North Carolina Fish Tales: A Cookbook, Soft Crabs & A Day Down East

Posted in 3 day weekend, Cooking Classes, Recipes, Things That Make Your Go Hmmmm by Heidi Billotto

For those of you who follow my blog and my social media feeds, you already know that I am all about supporting local farmers and promoting local farmers markets, products, produce and proteins.

imgres-2 And so I was delighted to be invited by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture to join in a three-day tour for a taste of North Carolina Seafood. It was an exciting opportunity to explore the historic and important commercial fishing & Aquaculture industry in the Old North State. Turns out I learned something I really always knew: Farming isn’t just on land, sometimes its in water, too! North Carolina’s commercial fishing industry needs our attention, and I am delighted to bring the camera into focus for the bigger picture and turn on the spotlight.

imgres-4 The focus of this NC Department of Agriculture tour was on the commercial seafood industry, large and small in the coastal cities of Sea Level, Morehead City, Radio Island, Beaufort, Harkers Island and Smyrna, North Carolina. On the way to and from the coast we also made stops at several fascinating seafood farming operations in Pikeville and Ayden, NC, but those are fish tales for another day.

Fishing is THE industry along the coastal regions here. Since the early days when the North Carolina coast was home to many whalers as well as fishermen, communities have been built up and around the industry. Their mantra was then, as it is now, to preach the gospel of Eating Local North Carolina Seafood. For the members of the local communities who make up the Carolina coast, that point cannot be echoed loudly enough.

For North Carolina’s commercial fishing industry, those third, fourth and sometimes fifth generation fisherman who make bringing fresh locally caught fish to your table their mission, the industry and the commerce it brings is a way of life. Fishing is in their blood and in their hearts. My biggest take away from this trip: when you eat fresh seafood in the state of North Carolina – insist on eating local product! You want to eat fish that came from the ocean off our North Carolina shores, not from across the ocean.

hard shell crab There is lots to be said, and I have many important fish tales to tell as a result of this 3-day coastal excursion and the adventures that ensued.

My first of a series of fish tales here is about our day spent Down East ; a wonderful local lunch at the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum & Heritage Center; and how I learned to make one of my favorites: fried soft crabs.

The first task at hand was to get my bearings and figure out exactly where “Down East” is and where I was. It was explained to me that this eastern most tip of North Carolina’s Crystal Coast, might be described by some as the southern tip of the OuterBanks. But ask the locals and you’ll find that “Down East” runs very specifically from the time you make the turn on Highway 70 and cross over the North River Bridge, down to Cedar Island where people can catch the ferry back up to Okracoke.

North Carolina Coastal History and the Heritage

Our trip Down East started at the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum & Heritage Center. This museum, located on the Cape Lookout National Seashore at Harkers Island. NC, holds a lot of the area’s heritage and history inside with exhibits that tell the tale of the early whaling and fishing communities that built this part of the state. Outside the museum preserves the area’s fowl, flora and fauna on a 4-acre fresh water habitat that surrounds the museum. This year the Core Sound Museum celebrates its 25th anniversary the weekend of June 23, 2017 with its annual Decoy Day celebration on June 24, 2017. The museum holds an incredible collection of antique decoys, many of them locally made important historical examples of the art of hand carving. The day of decoys in June will include carving competitions, local arts & crafts, a “Ducktiques” Roadshow and of course, plenty of fresh local seafood.

Several of the Core Sound Quilters’ Group, dedicated to preserving the heritage of hand sewn quilts and supporting the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum & Heritage Center

The museum does not have a restaurant, but as a part of our tour, we were the guests at a delicious local luncheon of stewed flounder, beef brisket with sweet potatoes, crab cakes, fresh tomatoes, quick pickled cukes, and more prepared and hosted by a group of woman who have worked to make the museum what it is today. These woman were all locals, passionate about their community. They all grew up in the fishing industry and are keen to preserve the commerce that build the community in which they live and love. Many of these women were members of the Core Sound Quilters who, among their other projects, work together to make a large completely hand-sewn quilt each year, auctioned off at the annual anniversary celebration to raise money for the museum. To date their quilts alone have raised over $100,000.00 to go into the museum coffers.

51jamb2pl3L._SX354_BO1,204,203,200_ After lunch we had time to quickly tour a few of the exhibits, climb to the third story tower to check out the fabulous views of the area and to stop in at the gift shop. Lots of coastal goodies here, but my favorite find is always a local cookbook and I was not disappointed.

Island Born and Bred is a collection of Harkers Island recipes, fun facts, history and stories that tell the stories passed down through the generations of this Carolina coastal fishing community. Compiled by the Harkers Island United Methodist Women, it has been in publication since the late 1980’s. Its not only a cookbook, its a great read that goes to preserving the colloquial history of coast. If you collect cookbooks its one to hold on to and use as a wonderful resource.

Mr. Big Seafood

Mr Big Seafood Our next stop on Harkers Island was to a locally owned independent fish house. Fisherman, seafood retailer and wholesalers Eddie and Alison Willis sell Eddie’s own catch directly to chefs, restaurants, other seafood wholesalers and in the retail market from North Carolina up and down the Eastern Seaboard and beyond. A native of Harkers Island, Eddie grew up in the fishing industry and after years of working day and night, in season, for other fish houses, he made the decided to stop fishing for other people and open up his own operation.

Mr Big Seafood opened in 2005 and is a well know spot for fresh Carteret County seafood. In the years since it’s opening Mr. Big Seafood has grown by leaps and bounds and the day before we arrived to visit Eddie, his wife Allison and their crew had just finished shedding and processing 2500 dozen local blue crabs! Do the math and that’s 30,000 individual soft crabs -all processed and packed by hand.

You’ll notice that I didn’t say soft shell crabs. To locals, these are simply soft crabs. Call the spring season when local blue crabs molt and shed their hard shells, “soft shells” and it will be apparent that you are not from around these parts.

heidi holding crab I simply adore soft crabs and to see the operation at Mr. Big Seafood at the height of the soft crab season ( which runs from the first full moon in April till sometime toward the end of May) was fascinating.

The blue crabs are harvested and then placed in shallow pools until they shed their hard shells. Locals call the moment the crab pops out of the hard shell “a buster” and we were lucky enough to actually see it happening on the spot. Mr. Big Seafood’s soft crabs are then shipped fresh or are immediately frozen so that Eddie and Alison have local NC soft crabs to ship from now until March when the season will start again.

Not only do they process crabs at Mr. Big’s, but they catch and process fresh NC shrimp and all other kinds of local seafood as well. As is the way in farming and in fishing, the catch or the harvest changes with the season.

In the midst of the shrimping season, Eddie estimates that his crew of just 3 or 4 employees can head and process 70 lbs of fresh North Carolina shrimp every 11 mins – and again, its all done by hand! The operations from fish boat to fresh catch to freezer run all year long and Mr. Big Seafood sells hard and soft crabs, shrimp and fish fresh, frozen and live from January till November; but they take a break from the long days in the fish house and nights out on the boat in December. Then after the New Year’s Eve clock strikes 12, they all swim back into action once again.

One might question if its better to purchase this local fish fresh or frozen, the answer is you’ll be good either way. This fish is processed, packed & properly frozen less than 24 hours from the time it was found swimming in the ocean. Hungry for more? You can make arrangements to order your fill of soft crabs, shrimp and just about any type of fresh NC seafood from Eddie and Alison Willis at Mr. Big Seafood by calling them directly at 919.971.3905. You can pick up your order from the shop at Harkers Island – its worth the trip to make the visit for yourself; or they are glad to make arrangement to meet you in Morehead City, Beaufort or along the coast if you are there for a visit.

If not, Mr. Big’s Seafood delivers across the state as far as Raleigh and can make arrangements to meet anyone from Charlotte or points west in or around the Raleigh area or you can have your order shipped Fed Ex, but the delivery charges are on you.

Once you have your soft crabs in hand – how to properly cook them becomes the question. The crabs and the fried fish we ate on our NC Seafood Tour of the coast were all lightly breaded – nothing was batter dipped. I wanted to make soft crabs like that at home, so I went to the source: my new Island Born and Bred cookbook from the Core Museum Gift shop. The recipe is really easy, all you need is local NC soft crabs, of course, oil and breader.

breaders As timing and travel would have it, I was unable to purchase crabs from Mr. Big Seafood while we were on the tour, but I loved this little coastal community and will be back to visit Harkers Island again soon.

In the meantime, to satisfy my soft crab craving, our tour coordinator Kristen Baughman of Table Top Media in Raleigh, was kind enough to stop at B&J Seafood’s retail store in New Bern on our way back home from the coast.

We had also visited B&J’s dock, fishing boat fleet and processing plant on Radio Island, one of the few remaining fish house’s in the Morehead City/Beaufort area while we were on the tour, so I knew this place was also the real deal. Long fish story short, I was able to pick up a beautiful bakers’ dozen of fresh soft crabs ( which they packed and iced down in a cooler for me for the trip back home) plus a trio of packaged seasoned breaders all from North Carolina mills.

crab in breader

I’d say the secret to perfect NC soft crabs, once you have great seafood, is in the breading. You can make your own, or use any one of these time tested brands, but the point is not to over bread and certainly not to batter dip. The mission is to accentuate the wonderful sweet and slightly salty taste the crab.

Step one is to light rinse and clean the crabs and pat them dry. They really are already cleaned but I took this opportunity to removed the top skin of the soft shell to expose just the crab meat.

crabs in breading Gently place the crabs in a paper bag and lightly shake the bag just enough to coat the crabs with the breading.

Meanwhile heat an inch or two of oil in a cast iron pan or skillet. You can use any type of oil and you could do them in a deep fryer, but I think for a dozen or so crabs, that might be overkill.

crab in oil

Fry the breaded soft crabs until they are slightly puffed and lightly browned, turning them once during the cooking time.

Serve the crabs with whatever condiments your heart desires, some people like a little hot sauce or cocktail sauce, these I just dressed with lemon and then served them on leaves on Little Gem lettuce from local Charlotte area farmers Amy and Joe at Boy and Girl Farm.

crabs and wine This night we wound up cutting the crabs in half and rolling them up in the lettuce leaves for a bit of a seafood lettuce wrap. In honor of the upcoming Decoy Festival at the Core Museum, I opted to pair these delicious soft crabs with a Duckhorn Vineyard Decoy Sauvignon Blanc.

However you eat them, they are a seasonal North Carolina treasure and you should be sure and treat yourself soon. Try them on a sandwich with sliced tomato and lettuce – a taste of the Carolina coast at its finest and the delicious finale to my NC Fish Tale for today.

But wait, there’s more…

Have I whet your palate for a taste for North Carolina Seafood? Join me for a special NC Seafood and OBX SeaSalt Cooking Class on Sunday June 25, 2-5 pm with special guest Amy Gaw from OuterBanks SeaSalt Cost $85 Five courses of North Carolina seafood, Outer Banks SeaSalt, wine pairings and tons of fun!! Make your reservations now simply by emailing Heidi at Heidi@HeidiCooks.com

Want to know more – here are all the where to find it, where to order it details… Remember to #TellThemHeidiSentYou

Click here for more information about North Carolina Seafood and when and what is in season this summer.

For more information about the local catch and the seafood industry in Carteret County visit the Carteret Catch site here

For more information about the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum & Heritage Center and their annual Decoy Day celebration, visit their website here

To order your own copy of the Island Born and Bred Cookbook, shop online at the Core Museum Gift shop here

To order North Carolina seafood from Mr. Big’s Seafood in Harkers Island, and to read more of their story, including Eddie’s work with NC sea turtles, visit them on Facebook or simply call Eddie or Alison Willis directly at 919.971.3905

17Feb2017

Cooking Classes with Heidi Billotto

Posted in Cooking Classes, Culinary Events, Things That Make Your Go Hmmmm by Heidi Billotto

April Showers bring May Flowers and several new “At Home with Heidi” and “On the Farm” Cooking Classes – make your reservations today!

Get ready to slice, dice, simmer and saute as you make plans to join in on the fun at any one of my exciting hands-on classes cooking classes taught as the name suggests, “At Home with Heidi ” in my home kitchen; or come and experience one of my unique On the Farm Classes are held at various farms in and around Charlotte. Each On The Farm class includes a walking Farm Tour and then we settle into the farm kitchen to cook with whatever is in season. You really just have to experience these classes for yourself, there is indeed something quite special about being on all these local farms…

Classes are a perfect for a fun date night, night out with the girls and a great way to meet new people or host a team building event. Don’t see a date that fits – email me and lets plan your own private class with work associates or with friends or family.

simply-email-heidi-to-make-your-reservations

Registration links are at the end of each class descriptive. Make your reservations by simply sending me an email. Payment confirms your reservation and you may pay by cash, check or credit card. As soon as I gets your email, I’ll be right back in touch to confirm your payment and to give you the address and details for each class.

Looking forward to seeing you at one (or more) of these “At Home with Heidi” or “On The Farm” Cooking Classes soon…

Sunday April 9, 2-6 pm – On the Farm Cooking Class at Windcrest Farm in Monroe, NC SOLD OUT Lots of local in the guise of great greens, herbs. lettuces, radishes, garlic, microgreens and more planted and growing in the certified organic greenhouses and grounds at Windcrest Farm in Monroe, NC and we’re planning an “On The Farm” class to celebrate the first of Spring harvest. This fun and informative class will kick off with a 45 minute or so farm tour as we explore the lay of the land with farmer Mary Roberts and her hubby Ray; then we’ll head into one of the greenhouses or, if weather allows, under a tent at the garden shed to set up a makeshift kitchen to cook with all of Windcrest’s fine local certified organic produce. We’ll have an appetizer and aperitif to start as we head out on our tour and then come back to create 4 fabulous courses of all local fare… But Wait, there’s more….Joining us at class is Ann Jacks from Grassfed Productions, Rootdown Foods, Charlotte’s source for local, grass-fed, cultured butter and ghee; grass-fed beef jerky; gluten-free crackers; grass-fed bone broth; and other grass-fed treats. AND, our favorite Wine guru, Josh Villapando from Assorted Table Wine Shoppe will be on hand to provide a Springtime Wine Pairing with each course. Its going to be fabulous! Cost is $85 per person. For reservations, Email Heidi here

On The Farm Cooking Class at New Town Farm – Saturday April 22, 1-5pm –SOLD OUT I taught my very first “On the Farm” class at New Town Farms years ago and love going back each year to enjoy a class at this family farm in Waxhaw, North Carolina each year. New Town Farms was established in 1990 by Sammy and Melinda Koenigsberg. These unique On the Farm classes kick off with a walking farm tour led Sammy who will talk about his farming philosophy and share what goes into growing the produce and raising the proteins sustainably produced at New Town Farms. We’ll meet the chickens and the laying hens, visit with the pigs and then all wind up in the kitchen making a four course meal from all that New Town has in season. Wine parings with each course compliments of Josh Villapando at the Assorted Table Wine Shoppe at 7th Street market in Uptown Charlotte. These classes are truly an incredible experience – don’t miss it. Cost $85 per person. For Reservations Email Heidi Here

On The Farm Cooking Class at Tega Hill Farms -Saturday June 3, 6-9 pm – Another wonderful On the Farm Class, this time in the hydroponic greenhouses at Tega Hill Farm in Ft. Mill. Our guides and hosts for the evening are Mindy and Mark Robinson. They’ll teach us all about growing greens, lettuces. microgreens and more in water. By the beginning of June peas and tomatoes may be getting their start as well. As in all of my On the Farm classes, The Robinson’s will share their views on sustainable farmer and the pluses of greenhouse growing. We’ll set up a kitchen area among the veggies and cook with everything they have in season to create a 4 course dinner for the evening. Wine pairings from Assorted Table Wine Shop of course. Come and join in on the fun! Cost $85 per person. For Reservations Email Heidi Here

On the Farm Cooking Class at Proffitt Family Cattle Company – Saturday June 24, 4-8pm – So excited to be back working with my friend Shelly Eagan at Proffitt Family Cattle Company for another wonderful On the Ranch farm tour, class and dinner. Proffitt is located in Kings Mountain and is a certified organic grass fed cattle ranch. Come join us to meet the herd and the dogs and the chickens, tour the ranch and find out what exactly goes into raising the kind of beef you need to be eating. Class participants will also be able to purchase beef after class if you would like. Josh Villapando will. of course. be on hand with wine pairings – it’s going to be spectacular. Cost is $85 per person. For reservations email Heidi Here and then check out the blog post I wrote about Proffitt earlier this year – the post included some tasty NC Beef recipes I know you’re gonna love!

And. last but not least, here are All the Details and the Fine Print on my regular series of cooking classes, both At Home with Heidi and On the Farm….

Living the Loving Local Mantra: In my classes and catering I cook for clients as if I were cooking for my family. It is important to me to use the healthiest, freshest product so I shop Local and cook with produce, proteins and products sourced primarily from local farms and vendors, using certified organic or product that is grown by organic standards when I can’t find what is needed from a local source.

Wine Not? I partner with my friend Josh Villapando of the Assorted Table Wine Shop at 7th Street Station to provide wine ( and sometimes beer) pairings at each class (with the exception of the cocktail and appetizer class), so you’ll not only leave with some great recipes, but you’ll know what beverages to pair with them as well.

The Take Away: Everyone participates in the preparation of each dish and each class participant leaves with a packet of recipes, wine notes and coupons and other fun party favors.

Class size is limited: Your advance reservations via email gets you on the class list and advance payment confirms your space in class. Once I hear from you with a reservation I will contact you with specifics on how to pay. I will send out directions and any other details you might need, several days prior to the class date.

Cancellation Policy: I try hard not to cancel events; but reality is. There is a three person minimum for my At Home With Heidi Classes and if weather is a problem we try hard to reschedule. If you need to cancel more than 7 days prior to class I am happy to provide a full refund of your advance payment. If you cancel 6 days or less before the class date I know you will understand that I will have already started making plans and purchases and am glad to offer you a refund of half of your original payment.

14Feb2017

I Heart You! Happy Valentine’s Day!

Posted in Cooking Classes, Culinary Events, Things That Make Your Go Hmmmm by Heidi Billotto

Its a little heart-shaped kiss of everyone’s favorite seasonal sweet… and its on my list of “Things That Make You Go Mmmmmm…“

Whether you are planning on saying “Be Mine” or “See Ya” to your sweetie this Valentine’s Day, there’s no easier way to put your thoughts together than through a few Conversation Hearts.

These heart-felt talkative treats are enjoyed by millions of Americans each year. In fact, Americans have been enjoying the candy we now call Conversation Hearts since the 1800s.

wafers-box Made by several companies, the leading manufacturer of Conversation Hearts is the NECCO/Sweethearts brand. Its my favorite brand of any heart shaped candy and shares a history with another longtime favorite of mine, the much loved NECCO Wafers. Daniel Chase created the idea for the first conversation hearts in 1866 by devising a machine that would press food dye letters onto the candy lozenges made famous by his brother and NECCO founder Oliver Chase. The Conversation Hearts we know and love today came to be in the early 1900s. Today NECCO manufactures 8 billion Sweethearts year ’round to meet consumer demand.

From mid-February to January NECCO produces about 100,000 pounds of the iconic candy hearts each day, which adds up to billions of candy hearts—more than enough for everyone in the world to have one, so buy several packs and be sure to share the love .

Through the years, the sayings on Conversation Hearts have been an edible reflection on how our culture has changed, but it is good to know that some of the original sayings are still in rotation, including “Be Mine,” “Be Good,” “Be True,” “Kiss Me.”

In honor of NECCO’s 150^thanniversary in 1997, the original phrase “The One I Love” also reappeared in the mix. In the early 1990’s, NECCO’s then Vice President Walter Marshall began an initiative to update the sayings each year, retiring some while adding others. The first new phrase, in years was “Fax Me” which met with a bit of controversy from diehard Conversation Heart fans; but now you can find hearts that suggest a would be lover “email me”, “text me” and “tweet me”, too!

And they come in Chocolate and are Gluten Free…Gotta Heart That!

While all Conversation Hearts have been certified Kosher and gluten free from the beginning, the flavors have made changes with the times. It all started with the original eight familiar flavors customers found in the company’s Necco wafers: orange, lemon, lime, clove, chocolate, cinnamon, licorice and wintergreen. Now there are just six different flavors of hearts in box.

But if you’d like something different, instead of enjoying the classics, you can also now buy sugar-free Sweethearts and for those of you who really like to pucker up, enjoy the Dazzled Tart Sweethearts this season in Pink Lemonade, Wild Berry Grape, Sour Apple, Watermelon, Extreme Tangerine and Blue Raspberry

Here’s how it rolls…

To make this sweet candy confection, six simple ingredients -sugar, corn syrup, gelatin, gum, colorings and flavoring – are blended together into a mixing machine, one color and flavor at a time, until they turn into a soft dough. The dough is fed into a machine that presses the dough until it is flat, a process called sheeting. The sheeted dough moves on to the cut and stamp station where the sayings are applied on the dough and a large machine cuts the dough into 100s of little hearts. Next, the sheets of cut hearts go into a drying tunnel for about 30 – 45 minutes. The finished hearts are lightly dusted with cornstarch and moved to a drying area where they cool and harden during a twelve hour resting period. Once the hearts have cooled and dried, the starch is dusted off and flavors are mixed together to provide the assortment we find in each box or bag. Each year NECCO reports that they receive hundreds of saying suggestions from romantics, candy lovers and school kids, alike.

Think you have a good conversation heart phrase to add to the collection? Sweethearts NECCO is happy to accept suggestions for sayings from their consumers. Each saying can be no longer than two lines of four letters on the small hearts and two lines of six letters on the large motto hearts. You can either e-mail your suggestion to the company via their website at Necco.com, or mail it to Sweethearts, NECCO, 135 American Legion Highway, Revere, MA 02151.

#TellThemHeidiSentYou Why not surprise your sweetheart or your best friend this Valentine’s Day with a box of conversation hearts and reservations at any one of my upcoming At Home with Heidi cooking classes. The list is on the home page of my blog at HeidiBillottoFood.com – just shoot me an email to make your reservation and I’ll be back in touch to confirm the delicious details.

27Jan2017

Weekend Eats Atlanta: Restaurants to Put on Your Radar

Posted in 3 day weekend, Cooking Classes, Restaurants & Chefs by Heidi Billotto

2-where-to-eat-in-atlantatellthemheidisentyou Atlanta has a lot of great restaurants – and, not to pick sides this close to the Superbowl, one pretty good football team. And its just a three to four hour drive from the Queen City – in fact, many say its faster to drive to Atlanta than it is to fly down, once you consider negotiating the parking and TSA wait time. Can you say Three Day Weekend?

fox-theatre-altanta Lots of reasons to head south and visit this bustling city, football not withstanding of course. Plan to check out the High Art Museum, The Fox Theatre, Centennial Park, and the World of Coca-Cola. Tour CNN headquarters, stroll through the Atlanta Botanical gardens and visit the historic birthplace of Martin Luther King.

And then, there are all the places to eat. Impossible to cover them all in a weekend or just one blog post. Tom and I made a quick 3 day jaunt down a week or so ago with friends to check out what’s new at the Atlanta Merchandise Mart and Gift Show and made it a point to go in search of some good eats. The result? This quick little restaurant round up of several great places to eat in Atlanta, places you simply should not miss.

Heidi Billotto and Chef Jamie Lynch of 5 Church in Charlotte, Charleston and Atlanta

Of course there is 5 Church. Atlanta was the group’s third home away from home and executive chef Chef Jamie Lynch, now of Top Chef fame, oversees the operation in Atlanta as he does in Charleston and Charlotte. But honestly, if you are going to eat at 5 Church – and you should – go in Charlotte to the first and original location in Uptown at the corner of Church and Tryon, where we have bragging rites and can say, we knew him first. Enjoy the great bar – even better food and open for lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch.

Butternut Squash Agnolotti from 5 Church Charlotte

On the dinner menu, we love the Autumn salad, the charred octopus and the tuna poke to start – or combine several for a dinner of apps. Favorite entrees include the butternut squash agnolotti, the lamb burger and the herb and citrus encrusted whole fish. In Charlotte you’ll find all the detes and reservation info at 5 Church at 5churchcharlotte.com; and just in case, in Atlanta, look them up at 5churchatlanta.com.

Now back to Atlanta, First and foremost you must stop for drinks in the bar in the Ritz-Carlton Buckhead. Its warm and charming and the service is spot on. With a recent buy-out, things may change but I am hoping not. Word has it the hotel is undergoing a 5 million dollar upgrade to the bar area and putting in a cafe as well. Only time will tell, but for now its one of our go-to’s to unwind from the day and start the evening off, for sure.

Also in Buckhead, a stone’s throw from the Ritz, don’t miss St. Cecilia. Enter the lobby for the Pinnacle Building and you’ll be greeting by a beautiful glass Chihuly sculpture hanging in the lobby. The restaurant is the anchor tenant just off the lobby and its massive dining room is gorgeous. Despite the size and the oh, so high ceilings, the restaurant has a warmth that makes you feel welcome. Look for wonderful Italian fare, an excellent wine list and if you are in town for the weekend, be sure to book reservations for Sunday Brunch.

Cauliflower Soup at St Cecelia

Our favorites: Well, we couldn’t resist starting with an order of Crispy Punched Potatoes for the table to share – dressed with a cacio e pepe aioli and fresh grated parmigiano cheese it was the perfect pairing with the Italian red wine. We were so intrigued by the starters and pasta, that we didn’t get to the fish and beef entrees this time, but will most certainly come back for more of Chef Craig Richards fine food on the next trip. For now, the cobia tartar with salt & vinegar chips, lemon puree and trout roe was a great way to start the evening as was the Cauliflower soup; ditto for the wood grilled octopus with brown butter, pickled onions and a hint of citrus. The cacio e pepe – homemade pasta with pepper and parmigiano was every bite as good as we remember from a trip to Italy several years ago and we loved the gnudi bathed in hazelnut brown butter as well. For more info, check it all out on their website at stceciliaatl.com

Cheers to Centro Storico, Atlanta’s own Little Italia

Next , more Italian but this time a bit more – well, a lot more laid back, bring your own wine and enjoy Antico-Pizza Napoletana . This is the best pizza around and when the dough is gone, they are done for the night and there is no making a reservation, so plan to go by early in the evening. All pizzas come well done and slightly charred and therein lies their beauty. The restaurant with its tiny counter and large dining room with family style tables is smack dab in the middle of its own 4 building little Italia called Centro Storico on Hemphill Avenue – for dessert check out the gelato and coffee across the street, at Cafe Antico Gelateria and Pasticceria; in season the open air Bar Amalfi and don’t miss the Maccheroni Naoletani or the chicken dishes right next door at Gio’s Chicken Amalfitano as well!

Spicy Maccheroni Arrabbiata at Gio’s Chicken Amalfitano

Gio’s may win the award for the most for less – pasta and salad and bread for two – with enough to share or take home for lunch the next day was just $14 per person for the maccheroni or $17 per person for the chicken. Fantastico! The one website, highlight in this paragraph include info on all the restaurants and bars I mentioned.

For some of the best vegan/Asian food yu might ever have – don’t miss Herban Fix Vegan Kitchen located at 565 Peachtree St. NE in Midtown.

Steamed Buns at Herban Fix Vegan Kitchen

The restaurant is huge with several private rooms upstairs and an adjacent bar and lounge. The menu all looked so good when we went for lunch, that we relied on our server’s suggestions and ,as she promised when she said, “Just trust me”, she didn’t steer us wrong. Tom and I ordered several dishes and shared and it was the way to eat here – after all its always much more fun when you get to taste a bit of everything, don’t you think?

Sticky Rice with Shiitakes at Herban Fix Vegan Kitchen

We’re talking a creamy rich Organic White Bean, Root Vegetable and Pumpkin Bouillon; Sweet Pea Ravioli inCurry Jus with Leeks & Assorted Mushrooms; Crispy Purple Yam Cakes; Steamed Buns with crispy Soy Duck, Cucumber & Cilantro; Sticky Rice fused with Shiitake Mushrooms and Taro; Sesame Ginger Soy Chicken & Shiitake Kebabs; and Aburaage (the same flat fried tofu used to wrap inari sushi) stuffed with radish, cucumber, tomato and seaweed noodles. I cannot begin to desrcibe the deliciousness. For anyone who thinks vegan means uninteresting or lacking in flavor, add Atlanta’s Herban Vegan Fix Kitchen to your Must-Eat-Here list and allow the chefs here to prove you wrong.

Warm chips and Salsa – a great way to start the evening

Mexican seems to be a hard find in Atlanta. We asked several locals, Uber drivers and the people at our hotel for suggestions and everyone seemed to come up “sin pan ni pedazo” (a Spanish expression which means empty-handed.) Finally we did as any good tourist would do and turned to the magazine in the hotel, it was an advertisement but it seemed worth a shot – winner of the “Best of Atlanta” Awards since 1992 and promising the “Salsa that ends your search” we decided to give Nuevo Laredo Cantina a try. Located at 1495 Chattahoochee Avenue NW, it is definitely off the beaten path and as we had expectations of margarita’s and cerveza with our tacos and tamales, we opted to Uber.

Nuevo Laredo is a charming cantina pretty much in the middle of nowhere. The place is hustling and bustling and again no reservations, so you can sometimes expect to wait. We went early in the evening and were seated within a few minutes and immediately presented with warm chips ( yes!) and salsas that did not disappoint. My plan was to order the Chile Relleno, that was until I saw this: Holy Tacos or Tacos Sagrado, served 2 to a platter, these are white corn tortillas stuffed with mashed potatoes, white cheese, onion and cabbage and topped with a green sauce. The menu says these are “as sold on the corner of Igelsia del Santo Nino, Ocampo y Victoria, Nuevo Lareda, Tamps, Mexico”

Holy Tacos at Nuevo Laredo Cantina

How could we not? What the steaming hot platter lacked in color – white potatoes, white cheese, white flour tortillas – you get it; the dish more than made up for in flavor. If a mashed potato taco isn’t your bag, there are about 100 other offerings including chicken, beef and seafood specials, and the expected assortment of enchiladas, faijtas, tacos and tortillas all of which we will try on our next road trip down – I’ve since read the lobster tacos are life changing… I’ll keep you posted, until then suffice to say, the menu offerings are authentic, simply prepared and worth the drive. For more information visit nuevolaredocantina.com

Feeling Hungry? If this post as whet your palate for more why not subscribe to my blog at HeidiBillottoFood.com and each post will come directly to your in box as soon as I hit the “Publish” button. I post about restaurants in Charlotte, across the Carolinas and as in the case of this post in food-centric travel blogs as well. As always, remember to #TellThemHeidiSentYou

Don’t Miss my great new series of Cooking Classes !! If you’d rather cook yourself than eat out – check out my all new list of 2017 February and March cooking classes – now on the home page of this blog and under the Cooking Class tab as well. Registration is easy – just email me with the class or classes you’d like to attend and I’ll email you right back to secure payment and confirm your reservations.

25Jan2017

Heidi Billotto’s 2017 Cooking Classes Start February 1

Posted in Cooking Classes, Culinary Events by Heidi Billotto

Heidi Billotto 2003 at The Julia Child Kitchen exhibit at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC

In the words of my great culinary hero, Julia Child, from her book My Life In France, ”

“This is my invariable advice to people: Learn how to cook. Try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun!”

So, I too, encourage you all to Be Fearless and get set for all the Fun as you prepare slice, dice, simmer and saute at any one of the first few months of the exciting 2017 season of hands-on classes cooking classes At Home with Heidi.

The links to my direct email to make your reservations are at the end of each class descriptive. Make your reservations by simply sending me an email with the name of the class you want to attend and your phone number. I will contact you as to how you would like to pay. Payment confirms your reservation and you may pay by cash, check or credit card.

Living the Loving Local Mantra: In my classes and catering I cook for clients as if I were cooking for my family. It is important to me to use the healthiest, freshest product so I shop Local and cook with produce, proteins and products sourced primarily from local farms and vendors, using certified organic or product that is grown by organic standards when I can’t find what is needed from a local source.

Wine Not? I partner with my friend Josh Villapando of the Assorted Table Wine Shop at 7th Street Station to provide wine ( and sometimes beer) pairings at each class, so you’ll not only leave with some great recipes, but you’ll know what beverages to pair with them as well.

The Take Away: Everyone participates in the preparation of each dish and each class participant leaves with a packet of recipes, wine notes and coupons and other fun party favors.

That’s all the detes, now on to the descriptives. Stay tuned for info on Cooking Classes for Kids and be sure to Save the Date for the Southern Spring & Garden Show’s Savor NC Cooking Stage taking place Feb 24-26 and March 3-5, more info to come in another blog post soon.

Looking forward to seeing you at one of my At Home with Heidi Cooking Classes soon…Here we go….

Wed. Evening Feb 1, 6:30-9pm – Asian-Inspired Appetizers – Coming off the heals of the Jan 28 Lunar New Year and heading into SuperBowl weekend, why not plan to serve your favorite armchair quarterback a spread of Asian-inspired appetizers and small plates. Make-your-own eclectic eggrolls and steamed dumplings with a duo of dipping sauces, sweet and spicy sesame honey-ginger wings, moo shu pork with pan fried pancakes & mushroom & micro green stuffed steamed buns kick off this evening’s starting line up. Cost $75 per person. For reservations email Heidi here.

Sat. Afternoon Feb 4 – 2-5 pm – Fresh from our local Winter Farmers’ Markets – Hard to plan an On the Farm class this time of year, but who says you can’t shop local in the Winter months? Our local farms produce all year round and this day I’ll shop 3 or 4 favorite markets in the morning – Matthews, Waxhaw, Atherton and Yorkmont and come back to cook with you that afternoon with recipes using chicken, pork, beef and lots of local vegetables as well, making a great seasonal meal with all of our fabulous farmers’ market finds. Cost $75 per person. For reservations email Heidi here.

Wed. Morning Feb. 8, 10 am -1 pm – You Won’t Miss the Meat – A Daytime class featuring some of my favorite vegetarian recipes and YES, These recipes are all Gluten Free, too!! (We will be using nuts and eggs in this class, but I am glad to show you how to make substitutions) On the menu: Debbie’s Delicious Veggie Burger or MeatlessBall hoagie with mushroom sauce, Chana (Chickpea) Masala, Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli Brown Rice Ramen Noodle Salad, and scrumptious Pistachio Blondies! Cost is $70 per person. For reservations email Heidi here.

Sat. Evening Feb. 11 – 6-9pm – That’s Amore! This Valentine-inspired class is full of fun and flavor! The premise of this Food & Wine of Italy cooking class is an Italian dinner for two with traditional Italian recipes that feature ingredients legend and long-time lore consider to be aphrodisiacs. Come and enjoy the fun as a couple, a single or with friends, as you would like. We’ll cook a four course meal, share Italian wine pairings and celebrate this season of hearts and flowers. Cost is $75 per person. For reservations email Heidi here.

Thurs. Evening Feb 16 – 6:30-9pm – Cooking with Local Mushrooms – We are so lucky in Charlotte to have locally harvested mushrooms available at local markets each week. Urban Gourmet Mushrooms, available at the Atherton and Matthews Community Farmers’ Markets offers a variety of mushrooms that we’ll use to cook up a marvelous meal from appetizer to…wait for it…yes, dessert! Just you wait and see! Cost is $75 per person. For reservations email Heidi here.

Sun. Afternoon Feb 19 – 2-5 pm – Tapas and Wine of Spain – The small plates of Spain, known as Tapas are a fun way to enjoy a dinner with an accent on the Spanish side of things… look for seafood, sausage, saffron, tomatoes, capers and orange flavors to all play a big role as we prepare 6 little plates. Each a different recipe, but all with the same Spanish flair. Ole! Cost is $75 per person. For reservations email Heidi here.

Thurs. Morning Mar 9 – 10am – 1 pm French Country Cooking featuring a lovely dinner or luncheon menu perfect for family and friends – French green lentil salad with homemade vinaigrette, Pan d’Epices ( a gingerbread like toasted bread from Burgundy France), oven baked, grilled chicken Dijonniase, roasted potato salad Provencal and a lovely sweet mocha macaroon tart for dessert. Cost is $70 per person. For reservations email Heidi here.

Sun. Afternoon Mar. 12 – 2-5pm – Try A Little Thai – In every Thai dish experience the flavors of sweet, hot, spicy and sour. In this class we’ll make some of the most popular Thai dishes from soups to seafood, a curry, a noodle dish and sticky rice and coconut cream with mango for a sweet finish. Cost is $75 per person. For reservations email Heidi here.

Wed. Evening Mar 15 – 6:30-9 pm – Pot Pies – Over and above the classic chicken pot pie, these pastry-covered one-dish meals are perfect for the family or when ever you want to entertain a crowd. Menu includes Classic chicken pot pie, Phyllo wrapped Greek Spinach Pie, a roasted root vegetable spin on Shepard’s Pie and for dessert – why Southern fried pies, of course! Cost is $75 per person.

For reservations email Heidi here.

Tues. Evening Mar 21 – 6:30-9 pm – Food and Wine from the Land of Down Under – To start the Spring season, a class full of traditional Aussie favorites. Each dish will be paired with one of a line up of great wines from either Australia or New Zealand. Combined, the menu makes a fun dinner for four and will include: Balmain Bugs ( read that as lobster and shrimp) in Pawpaw (that’s Aussie for papaya) and Mango sauce, Macadamia nut crusted lamb and roasted leeks, Damper – the traditional bread of Australia, and a cream and fruit filled meringue – Kiwi Pavlova – for dessert. Why we might even throw in some Lamingtons – (chocolate and coconut laced bar cookies) for everyone to enjoy and take home. Cost is $75 per person. For reservations email Heidi here.

Sat Afternoon Mar 18 – 2-5 pm – Bread Baking 101 – Nothing quite like the smell of bread baking in the kitchen and nothing more fun than cutting into a warm loaf and serving up slices slathered with butter or cheese, oh my! This class covers all the basics for baking yeast breads and rolls with recipes for a three-cheese loaf, an egg-based challah, a sweet swirled poppy seed loaf and a class Baguette recipe that doubles as a delicious pizza crust as well. Cost is $70 per person. For reservations email Heidi here.

And now a cooking video bonus and a special offer from the Olive Crate in Waxhaw!

My blog post last week featured North Carolina Beef-centric recipes with the spotlight for me on Proffitt Cattle Company in Kings Mountain and their delicious and good-for-you-too certified organic grass fed beef. In the post itself are links to several other blog post by North Carolina bloggers featuring additional beef recipes and the stories of North Carolina Cattle ranches. be sure to check them all out!

I was fortunate to have a cooking segment booked on WBTV’s Morning Break the morning the beef article posted and used the air time to share my recipe for the Beef Pot Roast recipe I shared in the post. This was originally my mother’s recipe for Brisket, but I amped it up a bit, added some North Carolina flavor ( ie: tomato chutney instead of chili sauce and the wonderful addition of cocoa nibs) and viola!

ICYMI ( That’s abbreviated speak for In Case You Missed It) here is the link to the video, and if you’ve an interest in the wonderful Kores Estate Bottled Extra Virgin Greek Olive Oil I used to start the recipe, you can order it directly from the Olive Crate Website. Check out their Certified Organic Greek vinegars as well – Use the code HeidiB20 when you place your order and you’ll enjoy a 20% discount on your purchase. Cheers!

6Jan2017

The Sugar (& Cinnamon) To Sprinkle on Your Snow Day

Posted in Cooking Classes, Recipes by Heidi Billotto

make-it-a-cinnamon-roll Dateline: January 6 2017 , Charlotte NC.

So they say its going to snow. That’s #SnOMG or #Snomageddon for those of you anxious to share the excitement on social media!

Although I’ve been Charlotte-based since 1975, I’m still enough of a Florida-raised girl that, for me, the words, “Snow Day” run synonymous with the term “Free Day”

Snow in Charlotte, and often the accompanying ice, cause a run on the bread and milk aisles in local groceries and a bit of a local panic. Truth is, in 2-3 days its usually all melted and gone. So, while the “free” time does provide an unexpected opportunity to take a deep breath and to catch up on cleaning and paperwork, I’d prefer to look at it through adolescent rose-colored glasses and take is as a day off to play, make footprints in the snow, drink hot chocolate and in the case of today’s post make cinnamon rolls.

Snow or not, you’ll find this recipe makes for a fun morning of winter’s baking, filling your home with the sweet strong scent of cinnamon. Traditionally I make cinnamon rolls for all of our neighbors and local family and deliver the warm pans of rolls tied up with a holiday bow to those on the cul-de-sac on Christmas Morning. But, you don’t have to wait for the holidays to circle back round, cinnamon rolls are a fun treat for yourself and your friends any time of the year.

What you will need: Keeping the recipe as local as I can, I now love using Carolina Farmhouse Dairy plain or vanilla organic yogurt in place of the sour cream that I originally called for in this recipe. This yogurt, made in Bahama NC just north of Durham, gives a creamier lighter taste to the finished rolls; and as its local and organic I know where the milk that turns to yogurt come from and makes me feel better about what I am feeding my family and friends. Same goes for the local eggs. In this case I used chicken eggs from Rowland’s Row Farms, but local duck eggs work equally as well and add a richer taste and texture.

Where to buy? Both Carolina Farmhouse Dairy Yogurt and Rowland’s Row eggs are available at the all new Queen City Pantry/ Vin Masters at Atherton Mill! That’s right, Vin Master is not just a wine shop any more. Recently purchased by Queen City Pantry’s Rochelle Baxter, Vin Master now carries all the local product that Queen City Pantry has been know for as well as a terrific variety of wine and beer. (Note to self: in light of the upcoming snow, might want to pick up a couple of bottles of wine while shopping for yogurt and eggs)

As far as the remaining ingredients go, if I can’t find a locally raised or produced option, I turn toward organic choices whenever I can. In this case, the sugar I use in the recipe is organic, as is the butter; and the flour is local Southern Biscuit Flour, brought to you by Renwood Mills in Newton NC. This trio of ingredients is available at almost every local grocer.

imgres-2 My personal preference in yeast is SAF Red Instant Yeast. The Healthy Home Market with three locations in Charlotte usually carries this yeast in 1 lb. bags – which, in my experience, will last till you use it all, if you keep it in a sealed container in your freezer. if you can’t find it locally you can order it from the fine folks at King Arthur’s Flour.

Here’s the How-To when using yeast in a recipe. Proof the yeast ( to make sure it is good) when you first open the vacuum sealed bag , by stirring the prescribed amount into water that is tepid. That is no hotter than 110 degrees F. You can use an instant-read thermometer if you’d like, but if you want to go by feel, tepid water is not as cold as what you would pour for a glass to drink; but not as hot as what you would use to wash your face. Think room temperature. Stir the yeast in and wait for a bit of foaming of bubbling action to occur on the water’s surface, once that happens you are good to go. Store the remaining yeast in an airtight container in the freezer and use it as needed. Further directions in the recipe below…

Now about the cinnamon. My go-to spot for spice is the Savory Spice Shop in Southend Charlotte. Run by Amy and Scott McCabe and an incredibly knowledgeable staff, Charlotte’s South Charlotte Savory Spice Shop now enjoys new digs at the Atherton Mill & Market. Located right around the corner from their former location, between O-Ku Restaurant and Big Ben’s, they’ll set you up for success, making it easy for you to keep fresh fragrant and flavorful spices in your pantry of spice drawer all year long.

No more buying big jars and then having them grow old and stale between recipes. It’s always good to keep basics on hand, but for specialty items, buy as is needed and know that you may purchase as much or as little as you’d like. While the Savory Spice Shop in Southend carries several varieties of ground cinnamon and cinnamon chips ( ooh, wouldn’t those be a great addition to these rolls!) my favorite cinnamon for sweet and spicy culinary endeavors alike is the piquant, rich ground Saigon Cassia Cinnamon. Before you cook, go in and taste all the varieties on the shelves ( this is one of the pleasures of shopping at Savory Spice, you may taste before you buy) and find the one that works best for you.

So there you have it – all that’s left is the fun that’s to be had in the baking. I fill my cinnamon rolls with a mix of the organic white sugar, cinnamon and my homemade brown sugar ( the how-to here is in the recipe) Be generous as you sprinkle for extra ooey-goo-iness. If you’re feeling adventurous, mix it up a bit with the addition of chocolate, cinnamon or butterscotch chips, or cocoa nibs ( Black Mountain Chocolate cocoa nibs from Winston-Salem, NC are also available at the new Vin Masters, as well!)

Heidi’s Homemade (SnowDay) Cinnamon Rolls

1 cup organic sour cream or (preferably) organic yogurt – Carolina Farmhouse Dairy is my Go-to brand

½ cup organic sugar

1 tsp. salt

½ cup melted butter

½ cup tepid water

2 Tbsp. SAF Red Instant yeast

2 local chicken or duck eggs

4 cups organic or local unbleached flour

For the cinnamon roll filling:

generous amounts of melted butter , cinnamon, sugar, brown sugar*

*Here’s the Brown Sugar How-To: Make your own brown sugar by using 2 1/2 cups of organic sugar and 1/4 cup of local NC Sorghum Syrup molasses ( Forget the commercial blackstrap molasses and go local here – it really makes a delicious difference! I love the sorghum syrup molasses from Harrell Hill Farms in Bakersville, NC and you will too; but any NC sorghum syrup works well) Blend the two ingredients together by using quick on-off pulsing motions in a food processor until the sugar dissolves into the sorghum and viola! – Your own homemade brown sugar – yum!

For the dough: Dissolve yeast in warm water with one teaspoon of the sugar. Stir and when a foam forms on the surface it is ready. If no foam appears within five minutes, then either your water was too hat or your yeast was old. Start again with cooler water and another package of yeast.  Once the yeast starts to foam or proof, combine it with the other dough ingredients to form a soft but sticky dough.  Let rise 1 hour. Turn out onto a floured worksurface. Knead until smooth then roll dough out into a large rectangle about ¼ inch thick.

For cinnamon rolls: generously spread the dough with melted butter. Sprinkle with sugars and cinnamon. Roll up like a jelly roll. Cut the log of dough into 1 ½ inch thick slices. Place the slices in a buttered pan, cut side up. Drizzle with additional melted butter.  Cover with a dish towel and let rise an additional 20 minutes. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 23-30 minutes.

Heidi Cooks | Heidi Writes | Heidi Teaches

I can’t wait to see and hear how your cinnamon rolls bake up! Post photos and then tag me on your social media posts – @HeidiBillotto and @HeidiBillottoCooks on Facebook; @HeidiCooks on Twitter and @HeidiBillotto on Instagram

Consider me your go-to-gal for info on chefs, restaurants, recipes, cooking tips, trends and food-centric travel.

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Stay tuned…my list of Jan, Feb and March 2017 hands-on cooking classes posts this weekend – can’t wait!

5Oct2016

Seasonally Speaking: It’s Time for Local Organic Baby Ginger

Posted in Cooking Classes, Recipes, Television Appearances by Heidi Billotto

To every time (and to every fruit, flower, herb and vegetable) there is a season.

Back in 2011, it was my pleasure to join a small but excited group at Windcrest Farm in Monroe, NC for the first harvest of a new crop of organic baby ginger! Mary and Ray Roberts-Tarlton, owners and farmers at Windcrest, a certified organic farm, grow all kinds of cool and unusual herbs and veggies, but this first crop of baby ginger was something special. Fast forward these past five years and the annual every growing ginger crop at Windcrest has become an occasion to celebrate!

Roberts and her team start the ginger from organic seed from brought in from Hawaii early in the year and then transferred the tender young plants to their home in the ground in one of Windcrest’s many greenhouses. As the tubers grow beneath the ground, the stalks and leaves shoot up to heights from 4-6 feet tall. The joy here is that the whole plant can be used from stem to stern. The leaves can be dried and crumbled for tea, to add to various dried spice, salt or pepper mixes and the roots can be candied, pickled, stewed, sautéed, simmered – the list goes on and on.

Heidi Billotto on the cooking set of Charlotte Today with show hosts Coleen Odegaard & Eugene Robinson

Each year around this time, I feature the Windcrest organic baby ginger in one of my television cooking segments. This week I was on WCNC’s Charlotte Today and ginger was the star of the show as I used it to prepare one of my favorite recipes for quick and easy local BBQ baby back ribs.

The glaze on these ribs was inspired by one of my favorite cocktails made with bourbon, a ginger-honey simple syrup, orange and ginger ale, and believe me, its a keeper! What I love about it is that its not too thick, so while the gingery glaze adds a fabulous sticky sweet and spice flavor, it doesn’t overwhelm and one can still taste the meat.

I recommend using local pork – lots of choices at any one of Charlotte’s several Farmers’ Markets, and if you can’t find pork ribs, use chops instead. The key to make the recipe move along faster cut the rack of ribs into double chops. The recipe also works well on chicken, seafood and tempeh ( although cooking times will vary slightly) – see my variation notes at the end of the recipe.

Several recipes to share here – Candied Ginger and as a result a Ginger Simple Syrup to use in cocktails or to make your own ginger ale. The recipe for the ribs I cooking on television this week and a fun recipe for the Japanese Ginger Salad Dressing we all love each time we eat at a Japanese steakhouse. You’ll find the video from the Charlotte Today segment at the end of this post – just look for the pink television screen with my logo!

October’s On The Farm Cooking Class – For more ginger how-tos and to see it for yourself, I’d love to have you join me and Mary Roberts for a ginger-centric On The Farm cooking class at Windcrest on Sunday Oct 16, from 1-4 pm. The class includes a farm tour where we see the farm up close and personal and will hear from Mary about sustainability, why it is important to her to grow organically and all about raising crops year round in a greenhouse environment. Plus we’ll cook and enjoy 4-5 new recipes for 4-5 delicious courses of local fare all with a ginger-centric theme. In addition to the tour and the food, the class also includes wine pairings from Assorted Table Wine Shop with each course, a recipe packet for each participant, and gift bag with sample sized local goodies and coupons. Cost is $85 per person. To make your reservations, simply email me directly at Heidi@HeidiCooks.com.

The lovely thing about cooking with baby ginger is that when it is harvested it comes without the hard, heavy skin grocery store ginger always has – the ginger develops that skin as it ages – and has a light and delicate flavor plus tons of health benefits as well.

Hope you’ll attend our On the Farm cooking class later this month – reservations are a must, please, and visit Mary at the market this week and next to get a taste of the 2016 local ginger harvest and enjoy the pleasures of cooking with the baby ginger while it is here and available, fresh and in season – its really something special!

Classic Japanese Steak House Ginger Salad Dressing

3 Tbsp. minced onion

3 Tbsp. canola oil

2 Tbsp. raspberry vinegar

3 Tbsp. finely minced baby ginger

2 Tbsp. organic ketchup

1 Tbsp. Mushroom-flavored soy sauce

1/2 clove minced garlic

Sea salt and cracked pepper to taste

Combine onion, oil, vinegar, ginger, ketchup, soy sauce, garlic, salt and pepper in a blender and process until combined.Spoon over a plate of your favorite mixed greens.

Homemade Candied Baby Ginger

1 pound fresh baby ginger, thin sliced

4 cups organic granulated sugar

4 cups water, plus more for the initial cooking

pinch of salt

Put the thin baby ginger slices in a large stainless steel pot, add enough water to cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for ten minutes. If you are making this recipe with older store-bought ginger you will want to repeat this precooking process one more time.

Mix the sugar and 4 cups of water in the pot, along with a pinch of salt and the ginger slices, and cook until the temperature reaches 225F measured on a candy thermometer

Remove from heat and let the ginger stand in the syrup for at least an hour while the mixture cools.

Remove the ginger from the syrup, reserving the syrup, and place the sliced ginger on a cake rack fitted over a baking sheet with sides. Drain the ginger and then sprinkle with additional sugar to coat both sides of the ginger. As the ginger cools more sprinkling sugar may be necessary.

For your own Ginger Ale

Combine:

1 to 2 Tbsp. of ginger syrup left over from making the candied ginger

sparkling water

Juice of one lime

Fill a tall glass filled with ice, add ginger syrup and the juice of a half of a lime and top with soda water. Adjust flavor adding more ginger syrup or lime as needed. Stir to blend and garnish with lime wedge or a sprig of fresh mint

And finally for the Ginger and Honey glazed baby back rib recipe that Charlotte Today co-hosts Eugene Robinson and Coleen Odegaard raved about on air –

Heidi’s Local Honey and Organic Baby Ginger Baby Back Ribs

One of my favorite honey-centric cocktails is with bourbon or aged rum, honey, orange and ginger ale – take the same flavors mix them with the baby ginger and apply then to a glaze or marinade and viola…

For a fuller orange flavor in this recipe, I used the Blood Orange infused EVOO from Pour Olive, my go-to artisan olive oil shop on East Blvd. in Charlotte

What make the ribs tender enough to saute is parboiling them first. Bit be sure that the Parboiling Liquid has plenty of flavor – for the parboil, combine

Make your parboiling liquid flavorful!

2 Tbsp. Pour Olive Blood Orange EVOO

4 thick slices of Windcrest Farms Organic baby ginger, minced

1 cup toasted baby ginger leaves – simply crisp them up in a 200 degree over for 10-15 minutes to concentrate their delicate flavor

¼ cup fresh Italian leaf parsley

1 bottle of pale amber beer

2 cups mushroom broth

1 rack local Baby Back Ribs, cut into double ribs

Glazing the ribs with the basting liquid sears the flavor on the meat

Basting sauce:

2/3 cup teriyaki, ponzu or hoisin sauce

¼ cup dark sesame oil

¼ cup minced fresh Windcrest Farms Organic Baby Ginger

1 cup aged whiskey or aged Rum ( I love to use NC’s own organic TOPO aged whiskey here)

Juice and zest of two oranges or 2 Tbsp. Blood Orange EVOO from Pour Olive

Dash or two of Crude Bitters orange & Fig bitters ( available at the Savory Spice Shop in Southend Charlotte

1 cup Spicy Hot Blenheims Ginger Ale – made in Blenheims, SC!

½ cup Dancing Bees Farm Honey – your favorite variety ( I love the sourwood honey here and its available on Saturdays at the Matthews Community Farmers’ Market and the Charlotte Regional Market on Yorkmont Road.

Condiments to serve – Texas Pete (if you’d like to spice it up a bit!)

Combine parboiling ingredients in a stock pot. Bring to a boil, add the whole racks of ribs. Allow to come back to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer of 30-40 mins or so.

While ribs are simmering, prepare basting sauce by combining all of the ingredients, except the honey and ginger in a medium sized saucepan. Bring to a boil and allow to reduce by one third. Remove from heat and stir in honey and ginger.

Remove ribs from the simmering liquid. Bathe the ribs in the glaze and place the ribs on a saute pan or grill pan, basting with the glaze until it just starts to brown on the meat, or place in a roasting pan under the boiler for 2-3 mins on each side.

Use chicken, seafood or your favorite vegan or vegetarian tempeh with the same delicious ginger glaze

To make a vegetarian version of the same – use tempeh or tempeh style “chicken” patties ( available at Earthfare in Charlotte) No parboiling needed – just saute the patties in the Blood Orange oil until nicely browned, then bathe in the glaze and cook down until the glaze has thickened slightly. Same method will work well for your favorite seafood.

For chicken – no parboiling needed – simply season bone-in ( this adds more flavor) pieces with salt and pepper and bake in a preheated 400 degree oven in a covered roasting pan for 30-40 minutes. Remove the lid of the pan and add the basting liquid. continue to bake for another 5 minutes or broil the chicken for 2-3 minutes until the glaze starts to brown.

video graphic

Watch the video from my October 2016 cooking segment on WCNC’s Charlotte Today here.

Then, be sure to register to attend my October Ginger-centric cooking class at Windcrest Farm on October 16, 1-4 pm. Cost is $85 per person. To make your reservations, simply email me directly at Heidi@HeidiCooks.com and I’ll send you all the info you need to complete your reservation. Looking forward to seeing you there!

6Sep2016

Cooking Up A Storm at the Ideal Home Show Cooking Stage Sept 9,10 & 11

Posted in Cooking Classes, Culinary Events, Restaurants & Chefs by Heidi Billotto

I’ve gotta lot cooking this weekend – Sept 9,10 & 11 – and I’d love for you to consider this your personal invitation to join me and a host of talented chefs for a taste or two of it all at the Southern Ideal Home Show Cooking Stage!

That’s right! Its time for the annual Southern Ideal Home Show! It takes place this weekend, Sept 9,10 & 11; and Parking is free at The Park Expo – 800 Briar Creek Road! The cooking stage is just a part of what goes on at this annual home show; but as I have for nearly a half dozen or so years now, I’ll be there all three days presenting cooking demonstrations myself and acting as host of the cooking stage personally introducing you to some of my favorite restaurant chefs, private chefs, foodies and farmers with back to back cooking demos every hour on the half hour each day of the show.

Dates & Times – Mark your calendars, phone your friends and make plans now to join us. The action on the cooking stage takes place on Friday Sept 9 from 11:30 am to 5:30 pm; on Saturday Sept 10 from 10:30 am to 5:30 pm; and on Sunday Sept 11 from 11:30 am to 3:30 pm. Plus, check it out, I’ve got a special price on show tickets for you as well!

Tickets – Once you are in the door, you can check out all of the exhibitors and can come to any of the cooking stage demos throughout the day. Adult tickets are $9 in advance, $10 per person at the door , but you can buy them in advance here, online, for just $6 per person with this special HeidiCooks16 code! ( kids 15 and under may attend for free with an adult)

Click here to buy tickets for the Southern Ideal Home Show and be sure to use the code HeidiCooks16 to get a special discount on each ticket purchase

Recipes – Come for the fun of it all – and for some great new recipe ideas for all you’ll be cooking this season. The recipes each chef prepares for this show will be up on this blog each evening of the show day, so you can easily circle back and make a copy of the ones you loved and want to try for yourself.

And More – At the cooking stage, you can look for tasty samples, coupons, and great giveaways at each of the demos as well as a chance to meet each of our Home Show Cooking Stage chefs up close and personal. You won’t want to miss a single bite! I am thrilled to have students from the Charlotte Community Culinary School volunteering at the stage, assisting our participating chefs, as well. I can’t wait to see you there!

Here’s the 2016 line up of chefs for this fun and flavorful weekend…the only thing missing is you!

Southern Ideal Home Show Cooking Stage – Friday Sept 9, 2016

Heidi Billotto and Chef Troy Gagliardo

11:30 am Everyday Eats Chef Troy Gagliardo, WCCB Charlotte’s CW
12:30 pm French Bistro Style with Cooking Stage Host, Charlotte Culinary Expert, Heidi Billotto
1:30 pm Sophisticated Comfort Food Chefs Terra Ciotta and Phillip Lloyd, Art Institute of Charlotte

Melanie and Andy Tritten

2:30 pm Getting Sauced Melanie and Andy Tritten, Cannizzaro Sauces
3:30 pm Crostini for a Crowd Chef Bill Bigham, Private Chef

Chef Cynthis Ferich

4:30 pm Mama Mia Cucina Chef Cynthia Ferich, Cynthia Cooks
5:30 pm Local Love – 5 local products you’re going to love having in your kitchen and on your table Cooking stage host, Heidi Billotto, Charlotte Culinary Expert

Southern Ideal Home Show Cooking Stage – Saturday, Sept 10, 2016

10:30 am Italian Appetizers Chef Vincent Caminiti, Novanta 90 Pizzeria Napoletana

Private chef Jill Aker-Ray

11:30 am Good, Better, Best – Take one master recipe and then servie it up three ways!
Chef Jill Aker Ray, Private Chef
12:30 pm Fresh From the Farmer’s Market Chef Adam Reed, Sante Restaurant of Matthews
1:30 pm Under the Tuscan Sun Chef Rodrigo Velazco, Vivace Ristorante

Chefs Emily and Chris Russell, Zone 7 Foods

2:30 pm     Fresh Local Good Emily and Chris Russell, Zone 7 Foods
3:30 pm   Wine and Dine   Chef Ashley Owens, Napa on Providence
4:30 pm    Southern Comforts   Chef Michael Griswold, The Pump House in Rock Hill
5:30 pm   How to Bake Biscuits and More Chef Geoff Bragg, Community Culinary School of Charlotte

Southern Ideal Home Show Cooking Stage – Sunday, Sept 11, 2016

Heidi with chefs Sam Stachon and Clark Barlow

11:30 am From the Fall Farm to Your Kitchen Chef Clark Barlow, Heirloom Restaurant
12:30 pm Here’s Whats Cookin’ in Hickory Chef Sam Stachon, Highland Avenue in Hickory

Chef Luca Annunziata

1:30 pm Cooking with Certified Organic Ginger Mary Roberts, Windcrest Farms and Heidi Billotto, Charlotte Culinary Expert

2:30 pm The Art of Cooking with Local Mushrooms, featuring Chef Luca Annunziata from Passion 8 Bistro Hiram Ramirez and Michelle Smith, Urban Gourmet Mushroom Farms
3:30 pm A Little Sweet, A Little Savory Amy and Scott McCabe, The Savory Spice Shop in South End

To make sure you get the show recipes and all of my upcoming blog posts with recipes, on local restaurants and chefs, exciting three day weekend adventures and more, as soon as they hit, why not subscribe to HeidiBillottoFood.com now -then each blog post will come to your inbox as soon as I hit the “publish” key.

5May2016

May 2016 On the Farm Cooking Class: A Taste of Honey

Posted in Cooking Classes, Culinary Events by Heidi Billotto

Mark Your Calendars…Save the Date and be prepared to “Catch the Buzz” as we turn our attention to the “Business of Bees” in my May On The Farm hands-on cooking class.

The fun takes place in the honey room at Dancing Bees Honey Farm in Monroe, NC and in addition to meeting the bees, learning how they affect the harvest of the food you eat and tasting the honey, you can even have your photo taken in front of Robin’s new ride, affectionately dubbed “The Bee Mobile”

Nothing sweeter (or better for you) than the taste of local honey! Just wait till you taste! And then just wait till you see what we’re going to prepare – a five course feast with honey in every dish!

Robin and Jeff Knight of Dancing Bee Honey Farm in Monroe, NC will show you how their bees do their thing and then we’ll cook with this local liquid gold in all its flavorful variations along with lots of other locally sourced produce, products and proteins to make a five course meal from beginning to end. My friend Josh Villapando of Assorted Table Wine Shoppe at 7th Street Station in Uptown Charlotte will be on hand, too, to provide “perfect-for-summer-sipping” wine pairings with each course.

Cost $85 per person – and includes a farm tour plus 5 hands on courses with wine pairings and a recipe packet with wine notes for each class participant. .

Its all happening on Sunday May 15, 1-4 pm. Reservations are a must, so just let me know that you’d like to attend via an email to Heidi@HeidiCooks.com

A day or two before class I will send an email to all of our class participants with any specifics you need to know as well as directions to the farm.

I do hope you can join us. You’ll learn lots about the importance of bees plus have a sweet time in the process. Honey and lots of other sweet things from Dancing Bees will be for sale as well.

Reserve your spot by emailing me now at Heidi@HeidiCooks.com

To read more about Dancing Bees Honey Farm and all you will find there at our class, take a looksee at this article I wrote about the farm as it originally appeared in the Fall 2014 issue of Charlotte Living Magazine…

I’ll admit it, I have a strong sweet tooth. But instead of a spoonful of sugar, I’ll opt for a quick pick me up of a spoon of honey every time. Make mine sticky sweet and locally harvested, a bowl of “Dancing Bee” deliciousness, please. The golden elixir or liquid gold we call honey is actually just a simple by product of the business of bees, living in the microcosm of a hive, working together to get the job done.

I love finding local bees and honey in each city I visit – here I am at the hives on display at the Burt’s Bees offices in Durham, NC ( I know it looks like it, but I swear I was not touching the glass!)

I like to taste and buy different local honeys when I travel. Intrigued by the regional differences in the taste and color, and mystified as to how it all works, I went to visit Master bee keeper Jeff Knight and his wife Robin at the apiary adjacent to their home in Monroe, North Carolina. I have often bought honey and bee products from Robin at the Dancing Bee stand at the Matthews Community Farmers Market, and this season fell hard and fast for the NC Mountain sourwood honey the couple harvested last season. The taste and the difference between the Dancing Bee wildflower honey and this rich, luxurious second cousin, led me to further investigation…. to read more about Dancing Bees Honey and the fascinating “Business of Bees”, just click this link to Charlotte Living Magazine’s Fall of 2014 issue: http://www.charlottelivingmagazine.com/department_articles/food_and_entertaining/past_food_articles/The_Business_of_Bees.pdf

14Apr2016

A Taste of Spring: Asparagus

Posted in Cooking Classes, Recipes by Heidi Billotto

Spring is my favorite season. In my hometown of Charlotte, NC it starts with the first crocus, then the cherry trees add a pop of color and after a long winter’s break, the beautiful Bradford Pear trees which line many a street in town, burst forth with blossoms. For about a week, the city is awash in white blossoms and that’s when you know it – you’re on the cusp of asparagus season.

Before you know it we’ll be slicing into tomatoes and spitting watermelon seeds, but lets not rush things. Time to enjoy the flavors of springtime and that first taste is of asparagus.

Doug Carrigan and team with local asparagus at the Charlotte Regional Farmers’ market

I planted my own little asparagus bed when we moved into our home – about 10 years ago. We now have a healthy little crop for the two of us to enjoy, albeit, one or two stalks at a time. Alas, I am a hobby gardener, and while its fun to watch the tiny green heads peep up out of the ground and grow up to reach the sky; when its really time to cook, I turn to farmers who grow professionally like Doug Carrigan of Carrigan Farms.

Carrigan Farms is a 5th generation farm in Mooresville, NC and is a beautiful destination for weddings, farm to table dinners; and just after asparagus season, pick-your-own-strawberries and more, but lets not rush things. For now, Doug is my go-to asparagus guy. Every Saturday between somewhere around the end of March to about the middle of April Doug brings bunches of the bright green stalks to the Charlotte Regional Farmers Market. This time of year, you’ll find other local farmers with their bumper asparagus crops bound in bundles ready for you to take home and enjoy at the regional Charlotte market and other local farmers’ markets as well. The season is short, so eat it up while you can.

Today the focus is on several quick and easy asparagus salad recipes I first shared with you on a late March 2016 television segment on Charlotte Today. We filmed about the same time Doug and his family where picking the first crop to bring to market. As you will see on the tape, I wasn’t expecting to find fresh locally grown asparagus for a week or so, but was delighted to find Doug and his son selling at the market the Saturday just after the show. Timing is everything.

note the difference between the end of the asparagus stalk several days old (left) and the freshly snapped one

A stalk of asparagus is just like a fresh picked flower: to keep it tender, it must be kept in water. If you are buying fresh picked asparagus from a local source and cooking it immediately, then there is no need to trim the stems – you can eat the whole thing. If you are purchasing from a grocery store or working with market asparagus you purchased several days ago, then you’ll want to pop off the dried part of the stalk. Just bend the end – the asparagus will snap naturally where it goes from tough to tender. The tougher ends can be used to make vegetable stock, the tender tips may be eaten raw, steamed, poached, grilled or roasted.

I think the best way to cook fresh asparagus is the roast them – or just enjoy them raw!

For the easiest method of cooking I turn to the grill or the oven. place the stalks in a single layer, roast in a preheated 400 degree oven for 8 minutes. That’s it. Roughly the same timing on the grill, although if you have thin stalks, keep an eye out that the flames aren’t too high or hot.

Once the asparagus are roasted or grilled, you can turn them into a host of different salads, as I did on the March Charlotte Today cooking segment and as I have outlined here.

Here are some easy peasy ideas on how to turn fresh raw or just roasted asparagus into a meal.

Cut the stalks into bite sized pieces and toss with fresh blue berries, raspberries or strawberries. Add orange zest and a popover ( see recipe below) and a bit of fresh mint. Drizzle with your favorite balsamic vinegar or local honey and serve atop a bed of locally grown leaf lettuce.

While the asparagus is roasting, fry a local egg to your own personal degree of desired doneness (I’m a sunny side up gal, myself) Serve the egg along side the bundle of warm asparagus, drizzle dark roasted sesame oil over all and then top with a sprinkling of white and black sesame seeds. The egg may be served over toast as well or for a great open faced sandwich variation on this same theme. Top the toast with some grated sharp cheddar cheese and run under the broiled just until the cheese melts. Top with the roasted asparagus and hot fried egg. Add some sauteed mushrooms (check out the wonderful selection of locally grown ‘shrooms from Urban Gourmet Mushroom Farm at the Atherton Farmers’ Market) if you would like, drizzle with the sesame oil and you are good to go.

As spring morphs into summer we will start to see greenhouse tomatoes making appearances at local markets, or you can make this recipe with oil packed sun dried tomatoes with very successful results as well. Make up a late spring or early summer bruschetta topping of chopped tomatoes, peppers, black olives and basil. Toss the mix in a bit of your favorite olive oil .Arrange the bruschetta mix over the hot or cold roasted asparagus, then dust with a sprinkling of finely grated Parmesan cheese and there you have it!

You may notice that each of the asparagus plates above includes a popover. Popover are an easy, fast and fu alternative to any other bread and their light and fluffy nature makes for a great foil to the crisp green crunch of the freshly roasted asparagus. You can use a popover pan or a metal of silicone muffin or brioche pan does the trick just as well. The beauty of the silicone pan is that the popovers pop out without a fuss. I am generally not a big fan of silicone, bowls and “pans” but in this case, I make an exception…

Heidi’s Parmesan Popovers

1 1/2 cups organic all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp. your favorite fat ( you may use olive oil, melted butter, melted leaf lard, bacon fat, etc)

1 local or pasture raised organic egg

1 1/2 cups organic whole milk

Fresh grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese ( I Love local product and am a big supporter of all kinds of local cheese, but when it comes to Parmesan cheese, just pretend you live in Italy and go with the real thing)

Preheat the oven 475 degrees – it is important here to start with a hot oven. Prepared the muffin tins or popover pan by greasing them with butter ( unless you are using a silicone pan). Place the pan in preheated 475 oven for 2 minutes, to heat the pan ( unless you are using silicone) while you whisk together the flour, salt eggs, milk and melted butter until smooth. Remove the muffin tins from the oven and carefully fill each cup less than halfway full with batter. Sprinkle the top of each cup of batter lightly with grated Parmesan cheese. Return to oven and bake for 30 minutes. Enjoy hot or cold.

Now that you know all the tricks, enjoy the video of my March Charlotte Today Cooking with Local Asparagus segment once again. Show hosts Colleen Odegaard and Eugene Robinson always make my time on set tons of fun! Watch Now!

28Mar2016

Nibbles and Sips | 3.28.16

Posted in Cooking Classes, Culinary Events, Restaurants & Chefs by Heidi Billotto

Anniversary Hors D’oeuvres, Birthday Tea Fit for a Queen, Benefits to Feed the Hungry and an Annual NC wine-centric Tribute to Rescue Dogs

March 31, 2016 | Cheers and Happy 15th Anniversary to Sante Restaurant in Matthews, NC. Located in the heart of downtown Matthews, directly across from the Matthews Community Farmers Market, Chef Adam Reed and his wife Victoria have been serving the Matthews and greater Charlotte communities their own style of fine dining cuisine continuing to evolve as customers tastes and trends change. The charming historic Matthews location remains constant, reminiscent of European eateries where candlelit dining is enjoyed in the cozy dining room or in the secluded year-round garden room. Join them to say Happy Anniversary as they treat customers new and old alike to complimentary hors d’oeuvres from 5:30-7 pm on Thursday March 31. Stay after and enjoy springtime dinner inspired by lots of local from the farm seasonal produce and proteins.

Monday April 18 | The Annual Taste of the Nation Charlotte Every year, the country’s best chefs, sommeliers and mixologists join together with one goal in mind: ending childhood hunger in America.These dedicated culinary professionals lend their time and talents to Taste of the Nation® for No Kid Hungry events in more than 30 cities across the nation to support Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry® campaign work to connect kids in need with the healthy food they need, every day.

One hundred percent of proceeds from Taste of the Nation events benefit the No Kid Hungry campaign, locally, Harper’s Restaurant Group has been doing its part to ensure no child in America grows up hungry for more than 21 years. Tom Sasser, president of Harper’s Restaurant Group and founder of Charlotte’s Taste of the Nation, is proud to be a part of this premier culinary event each year. “Working together we are able to get healthy food to the many children in need in the Charlotte area. Remember, 100% of ticket sales from Charlotte’s Taste of the Nation benefit local organizations Second Harvest Food Bank and Community Culinary School of Charlotte.”

This year’s Taste of the Nation takes place at The Fillmore Charlotte. General Admission is $85, doors open in 7 pm; or enjoy a special VIP admission for $120 and enter early at 6 pm. Are you a Citi cardmember? Enter the first 6 digits of your Citi card as an ACCESS KEY to enjoy 10% off! All ticket sales are final and non-refundable. For Tickets Please note: No one under the age of 21, including children in strollers accompanied by their parents, will be admitted to Charlotte’s Taste of the Nation. Please bring valid government-issued photo identification such as a driver’s license or passport for proof of age.

April 20-23 , 2016 | Queen Elizabeth’s 90^th Birthday Tea One of my favorite things at The Ballantyne Hotel & Lodge, save for dinner at The Gallery Restaurant, and perhaps a day at the spa is the fact that they serve afternoon tea with the most delicious pastry and finger sandwiches – and the addition of Champagne if you would like or an afternoon cocktail makes a Ballantyne Hotel tea party oh so grown up! This April the chefs are raising the bar, featuring tea in honor of Queen Elizabeth’s 90^th Birthday Tea from Wednesday through Saturday, April 20 – 23, 1-5 p.m. The culinary team has consulted with Buckingham Palace chefs to present Her Majesty’s favorites with the option to add a Champagne Royale for $8 or Pimm’s Cocktail (Queen Elizabeth’s beverage of choice) for $10. The cost is $36 for adults and $18 for junior patrons (excluding tax & gratuity). Reservations are required at 704-248-4100. The Ballantyne Hotel & Lodge, 10000 Ballantyne Commons Parkway, Charlotte, NC 28277 704-248-4000 www.theballantynehotel.com; Gallery Restaurant 704-248-4100, www.gallery-restaurant.com

logo_raff_med Now Until April 28, 2016 | Make Your Rescue Dog A Star Attention animal lovers! Raffaldini Vineyards is searching for a living rescue dog to feature on the label of its red wine, Pino Vino VIII. This is the eighth release of Pino Vino, and like the previous vintages of Pino Vino, a portion of the proceeds of the sale of Pino Vino VIII wine will be donated to local animal rescue organizations in support of all rescue animals. “Our goal for this competition is to raise awareness for rescue pets and provide them with the compassion that all animals deserve,” said Owner and Winemaker Jay Raffaldini. “We are touched by the unconditional support Pino Vino participants have pvvii shown for animals in need.” Raffaldini Vineyards is accepting submissions of rescue dogs until April 28, 2016. The winning rescue dog will be revealed at a special unveiling ceremony at 1pm on Saturday, June 18. Entries can be sent to pinovino@raffaldini.com. Please include your name, contact information, your living dog’s name, a digital photo of your rescue dog, and their rescue story in 50 words or less. The Pino Vino VIII winner will be notified on May 8. Every sip supports local animal shelters! Purchase a bottle of Pino Vino VII and a portion of the proceeds directly support local animal organizations. The 2015 Pino Vino VII rescue dog ambassador is a French Bulldog named Mac, a puppy mill survivor currently working alongside his owner as a spokes-dog for ending animal cruelty and puppy mills. Every sip supports local animal shelters! You may still purchase a bottle of Pino Vino VII at the Raffaldini website. About Raffaldini Vineyards: One of Wine Business Monthly’s Top Ten Hot Small Brands in North America, family-owned Raffaldini Vineyards is known as “Chianti in the Carolinas,” producing Central and Southern Italian varietals such as Vermentino, Pinot Grigio, Sangiovese and, the food writer’s personal favorite, Montepulciano. This year, the Raffaldini Montepulciano Riserva was named “Best in Class” at the California Grand Harvest Awards and San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, the largest domestic wine competition in the United States. Raffaldini hosts public and private events throughout the year. Visit the web site, www.raffaldini.com, call 336.835.9463 or email info@raffaldini.com for more information.

Save the date: Monday May 16 | Sugar Shock Ever Crave dessert for dinner? Here is your chance! Join some of Charlotte’s best pastry chefs for a 6 course tasting of unforgettable desserts! The evening will begin with light hors d’oeuvres and each course will have a beverage pairing, featuring Old North Sodas, Topo Vodka, Pure Intentions Coffee, and wine. Take your sweet tooth to The 658 Center, 3646 Central Avenue, Charlotte, NC 28205; 7:00 – 9:00 (Light appetizers served from 6:30 – 7:00)
Tickets are $65.00 FOR TICKETS Featured chefs include: Jossie Perlmutter, Sweet Affairs and The Asbury; Alyssa Gorelick, Chef Alyssa’s Kitchen; Jason Lemon, Global; Samantha Ward, The Fig Tree Restaurant; Miranda Brown, 300 East; Cara Jorgensen, Gâteau Baking Company; Sam Dotse, Halcyon, Flavors from the Earth. All proceeds from the evening will go towards the Project 658 Culinary School and Community Feeding Project. We encourage you to bring a seasonal clothing donation for the Project 658 free clothing store, which provides essentials to members of the community in need.

heidi head shot 1 -

Love sharing these Nibbles and Sips – My April Cooking Classes Calendar will be out in just a few days, for info directly to your inbox, subscribe to this blog on my home page.

In the meantime, here’s a taste of whats’s coming your way; Save the date and make your reservation now by emailing me at Heidi@HeidiCooks.com

May 15, 1-4 pm | A Taste of Honey On The Farm Cooking Class with Robin and Jeff Knight of Dancing Bees Honey in Monroe, NC. Nothing sweeter than the taste of local honey! Robin and Jeff will show you how their bees do their thing and the will cook with this local liquid gold. Cost $85 per person – Farm tour plus 5 hands on courses with wine pairings. Honey and lots of other sweet things from Dancing Bee will be for sale as well. Email me and make your reservations now!

9Feb2016

Winter Farmers’ Market Cooking Class

Posted in Cooking Classes, Culinary Events by Heidi Billotto

Fresh From the Winter MarketCooking Class Already lots to celebrate this month and its just the second week of February!

Between the Superbowl Bowl, the Chinese New Year and Valentines Day we’ve had a lot of occasions to cook and gather with friends in the kitchen.

Now, here’s is one more – a fun hands on At Home With Heidi cooking class this Thursday evening Feb 11, 2016.

The evening starts at 6:30 pm.

Our local farms grow and produce product all year long and this past weekend I had a the pleasure of shopping at three local markets – its my very favorite Saturday morning activity! I found delicious local product, produce and proteins at the Matthews Community Farmers’ Market, The Charlotte Regional Market on Yorkmont Road and the Atherton Mill and Market and will pick up a few more freshly harvested items and locally produced product this week as I prepare for this fun hands on cooking class on Thursday night. Look for my recipes to feature local lamb, chicken, pork, cheese, milk, honey, eggs, smoked trout, lettuce and microgreens, sweet potatoes, carrots, turnips and more – wow

I love teaching and with this casual, comfortable hands-on format, I can demonstrate technique and talk about the product and then you can get in on all the slicing and dicing, too!

In the end, we’ll put it all together for four courses of Farm to Fork fare for all of us to enjoy.

Count on enjoying tasting pours of wine pairings with each course ad going home with a complete packet of recipes and wine notes plus coupons to several of my favorite food-centric spots in town. Its always a blast and the only thing missing in this week’s class right now is You!

Cost is $75 per person. Call your friends and plan a fun night out. Make your reservations my emailing me at Heidi@HeidiCooks.com and I’ll send you all the details. Your advance payment confirms your spot in class. Looking forward to having you join us! Cheers!

25Jan2016

Planning The Best SuperBowl Party Ever

Posted in Cooking Classes, Culinary Events by Heidi Billotto

You Better Believe It!… The Carolina Panthers are Superbowl bound!

Now that we’ve all had a day to let reality sink in that our Carolina Panthers are going to Superbowl 50; those of us here at home will want to cheer on our home team by celebrating in a big way!

superbowl party cooking class (2)
Despite my ” All Pro” looks of the photo here (the pink shoes make the uniform, don’t you think?), I really don’t know much about the game of football; but I do know how to throw one heck of a Superbowl Party, and I’ll be sharing all my tips and tricks and lots recipes featuring all local produce, proteins and product at my January 31 On The Farm Cooking Class at Windcrest Farms in Monroe NC.

I started offering On The Farm cooking classes several years ago – teaching occasional classes at a half dozen plus Charlotte area farms. These classes are great fun and will really make you stop and think about the food you eat and where it comes from, and how it is grown. One talk with a local farmer and you’ll look at the phase, “You are what you eat, in a whole new way.”

For this class our hosts are organic farmers, Mary Roberts and her husband Ray. Mary will kick off the class with a farm tour of her organic greenhouses, sharing her philosophy of organic farming and telling the story of how she went from corporate American back to the land.

After the tour, we’ll settle in to a cute makeshift kitchen and we will cook (eat and enjoy) 4-5 different all local Superbowl specialties using Mary’s fresh picked produce as well as proteins, produce and product from several other local farmers and producers – all of which will set your party apart.

The class fee includes beverage pairings, recipe packets, farm tour and class as well as coupons to the Savory Spice Shop in SouthEnd and Pour Olive on East Blvd and special Superbowl surprises for all class participants.

I do hope you’ll join in all the fun! The “Plan Your Superbowl Party” Cooking Class is Sunday Jan 31,2016 from 1-4 pm. Cost is $85 per person.

Just email me – Heidi Billotto – at HLNC@Carolina.rr.com to make your reservation and to get on my email newsletter list where you will recieve anemail every other week or so with updates on my cooking classes and culinary appearances. I’ll respond to your email immediately and we’ll get you signed up for class and the email newsletter list – your payment by cash or check will confirm your cooking class reservation.

Looking forward to seeing you soon – if not on Sunday then at one of my upcoming February or March cooking classes – this list will be out in an email and up in a blog post this week.

Cheers!

Heidi

8Jan2016

Time To Get Cooking – Heidi’s January Schedule of Hands-On Cooking Classes

Posted in Cooking Classes, Culinary Events by Heidi Billotto

It’s time to get cooking with Heidi Billotto’s all new At Home With Heidi and On The Farm January Cooking Classes

While life has been busy over the past few months catering for many of you and teaching private cooking classes for many others, I’m ready to get back to my regular schedule of classes.

Its important to me to use the best and freshest product in these classes, so I cook with all local produce, proteins and products in each and every class and on the rare occasion that I can’t find what I need from farmers or producers locally, I buy organic from local supermarkets.

I invite you to join in on the fun and register for any one of these hands-on classes listed below simply by emailing me at HLNC@Carolina.rr.com to make your advance reservation. Unless otherwise noted all of these classes at At Home WIth Heidi and take place in my home kitchen. Once you have confirmed your reservation, I will send you directions and any other details you may need to know.

Remember, there are never any hard and fast rules at my classes – if you would rather just watch, sit back, eat and drink and enjoy instead of trying your hand, that’s fine too – just come and have fun! Looking forward to cooking up a storm with you real soon!

If my regularly scheduled class times don’t suit; but a topic is of interest or you have a special occasion coming up or a group of friends you’d like to entertain, then perhaps you’d like to plan a private cooking class or team building event all your own!

I have several groups doing just that I am happy to accommodate you all – just give me a shout and we’ll get a date and topic for YOUR class on the calendar.

A private class at your home kitchen or in mine is a fabulous way to entertain friends, family, celebrate birthdays or get to know your co-workers better – plus we have a blast – so you’ll be the host or hostess with the mostess for putting it all together!

Check out this list of upcoming classes and make your reservation today… I can’t wait to get cooking!

Sat. Jan 16 – 12:30-3pm – Gluten Free Gourmet – Cost $75 per person

With so many really great gluten-free ingredients in the marketplace now (many of the ones I feature are locally produced), there is no reason you can’t put together a really tasty glutenfree meal with all the things you love. Say yes to pizza, baked goods, stuffing for braised meats and more. In this class, a complete gourmet gluten-free meal for all – cheers! To register, email Heidi at HLNC@carolina.rr.com

Wed. Jan 20 – 6:30-9 pm – Cooking With Winter Herbs and Spices – Cost $75 per person

Let the herb garden rest and winter over, for this class I’ll shop the spice tins at Savory Spice Shop in Southend and bring back all my favorite blends of herbs, spices and seasoned powders. Together well prepare an entire meal from appetizer to dessert. To register email Heidi at HLNC@carolina.rr.com

Sat. Jan 23 – 1-4 pm – Fresh from the Winter Market – Cost $75 per person

Who says you can’t shop local in the Winter months, local farms produce all year round and this day I’ll shop 3 or 4 favorite markets in the morning – Matthews, Waxhaw, Atherton and Yorkmont and come back to cook with you that afternoon. we’ll put together a great seasonal meal with all of our farmers’ market finds. To register email Heidi at HLNC@carolina.rr.com

Tues. Jan 26 – 6:30-9 pm – The Art of Cooking with Oil – Cost $75 per person

I simply loves all the flavors you find in all of the current harvest selections from Pour Olive, an artisan olive oil boutique on East Blvd. and excited that we in Charlotte can now get the same lovely olive oil we enjoyed so much on our Italian vacation with Nada Vergili from Nada’s Italy ( offices on East Blvd as well). For this class, I’l pick up a selection of nut, seed, and olive oils as well as some fabulous artisan Balsamic vinegars and we’ll cook 4-5 dishes (apps, entrees and sides) using them all. To register email Heidi at HLNC@carolina.rr.com

Sun, Jan 31 – 1-4 pm – On the Farm at Windcrest Certified Organic Farms for a Superbowl Feast – Cost $85 per person

Who doesn’t love all the great game date eats Superbowl Sunday brings? In this class we’ll start with a farm tour of the Windcrest Certified Organic Greenhouses to see how its done; and then cook with lots of fresh from the farm to make a championship spread of all local fare your superbowl viewing guests are going to love. What Mary Roberts doesn’t grow on the farm, I’ll supplement with Saturday morning farmers’ market buys the day before. Score! To register, email Heidi at HLNC@carolina.rr.com

1Aug2014

August and September On the Farm and At Home with Heidi Cooking Classes

Posted in Cooking Classes by Heidi Billotto

August 1, 2014 – Anyone can cook, Let Heidi Billotto show you how to make it fun! Two terrific On the Farm cooking class offerings and several seasonal At Home with Heidi events coming up and I know you are going to love every one!.

For each of my cooking classes, I team up with my friend, wine guru, Josh Villapando from the Assorted Table Wine Shop to offer wine pairings with every course in each class; and the opportunity to purchase the wines we taste in class directly from Josh – take a bottle home and enjoy it all over again.

My cooking class participants will also receive coupons good toward purchases at the Savory Spice Shop SouthEnd on South Blvd. and Pour Olive Artisan Olive Oil Shoppe on East Blvd.

I invite you to register for any one of these hands-on classes simply by emailing me to make your advance reservation.

Remember, never any hard and fast rules at my classes – if you would rather just watch, sit back ,eat and drink and enjoy instead of trying your hand, that’s fine too – just come and have fun!

Looking forward to cooking up a storm with you real soon!

On the Farm at New Town Farms | Saturday August 2 | 11 am – 3:30 pm | Farm Tour and Cooking Class

Come and meet farmers Sammy and Melinda Koenigsberg of New Town Farms in Waxhaw, NC. Join us as we visit with the heritage breed chickens and pigs, collect eggs and see the seasonal produce in and out of greenhouses. You’ll hear all about Sammy’s farming philosophy and, we’ll cook with all the farm has in season. I guarantee, it’ll change the way you think about the food you buy and the way you eat. The day includes a cooking class, wine parings, generous samples, recipe packets and a fabulous farm tour.

Cost $75 per person Email Heidi to make your reservation

COOKING WITH SUMMER HERBS | At Home with Heidi | Saturday August 9 | 11am – 2 pm

Fresh herbs have been planted and are growing and now its time to cook.

This class offers a host of fun new ideas for using you herb garden harvest to season and spice. Four courses, wine pairings, growing and preserving tips too.

Cost is $65 Email Heidi to make your reservations.

On The Farm at Windcrest Organic Farms & Greenhouses | Its Tomato Time! | Sun August 10 | 1-4 pm

Its tomato time and this class is all about what to do when there are too many tomatoes and you can’t eat them fast enough.

We’ll use them to make ketchup, salsa and a host of sauces as well as my famous summertime tomato pie and the best fried green tomato and goat cheese stack you’ve ever had. Wine pairings as always, plus a tour and Mary Roberts take on growing organic – don’t miss it!

Cost is $75 per person Email Heidi to make your reservations

Its For The Birds | Cooking with Chicken, Duck & Quail | At Home with Heidi| Sat Aug 16 | 11am – 2 pm

The name says it all – great recipes for family friendly dishes featuring chicken, quail, duck and maybe local turkey too.

We’ll pan sear, roast, braise and cook on the grill – you’re gonna love it!

Cost $65 per person Email Heidi to make your reservation

Gluten Free Gourmet |At Home with Heidi | Saturday July 26 | 11 am – 2 pm

All new recipes for those who want to eat well and make it gluten free -for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert and the best Gluten free bread and rolls you’ve ever had! Wine pairings always included.

Cost is $65 per person Email Heidi to make your advance reservations

14Feb2014

I Heart You Happy Valentine’s Day

Posted in Cooking Classes, Culinary Events by Heidi Billotto

Its a little heart-shaped kiss of everyone’s favorite seasonal sweet…

Whether you are planning on saying “Be Mine” or “See Ya” to your sweetie this Valentine’s Day, there’s no easier way to put your thoughts together than through a few Conversation Hearts.

These heart-felt talkative treats are enjoyed by millions of Americans each year. In fact, Americans have been enjoying the candy we now call Conversation Hearts since the 1800s.

Made by several companies, the Sweethearts brand (my personal favorite) shares a history with another longtime favorite of mine, the much loved NECCO Wafers. Daniel Chase created the idea for the first conversation hearts in 1866 by devising a machine that would press food dye letters onto the candy lozenges made famous by his brother and NECCO founder Oliver Chase. The Conversation Hearts we know and love today came to be in the early 1900s. Today NECCO manufactures 8 billion Sweethearts year ’round to meet consumer demand.

From mid-February to January they produce about 100,000 pounds of the iconic candy hearts each day, which adds up to billions of candy hearts—more than enough for everyone in the world to have one. Through the years, the sayings on Conversation Hearts have been an edible reflection on how our culture has changed, but it is good to know that some of the original sayings are still in rotation, including “Be Mine,” “Be Good,” “Be True,” “Kiss Me.”

In honor of NECCO’s 150^thanniversary, the original phrase “The One I Love” also reappeared in the mix. In the early 1990’s, NECCO’s then Vice President Walter Marshall began an initiative to update the sayings each year, retiring some while adding others. The first new phrase, in years was “Fax Me” which met with a bit of controversy from diehard Conversation Heart fans; but now you can find hearts that suggest a would be lover “email me”, “text me” and “tweet me”, too!

And they come in Chocolate and are Gluten Free…Gotta Heart That!

dazzledsweethearts While the classic flavors are mixed and boxed together, the Necco company also produces separate boxes of chocolate Conversation Hearts, and they are, like the rolls of chocolate NECCO wafers, this food writer’s personal favorite, as well. But if you’d like something a little different, instead of enjoying the classics, you can also now buy sugar free Conversation Hearts and for those of you who really like to pucker up, enjoy the Dazzled tart Sweethearts in Pink Lemonade, Wild Berry Grape, Sour Apple, Watermelon, Extreme Tangerine and Blue Raspberry

Here’s how it rolls…

13Jan2014

Anyone can cook, let Heidi Billotto show you how to make it fun – 2014 kicks off with Eleven Fabulous Cooking Classes!

Posted in Cooking Classes by Heidi Billotto

It’s always a blast! My Cooking Classes are held at my South Charlotte home in my kitchen. Once you make your reservations I will send out directions to our home, its all hands on unless you’d rather just sit and watch, enjoy, eat and drink, which is fine, too. Wine parings with every dish, recipes packets and wine notes for each class participant. Cost is $65 – $75 per person. Class size is limited – your advance reservations via email gets you on the class list and advance payment confirms your space in class. To make your reservations for any of these classes – or to plan a private cooking class or teambuilding event of your own, just email me at HLNC@carolina.rr.com and we’ll get it set up.

My unique On the Farm Classes are held at various farms in and around Charlotte.

Each On The Farm class includes a walking Farm Tour and then we settle into the farm kitchen to cook with ( and eat!) whatever is in season. You really just have to experience these classes for yourself, there is indeed something quite special about being on all these local farms…

Class size is limited depending upon the size of the farm. At each farm we cook and eat and drink and you and your fellow classmates can watch or lend a hand if you’d like and together will learn to chop, slice, simmer and saute along the way.

So, now that you know how it works…Lets Get Cooking!!!

Roman Holiday – Food and Wine of Rome with guest Nada Vergili of Nada’s Italy. Wednesday Jan 15, 6:30-9:30 pm.

Nada Vergili of Nada’s Italy

Want to travel to Rome? Nada’s tours are fabulous and when you do go to Rome, you should plan the trip through Nada. But for now, why not just attend my Roman Holiday cooking class with my special guest Nada Vergili of Nada’s Italy-Tours! These hands -on cooking classes with Nada are always great fun. We’ll all cook, enjoy food and wine of Italy ( in this case of Rome and surrounds in particular) and then Nada will teach us all some fun Italian phrases and a little bit about this wonderful and historic region.

The classic Roman entrée, Porchetta

On the menu: we’ll kick things off with a negroni cocktail, but make it a bit more local by using TOPO Distillery certified organic gin from Chapel Hill! Then we’ll prepare cacao e pepe – a fabulous pasta dish with pecorino romano and cracked pepper; a pasta and chick pea soup; porchetta made from local pork shoulder from A Way of Life Farm in Bostic NC and a nutella tiramisu for dessert – Italian wines to pair with each course provided by my friend Josh Villapando at the Assorted Table Wine Shoppe.

Cost is $75 per person, class runs from 6:30-9:30 – printed recipe packet and wine notes for all participants. To Join us for your Roman Holiday, simply email me at hlnc@carolina.rr.com to make your reservation – Ciao!

Sat Jan 18 – Gluten Free Gourmet –
11am – 2:30 pm
Now here’s a class I’ve been wanting to offer for some time and so excited to finally have it on the books – an entire dinner meal – all gluten free – with easy substitutions and a host of new products with which to work; plus we’ll adding fresh and local product from this morning’s farmers’ markets. Wine pairings with each course, of course!
Cost is $65 email Heidi at hlnc@carolina.rr.com to make your advance reservations

Sunday Jan 19 -The Apple of My Pie – 1-4 pm
Nothing more fun than baking in the winter and filling the kitchen with warm wonderful aromas, This afternoon the concentration will be on pies – 4 different from scratch crusts with sweet and savory fillings and an easy way to make pie for a crowd with the refrigerator crust you just unroll and bake.
Cost is $65 email Heidi at hlnc@carolina.rr.com to make your advance reservations

Sunday Jan 26 – On the Winter Grill – At Home with Heidi – 1-4 pm
This is a fun seasonal At Home with Heidi Class everyone will love. Local chicken, pork, beef and veggies all on the grill. Class covers basic grilling techniques, marinades, dry rubs and more. You’ll be good to grill for any occasion after this fun and flavorful and informative class. Lots of tips and tricks to help you achieve grilling perfection. On the menu – grilled antipasto veggies and house marinated olives, tuna burgers with grilled jalapeno and cilantro pesto, dry rub bbq chicken with tabouli, grilled from scratch sausage biscuits and a fun grilled dessert you are going to love. Wine pairings with each dish, of course!
Cost is $65 email Heidi at hlnc@carolina.rr.com to make your advance reservations

Tues Jan 28 – French Dressing – 6:30-9:30 pm – At Home with Heidi
A Winter spin on a delicious Food and Wine of France menu. Wine pairings, techniques for making sauces, braising and more
Cost is $65 email Heidi at hlnc@carolina.rr.com to make your advance reservations

Feb 1 – Superbowl Spread On the Farm at Tega Hills Farms – 3-6:30 pm
Come prep for the big game in the warmth of Tega Hill’s hydroponic greenhouses in Ft. Mill and we use all Mark and Mindy Robinson of Tega Hill grow and have in season. Farm tour and cooking class with wine and some local beer pairings, too!
Cost is $75 email Heidi at hlnc@carolina.rr.com to make your advance reservations

Tuesday Feb 4 – Food and Wine of Spain – 6:30-9:30 pm
Hands -on class – At Home with Heidi- a complete meal from tapas to dessert with regional wine parings with each dish
Cost is $65 email Heidi at hlnc@carolina.rr.com to make your advance reservations

Sat Feb 8 – Bread baking 101- 11 am – 3pm -At Home with Heidi
This is the winter therapy you’ll knead to keep you happy! Nothing like baking your own bread and I’ll share several tips and tricks to make it easy and fun; using recipes from my own collection and some from several of my favorite bread baking books –
Cost is $65 email Heidi at hlnc@carolina.rr.com to make your advance reservations

Tues Feb 11 – On the Bone with local beer pairings -At Home with Heidi- 6:30-9:30 pm
A fun twist on one of my favorite classes – we are cooking local beef, pork, lamb and chicken all on the bone and then pairing each dish with a local Winter beer – Eat Local – Drink Local
Cost is $75 email Heidi at hlnc@carolina.rr.com to make your advance reservations

Nada Vergili of Nada’s Italy

Sat Feb 15 – The Annual That’s Amore cooking class with Nada Vergili of Nada’s Italy – 5:30-9:30 pm
This At Home with Heidi class is always a quick sell out – so make your reservations soon -Nada is back with us for a food and wine of Italy class for you and your Valentine; although you can come as a single or with friends too. We’ll cook a full meal, share Italian wine pairings and Nada will fill us in on some fun and flirtatious Italian pillow talk – good anytime of the year!
Cost is $75 email Heidi at hlnc@carolina.rr.com to make your advance reservations

Sammy and Melinda Koenigsberg of New Town Farms

Sat March 8 – On the Farm at New Town Farms 11 am – 4 pm Veggies and heritage breed chickens and pigs are just a few of things you’ll see on this fabulous family farm in Waxhaw NC. So happy to be cooking once again with my good friends, local farmers Sammy and Melinda Koenigsberg. This class begins in the kitchen as we prepare a menu
of recipes featuring New Town’s chicken and eggs in addition to all that is ripe
and ready to pick in the field. After we cook – and eat and drink – we’ll enjoy
a walking farm tour with our gracious hosts where we will meet the pasture raised
chickens and heritage breed pigs and learn about the ins and outs of farming acres
of wonderful produce. Sammy will share with us his philosophy of farming and sustainability
and the importance of knowing how what we eat is grown and is raised. Its more
than just a farm tour and cooking class – it’s an event that will change the way
you think about where your food comes from. Cost is $75 email Heidi to make your advance reservations at hlnc@carolina.rr.com

Sat March 22 – On the Farm at Bosky Acres – 11 am – 4 pm. Join me and meet Bosky Acres’ owner Michele Lamb and her oh-so-friendly herd of goats at the farm – including the group of new born kids who you can bottle feed if you would like. its the only cooking class in twon where you will learn how to milk a goat and how Michele makes her delicious fresh chevre. As the cheese process takes place, I will cook four different dishes – appetizers, entrees and a dessert – all using Bosky Acres tasty chevre and feta cheese. Menu to come – so happy to be at Bosky Acres once again!. Farm tour and cooking class- Cost is $65. For reservations, simply email Heidi at hlnc@carolina.rr.com

9Aug2013

In Celebration of Julia and Four More Fabulous Cooking Classes

Posted in Cooking Classes by Heidi Billotto

Anyone can cook, let me show you how to make it fun!

You’ll find the entire list of my new August, September and October cooking classes each week in my email newsletter ( just shoot me an email if you would like to subscribe) and in the Cooking Class section of HeidiBillottoFood.com.

I thought you would like a more detailed taste of the four classes I have coming up in the next few weeks ahead…..I’d love to have you come and join in the fun for one or all.

These classes are always a blast! The At Home with Heidi classes are held at my South Charlotte home in my kitchen and my unique On the Farm Classes take place on local area farms.

Once you email me to make your reservations I will send out directions to our home or to the individual farm. In every class we offer Wine parings with every dish, recipes packets and wine notes for each class participant. Cost is $65 – $75 per person. Class size is limited – your advance reservations via email to me gets you on the class list and advance payment confirms your space in class.

At Home with Heidi – Tuesday August 13; 6:30-9:30 pm – For the Love of Julia – Years ago I had the great good fortune to interview Julia Child by phone – twice – truly a highlight in my culinary career! On August 14, my hero Julia Child would have been 101 years old! No better way to celebrate her culinary contributions and inspirations than with a class in her honor. This class will be comprised of my take on four of my favorite Julia dishes from an assortment of her cook books – I have so many I am still trying to decide which ones to prepare -of course we’ll use local product as much as possible and I’ll probably base my selections on what I find at the market before class. As always Josh Villapando from the Sorting Table will provide our wine pairings.
Cost $65 per person – email Heidi at hlnc@carolina.rr.com to make your advance reservations

At Home with Heidi – Tuesday August 27; 6:30-9:30 -Late Summer Herbs and Spices – A great “season”al class – we’ll cook with all the fresh herbs we can get our hands on and blend them with product from my go-to spice shop – the Savory Spice Shop in SouthEnd and Pour Olive olive oil shop on East Blvd. to make a perfectly seasoned dinner for four – or more! Tips on preserving your fall herb harvest as well. Our menu will include Bistecca Florentine ( grilled steak with olive oil and fresh rosemary) and my wild salmon version of the same; marinated local feta with local tomato concasse on pasta with a fresh-made herbs de province blend; lamb chops with mint gremolata and mixed berry basil pie – Wine pairings with each course, of course! Cost $65 per person Email Heidi at hlnc@carolina.rr.com to make your reservations.

Shelley and Brian of Proffitt Cattle Co.,

Heidi’s Unique On The Farm Cooking Classes – Saturday, September 7; 3- 7:30 pm – On the Farm at Proffitt Cattle Co. in Kings Mountain

Home to Shelley and Brian Eagan and Shelley’s parents Diane and Steve and their family, Proffitt Cattle Co. is the first and largest cattle ranch in NC to raise beef on certified organic pastures. This beef is pasture finished, dry aged, 100% grass fed, USDA processed with no hormones and no antibiotics. Proffitt’s certified organic beef is available in Charlotte at Whole Foods

Upon arrival at the farm, we’ll start with an hors d’oeuvre and an aperitif and then settle into the kitchen for a cooking class with a beef-centric seasonal menu. As always our menu will include wine pairings from our good friend Josh Villapando at The Sorting Table at Seventh Street Market to match each course. The afternoon at the farm will wind up with an incredible tour of the Proffitt’s homestead property where you will get to experience first hand all that goes into raising this high quality local certified organic grass fed beef. Meet the cows and bulls, the horses, chickens, ducks and guinea hens and the bevy of friendly farms dogs too!

Enjoy the friendship, fellowship, generous samples, wine pairings and take away recipe packets and wine notes and more!

Lots of hands on opportunities for those who want to slice, dice and saute along with me. Or if you’d rather just enjoy the wine and drink and the beautiful view from the Proffitt’s comfy porch and patio, that’s fine too.

Cost $75 per person – email Heidi at hlnc@carolina.rr.com to make your advance reservations

At Home with Heidi – Saturday, Sept 14; 11 am – 2 pm – Thai One On – Come and delight in the Asian cuisine that brings together sweet, spicy, salty and hot flavors in each and every dish. An entire meal with all the intricate flavors of Thailand. Recipes include my twist on a Thai chicken and coconut soup, local grilled pork with green curry sauce, classic Pad Thai and savory fishcakes with spicy cucumber sauce -don’t miss it! Cost is $65; email Heidi at hlnc@carolina.rr.com to make your advance reservations.

Please Note the New Date – Sunday, Sept 22; 1-4 pm – Fire and Spice – Cooking from the fall grill -You’ll be good to grill for any occasion after this fun, flavorful and informative class. Lots of tips and tricks to help you achieve grilling perfection. On the menu – grilled antipasto veggies and house marinated olives, tuna burgers with grilled jalapeno and cilantro pesto, dry rub bbq chicken with tabouli, grilled from-scratch sausage biscuits and a fun grilled dessert you are going to love. Cost is $65 email Heidi at hlnc@carolina.rr.com to make your advance reservations

Check the Cook Class Info page for the rest of the list of late September and October cooking classes and simply email me to register for those that catch your fancy,

Private cooking classes –

If my regularly scheduled class times don’t suit; but a topic is of interest, then perhaps you’d like to plan a private cooking class or team building event all your own – I have several groups doing just that I am happy to accommodate you all – just give me a shout and we’ll get a date and topic for YOUR class on the calendar.

If you have a group larger than 16 or so I have several other kitchen options we can explore -again simply contact me at hlnc@carolina.rr.com and we’ll get it all figured out.

Gift Certificates – If you’d like to give the gift of a cooking class to your favorite foodie – I’m here to make it easy – You may select any dollar amount at $65 or $75 dollar increments for your gift certificate option and I’ll put it all together for you. My gift certificates are cute and clever if I do say so myself – which make the gift giving even more fun – they come all wrapped up, personalized and tied up with a bow the perfect gift for your favorite gourmet or gourmand! Email me at hlnc@carolina.rr.com to order or for more details.

North Carolina Coastal History and the Heritage

Mr. Big Seafood

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April Showers bring May Flowers and several new “At Home with Heidi” and “On the Farm” Cooking Classes – make your reservations today!

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Its a little heart-shaped kiss of everyone’s favorite seasonal sweet… and its on my list of “Things That Make You Go Mmmmmm…“

And they come in Chocolate and are Gluten Free…Gotta Heart That!

Here’s how it rolls…

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Looking forward to seeing you at one of my At Home with Heidi Cooking Classes soon…Here we go….

And now a cooking video bonus and a special offer from the Olive Crate in Waxhaw!

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Heidi’s Homemade (SnowDay) Cinnamon Rolls

Heidi Cooks | Heidi Writes | Heidi Teaches

Stay tuned…my list of Jan, Feb and March 2017 hands-on cooking classes posts this weekend – can’t wait!

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Classic Japanese Steak House Ginger Salad Dressing

Homemade Candied Baby Ginger

For your own Ginger Ale

And finally for the Ginger and Honey glazed baby back rib recipe that Charlotte Today co-hosts Eugene Robinson and Coleen Odegaard raved about on air –

Heidi’s Local Honey and Organic Baby Ginger Baby Back Ribs

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Southern Ideal Home Show Cooking Stage – Friday Sept 9, 2016

Southern Ideal Home Show Cooking Stage – Saturday, Sept 10, 2016

Southern Ideal Home Show Cooking Stage – Sunday, Sept 11, 2016

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Heidi’s Parmesan Popovers

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Anniversary Hors D’oeuvres, Birthday Tea Fit for a Queen, Benefits to Feed the Hungry and an Annual NC wine-centric Tribute to Rescue Dogs

Love sharing these Nibbles and Sips – My April Cooking Classes Calendar will be out in just a few days, for info directly to your inbox, subscribe to this blog on my home page.

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Now, here’s is one more – a fun hands on At Home With Heidi cooking class this Thursday evening Feb 11, 2016.

The evening starts at 6:30 pm.

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You Better Believe It!… The Carolina Panthers are Superbowl bound!

Cheers!

Heidi

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It’s time to get cooking with Heidi Billotto’s all new At Home With Heidi and On The Farm January Cooking Classes

Sat. Jan 16 – 12:30-3pm – Gluten Free Gourmet – Cost $75 per person

Wed. Jan 20 – 6:30-9 pm – Cooking With Winter Herbs and Spices – Cost $75 per person

Sat. Jan 23 – 1-4 pm – Fresh from the Winter Market – Cost $75 per person

Tues. Jan 26 – 6:30-9 pm – The Art of Cooking with Oil – Cost $75 per person

Sun, Jan 31 – 1-4 pm – On the Farm at Windcrest Certified Organic Farms for a Superbowl Feast – Cost $85 per person

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Its a little heart-shaped kiss of everyone’s favorite seasonal sweet…

And they come in Chocolate and are Gluten Free…Gotta Heart That!

Here’s how it rolls…

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