enough, helping her. She is my inspiration. She still loves trying out new recipes and every time we talk, we talk about what we have been cooking.

We both love getting in the kitchen together to make feasts for family and friends. We love planning the meals, making our shopping list, and going to the grocery store. Bringing in the bags of food is a bit of a chore and the clean up is not fun, but neither of us really minds. She is better at washing china and polishing silver. I am better at scrubbing pans.

When Mama and Daddy were visiting for the week of Thanksgiving, we were watching an episode of Paula Deen. Paula made what she called Sweet Potato Balls and it evoked a memory in Mama. She said her grandmother used to make them and called them Sweet Potato Surprises. [Read More & Get Recipe]

Season’s at Highland Lake Inn announces its Spring Cooking Class and Lunch on Saturday, May 19, 2012 at 11:00am.  Cost is $30 per person and reservations are required.

Season’s Executive Chef, Peter Fassbender, will demonstrate how to prepare an entrée and dessert, answer questions about the preparation, and provide helpful cooking instructions and tips.

The Featured Entrée will be a Bison Short Rib Ossobuco.  This Burgundy-Braised Bison Short Rib, served with its own braising Jus will be accompanied by Vegetable Polenta and topped with a Warm Spinach Salad with Tomato and toasted Cumin.

Dessert will be a Banana Brown Butter Tart prepared New Orleans-style, topped with salted Brown Sugar, Caramel and served with Vanilla foam. Upon completion of the class guests will dine on each delightful course and take home copies of each recipe.

Reservations are required and can be made by calling (828) 696-9094.

From Well-Bred Bakery ~

The Supper Club — a once a month event for 46 diners.  A four-course menu, elegantly served (right down to the white tablecloths and napkins) is accompanied by paired wines (. The next is slated for Thursday, May 17 and we are fully booked. The menu for the June event is posted below.

[Epicurean Notes: as of this writing, there are about 15 seats available for the June supper club, Cost is $38 pp without wine pairings, $50 pp with wine pairings]

The Supper Club is a once a month event for 46 diners.  A four-course menu, elegantly served (right down to the white tablecloths and napkins) is accompanied by paired wines.

Recent Supper Club menus have included Amuses of Spiced Lentil Cake, Tomato Jam, Thyme Scented Marscapone and Poached Oyster Rockefeller, Appetizers like Crab Bisque with Parmesan Crisp and Grilled Endive and Asparagus with Bacon, Hombolt Fog Bleu Cheese, Dried Cherry Shittake Vinaigrette and Entrees like the mixed grill of Salt & Pepper Grilled Ribeye with Creamed Spinach and Pan Seared Wild Salmon with Rum Glaze, Butternut Squash Ravioli. Of course, desserts to die for like Chocolate Almond Torte, Almond Florentine, Espresso Ice Cream, Salted Caramel and Chocolate Peanut Butter Pate with Bailey’s Hot Chocolate and Old Fashioned Peanut Brittle.

Image: wellbredbakery.com

So, that’s what you’ve missed!

Here’s what’s slated for the June 21 fine dining extravaganza:

Amuse: Melted leek and goat cheese tart, crispy pancetta, tomato jam
Soup & Salad: Truffled artichoke bisque, baby summer vegetable salad, garlic croutons
Entree: Pan seared Wild Alaskan Halibut, lobster mashed potatoes, key lime brown butter, sea bean salad
Dessert: South Carolina Peach crisp, caramel malted milkshake, almond praline

So, the tables will be set, the silver polished and the entrees steaming! To reserve for June, email Judy at judy@wellbredbakery.com.

Well-Bred Bakery
26 N. Main Street
Weaverville, NC 28787
828-645-9300

Learn how to make wine at Falderal Winery on Thursday, June 14, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The class is held at Falderal Winery, 131 Third Avenue West, downtown Hendersonville. Cost is $30 per person or $50 per couple, which includes the class/demonstration, one bottle of wine from Falderal Winery, and a tasting of various wines available at Falderal. Participants purchasing wine-making kits or wine-making supplies receive a 10% discount on the purchase price. Class size is limited, so those interested should contact the winery soon to register. Participants will learn how to make wine using their own grapes or from a kit. Phone Falderal Winery at 693-7676 or email info@falderalwinery.com to sign up or for more information.

“Folks who begin wine production now from one of our kits will be able to enjoy it in 28 to 45 days, depending on the type of wine they make,” said Paul Kovacich. Kovacich is winemaster at Falderal Winery and teaches the class. “Right now is a perfect time to start a winemaking project … you’ll produce 30 bottles of good, flavorful wine that you can brag about.”

In addition, beer-making kits are available as well as supplies and equipment for the do-it-yourself homebrewer and at-home winemaker in the Falderal Winery retail store.

Falderal Winery sells top-of-the-line kits that contain all the ingredients for making delicious wine at home. The ingredients come from well-known wine-producing regions of the world, such as Germany, Spain, France, Australia, California, and many other regions. Kits containing grape juice and concentrate, skins, and fruits are available for red and white wines that range from sweet to dry.

Falderal’s own bottled and labeled wines are made in the winery from the kits sold in the store and from local grapes. The winery is located in the basement below the retail shop.

“We find and purchase the finest juices and concentrates provided by premiere vineyards all over the world,” Kovacich said. “Once we receive the product, we ferment, age, and bottle all of our wine on-site.”

Making homebrewed wine or beer from kits is a fairly new concept in Western North Carolina, he said, however it is a popular hobby in other locations, particularly in Canada, where taxes on purchased wine and beer are high. “There is a craft involved when making wine at home, even if you use a kit,” Kovacich added. “This is why I’m happy to offer classes on how to make your very best small-batch wines at home.”

Luscious, refreshing, sweet, sipping wines can be made from the fruit-based 28-day kits such as Cranberry Chianti or Raspberry White Zinfandel, while true Gewurztraminer, Viognier, Riesling, Merlot, or the Italian favorite, Rosso Fortissimo, will be ready for bottling in 45 days. Customers can order a kit to make almost any type of wine. Kits come in various liter sizes, each making about 30 bottles of excellent wine.

For more information about wine-making classes or about Falderal Winery’s products and services, phone 693-7676 or visit www.falderalwinery.com. The store is open 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. Any wine sold at the store can be tasted during regular business hours.

Learn how to make wine at Falderal Winery on Saturday, June 9, from 3 to 6 p.m. The class is held at Falderal Winery, 131 Third Avenue West, downtown Hendersonville. Cost is $30 per person or $50 per couple, which includes the class/demonstration, one bottle of wine from Falderal Winery, and a tasting of various wines available at Falderal. Participants purchasing wine-making kits or wine-making supplies receive a 10% discount on the purchase price. Class size is limited, so those interested should contact the winery soon to register. Participants will learn how to make wine using their own grapes or from a kit. Phone Falderal Winery at 693-7676 or email info@falderalwinery.com to sign up or for more information.

“Folks who begin wine production now from one of our kits will be able to enjoy it in 28 to 45 days, depending on the type of wine they make,” said Paul Kovacich. Kovacich is winemaster at Falderal Winery and teaches the class. “Right now is a perfect time to start a winemaking project … you’ll produce 30 bottles of good, flavorful wine that you can brag about.”

In addition, beer-making kits are available as well as supplies and equipment for the do-it-yourself homebrewer and at-home winemaker in the Falderal Winery retail store.

Falderal Winery sells top-of-the-line kits that contain all the ingredients for making delicious wine at home. The ingredients come from well-known wine-producing regions of the world, such as Germany, Spain, France, Australia, California, and many other regions. Kits containing grape juice and concentrate, skins, and fruits are available for red and white wines that range from sweet to dry.

Falderal’s own bottled and labeled wines are made in the winery from the kits sold in the store and from local grapes. The winery is located in the basement below the retail shop.

“We find and purchase the finest juices and concentrates provided by premiere vineyards all over the world,” Kovacich said. “Once we receive the product, we ferment, age, and bottle all of our wine on-site.”

Making homebrewed wine or beer from kits is a fairly new concept in Western North Carolina, he said, however it is a popular hobby in other locations, particularly in Canada, where taxes on purchased wine and beer are high. “There is a craft involved when making wine at home, even if you use a kit,” Kovacich added. “This is why I’m happy to offer classes on how to make your very best small-batch wines at home.”

Luscious, refreshing, sweet, sipping wines can be made from the fruit-based 28-day kits such as Cranberry Chianti or Raspberry White Zinfandel, while true Gewurztraminer, Viognier, Riesling, Merlot, or the Italian favorite, Rosso Fortissimo, will be ready for bottling in 45 days. Customers can order a kit to make almost any type of wine. Kits come in various liter sizes, each making about 30 bottles of excellent wine.

For more information about wine-making classes or about Falderal Winery’s products and services, phone 693-7676 or visit www.falderalwinery.com. The store is open 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. Any wine sold at the store can be tasted during regular business hours.

On Saturday, May 12, the second annual Urban Farm Tour will feature extraordinary examples of city residents who are making our city more sustainable by growing their own vegetables, raising chickens, keeping bees, catching rain water, implementing energy savings solutions and more.

Best of all, these wonderful hosts are willing to inspire others with their knowledge, their successes and the lessons that they have learned.

This self-guided tour will include 31 sites to visit, all within 8 to 10 miles of Downtown Greenville. Our goal is to show city residents just how easy it is to practice sustainable living by growing food and implementing energy efficiency right where we live, work and play.

Highlights of this year’s event include:

•  Pre-event Gala & Concert with the band Hoodoo Hounds at Zen
  Thursday, May 10, 2012 from 7 to 10 p.m.

• Bicycle tours organized by Bikeville of Greenville (A.M. & P.M.)

•  Workshops free of charge with UFT ticket (A.M. and P.M.)

•  Sponsor Exhibit at the UFT headquarters

We anticipate another succesful turnout!

This Saturday from 10-5 Maggie B’s will be celebrating the Weaverville Art Safari with an All Day Wine Tasting! Stop in for local art, food and some tasty juice! Don’t forget this Sunday is Mother’s Day, so bring your mom in for Maggie B’s Mother’s Day Mimosa Bar from 12-5. Treat your mom to some bubbles and a slice of Short Street’s amazing cakes. Happy Mother’s Day & we’ll see you then!

Maggie B’s Wine & Specialty Store
10 C. South Main St.
Weaverville
828 645-1111
www.MaggieBsWine.com

From Courtney, Coco Cooks ~

The weather around the globe has been indecisive, but one can tell spring has truly arrived by what’s available in the markets. If you see green almonds in your culinary shopping pursuits, then spring has arrived. But it’s so fleeting and you must catch it while you can, during the months of April , May and June. I found fresh green almonds at Arax, a Middle Eastern grocery in Niles. I had heard of them but never have seen them before. My co-worker told me of eating them when young in Iraq, and not liking the taste sour taste and gel like inside, so spitting them out. I did more inquiry and found in some countries like Iran, Turkey and Lebanon, they are dipped in salt water and eaten perhaps with an apertif.

I wanted more from the beautiful green fuzzy fruits, and saw a post where in Greece they pickled them and they call them Tsagala. I love a good pickle, and that’s what I decided to do to preserve them before they get to hard. The pickle is perfect as you eat the green almond whole before they get hard and mature to resemble what most people traditionally think of as almonds. If unpicked the green husk of fresh almonds splits to reveal a more mature nut with a hardened shell . You can read more about green almonds here. [Read More & Get Recipe]