Photo courtesy ldenny27/Flickr

A tisket, a tasket, I’ve got a bunch of random yet tasty info in my basket. Let me dump it out here:

* The St. Patrick’s Day Parade is coming up next weekend in our fine city, and Wine Gourmet on Franklin Road in Roanoke does not want to be left out of the party. They are having an “Erin Go Brew” beer tasting event on Friday (March 11) from 5 to 8 p.m., so you can wet your whistle in anticipation of the next day’s festivities.

The tasting will feature 12 different beers, including Guinness’s stronger-brewed Foreign Extra Stout, Lagunitas Hop Stoopid (which I am told is hard to find in Roanoke) and a number of varieties from Shooting Creek Brewery in Floyd. There will also be snacks such as Irish soda bread, and Irish tunes playing. That reminds me that I need to try and make Irish soda bread again. The last time I tried, it tasted like a salt lick for deer. I’m sure theirs will be much better, so go and see Aaron and the crew!

* The Farm Bureau Women’s Committee in Botetourt County is putting together a cookbook as a fundraiser to support the “Ag in the Classroom” program. 100 percent of the proceeds will go to the program, but they only have two weeks to gather 400 recipes. Ahhhhh!! I am going to send them one or two for this great cause, and I hope you will, too! Just e-mail your recipes to bcfbwcookbook@gmail.com by March 15. For more information, check out Cathy Benson’s Botetourt View blog.

* Speaking of cookbooks, the Franklin County Retail Merchants Association is celebrating its 55th Anniversary in 2011. To celebrate, they are selling a cookbook featuring 170 recipes and an “Old Timey” section. Pick up a copy at the Retail Merchants office at 392 Franklin Street, Rocky Mount for the low price of $10.00.  For additional information call 540-483-9211, between 8:30 and 2:30.

* The Culinary Arts and Management Associate of Applied Science Degree program at Dabney S. Lancaster Community College has received accreditation from the American Culinary Federation, so they should be very proud! Big congratulations to Phil McManus and his crew at my old alma mater.

* Finally, the culinary scene in Southwest and Central Virginia has recently received some positive press from outside the area. Check out this travel piece about Staunton that ran in Baltimore Magazine, and this article about Peaks of Otter Winery that ran in the Washington Post. Way to go Staunton foodies, and congratulations to Danny and Nancy Johnson at the winery. Way to represent!