Wow! What a great response in yesterday’s contest to win tickets to the Vinton Wine and Food Festival. Thanks to everybody who read the blog entry and left a comment for a chance to win.

Unfortunately, I only have four tickets to give away (two sets of two). Today is the lucky day for:

* Becky I, who left comment #47, and…

* Chelsea, who left comment #32

Congratulations, winners! Please email me ASAP at lindsey.nair@roanoke.com or call me at 981-3343 so we can figure out the best way to get these tickets to you for this weekend’s festival. If you are not going to be able to attend and don’t know anybody you want to give the tickets to, let me know so I can pick another winner.

For those of you who did not win, there are still tickets available to this event. They’re only $15 in advance and $20 at the door. To purchase tickets, click here. For more information about the festival, click here or call the Vinton Chamber of Commerce at 540.343.1364.

The 4th Annual Vinton Wine and Food Festival is coming up this weekend, and organizers were kind enough to give me four tickets to give away on the blog. Why not start planning your weekend on Monday?

This event will be held on the front lawn of the lovely Vinton War Memorial on Washington Avenue in Vinton from 1 to 6 p.m. on Saturday. These are wine taster tickets, which means you get a complimentary wine glass and free tastings of wine from participating vendors. For those who don’t like wine, there will also be beer and non-alcoholic beverages available.

Because it’s silly to drink without having a little snack to go along with it, there will be several great food vendors on site at the festival, as well. Finally, there will be an opportunity to do a little shopping at some booths set up by retailers. To see the list of participating wineries, food vendors and craft/gift vendors, click “read more” below.

At the moment, meteorologists are calling for Saturday to be 81 degrees with only a slight chance of thunderstorms. Sounds like a lovely day to get outside and enjoy some beverages and food. For more information about the festival, visit the website here.

I’m going to give away these tickets in two sets of two. If you are interested in winning, please post a comment on this blog entry by 9 p.m. tonight. I’ll choose two random winners tomorrow and get these tickets in the mail or put them at the front desk of the newspaper office so the winner will be ready to go by Saturday.

Read more »

The Lewisburg Chocolate Festival will offer fun for the entire family on April 13. Photo courtesy Lewisburg Downtown Business Association.

It doesn’t feel much like spring out there today, but it’s coming! With it comes a long list of food-related activities. Here’s a rundown of some of those opportunities over the next couple of months:

Virginia Cooperative Extension Food Safety Training

Tuesday, March 19, 2013 – 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
VA Dept. of Health, 1502 Williamson Rd. Roanoke, 24012
Virginia Department of Health and Virginia Cooperative Extension present this 4-hour training geared to food service workers.  Participants will receive training and updates on hygiene, time/temperature, preventing cross contamination, cleaning and sanitizing, food storage, and more.  $15 class fees include a booklet, handouts, resources and refreshments.  Must pre-register. http://www.offices.ext.vt.edu/roanoke  For questions contact Deb Chappell at (540)772-7524, Dchappel@vt.edu.

VCE Gardening – Organic Methods

Presented by Master Gardeners. Thursday, March 21, 2013, 6 to 7 p.m. Roanoke Community Garden Association, Main City Library corner of Jefferson and Elm. Free of charge.

Earth Day at Hotel Roanoke

On Saturday, March 23, Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center will observe Earth Day by turning off the lights for one hour at 8:30 p.m. According to a press release, the goal is to “come together with the world to celebrate a global sustainability movement by doing something very simple.”

During the dark hour, the hotel will serve dinner and drinks by candle light in the newly remodeled Regency Room and in the Pine Room Pub. The lobby and Palm Court will be lit by candles, as well. The hotel staff will turn off any non-essential lights and other equipment throughout the facility and will encourage guests to limit their use of electricity in their rooms if they care to participate.

VCE Gardening – Companion Planting

Presented by Master Gardeners. Tuesday, April 2, 2013, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. Hollins Branch Library, 6624 Peters Creek Rd. Free of Charge.

7th Annual Lewisburg Chocolate Festival

This downtown Lewisburg, W.Va. festival seems to get bigger and more popular every year. It’s a bit of a drive from Roanoke, but it’s a pretty drive and maybe spring colors will be out. The event includes chocolate tastings, chocolate-themed dinners, kids’ activities, live music, a chocolate bake-off, chef demonstrations, a chocolate mousse-eating contest and the HospiceCare 10K Chocolate Chase.

Tickets go on sale March 15. To learn more about the event and how to buy tickets, go to www.lewisburgchocolatefestival.com.

Read more »

AP file photo

Autumn has arrived and I am getting inundated with lots of emails about wonderful food- and drink-related events coming up within the next month.

Here’s a quick-and-dirty list to help you plan your next fun outing:

Sept. 29: The Sinkland Farms Pumpkin Festival gets underway this weekend in Christiansburg. It is open on Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 28, with evening hours for the corn maze. The festival also includes TONS of food, hayrides, a pumpkin patch, corn cannons, barnyard animals, face painting and a whole lot more. For all the details, including exact hours and ticket prices, click here.

Also Sept. 29: The Roanoke City Farmers Market is holding its Harvest Festival from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It will include apple butter making; antique tractors; cloggers- Kountry Kickers (10 to 11 a.m.) and Floyd Ward Dancers (1 to 2 p.m.); Haley Toyota kids area-pony rides, pumpkin painting, face painting, coloring wall, barrel fishing and more games with prizes; old-fashioned sodas and kettle korn; and the bands Rosco P and Coal Train (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.) and Grass Monkey (2 to 4 p.m.).

Oct. 5: The Blacksburg Partnership and The Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center announce the 2^nd annual Blacksburg Brew Do Beer Dinner at Preston’s Restaurant. The menu with beverage pairings:

Cider| Prosciutto Wrapped Cantaloupe, Granny Smith Apple with Cheddar
Lager | Spiced Lump Crab Cake with Mixed Greens and Fresh Herbs, Light Citrus Vinaigrette
India Pale Ale | Deviled Eggs, Pickle Relish with Cornichon, Green Olive and Pimento with Paprika
Amber | Grilled Game Sausage with Oktoberfest Braised Sauerkraut and Spicy Brown Mustard Rye Crostini
Porter | Sliced Porter Marinated Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Butternut Squash Hash and Caramelized Shallots
Stout & Fruit | Artisan Cheese and House Made Truffles

Tickets for the Blacksburg Brew Do Beer Dinner are $49 per person plus tax and gratuity. Space is limited. Call Preston’s Restaurant at 540-231-0120 for reservations or purchase tickets online at www.blacksburgbrewdo.com/food/beerdinner/.

To see more events, click “Read more.”

Read more »

You might have noticed we’re taking votes for the best places to shop and pamper yourself around the holidays. The voting period runs through Sept. 30 and the results will be published in The Roanoke Times on Sunday, Nov. 11.

There are eight categories for voting: Bargain Hunting, Local Roots, For Shopping Warriors, Hitting The Road, Holiday Pampering, Where Do You Buy?, Holiday Entertaining, and Holiday Decor. We appreciate everybody’s vote and are offering a chance to win some awesome prizes. So far, voters have won season passes to Broadway in Roanoke, a $200 MAC cosmetics kit and a set of tickets to the Dec. 30 NFL match-up between the Washington Redskins and the Dallas Cowboys.

This week is the last week to vote. There are two possible prizes for voters who give us their email addresses, and one of them is geared toward foodies. The first prize consists of a set of Pyrex dishes, some McCormick spices and a copy of “Flavors of Home,” the Roanoke Times cookbook that is no longer for sale to the general public. The second prize is ANOTHER pair of tickets to the Dec. 30 Redskins-Cowboys game.

So go and vote today! Don’t miss your chance to win those prizes and make a difference for some local business owners! CLICK HERE to get started.

By now, the homegrown tomatoes are finally starting to roll in. Maybe, like my father, you’re looking at several really long rows of green beans and preparing yourself for some long, hot hours of picking in the garden.

What are you going to do if you have more produce than you can eat? Well, you could give some to your family, friends and neighbors, of course. You could also do what country folks have been doing for generations and put some up for the winter. There’s nothing like homegrown tomatoes in a pot of winter soup or chili.

If you don’t know how to can or otherwise preserve food, no worries. The Virginia Cooperative Extension is offering a few low-cost (or free) classes to help you learn. Here are the details:

* Canning Demonstration class – Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2012, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The Brambleton Center, 3738 Brambleton Avenue, Roanoke. Water bath canning, pressure canning, freezing and drying will be demonstrated. Class costs $5 and includes take-home materials and a jar of vegetables. You must pre-register because space is limited. To register, call 772-7524 or email dchappel@vt.edu.

* Dehydration Seminar – the art and science of drying foods. Includes what foods to dry, how to dry them, how to store and how to reconstitute the food. Thursday, Aug. 16, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Hollins Library on Peters Creek Rd. Free class. If you have questions, contact Deb Chappel at the number or email address above.

If you already know how to can food, it is recommended that you have the dial gauge on your pressure cooker lid checked every year. You can have the gauge checked for free. Details:

* Pressure Canner Gauge check and Food Preservation Info Booth – July 21, 23 or 24, noon to 2 p.m. Free of charge. Stop by the following True Value Northwest Hardware store locations between those hours, and bring only your pressure cooker lid with dial gauge:

Saturday, July 21 – Vinton Store, 2113 Washington Ave., Vinton
Monday, July 23 – Williamson Rd. Store, 2303 Williamson Rd., Roanoke
Tuesday, July 24 – West Salem Store – 2913 W. Main St., Salem

Local Roots is having a heritage chicken dinner next Wednesday.

There are a couple of special deals available today only that I want to relate (or, in the case of Krispy Kreme, reiterate):

* In celebration of the exact day the first Krispy Kreme business opened, the company is offering one dozen original glazed doughnuts for 75 cents WITH the purchase of one dozen original glazed today.

* Chick-Fil-A at Valley View Mall is celebrating “Cow Appreciation Day” today. If you show up dressed as a cow from head to foot, you get a free entree, side dish and beverage. Sounds silly, but my sister and her colleagues did it one year as a group. Man, I wish I still had that picture she sent me. If you don’t want to dress as a cow from head to tail, you can wear one cow accessory, such as a moo-spotted hat, and get a free entree only.

* Today is National French Fry Day. I don’t know of any free french fries available, but I thought I’d give you all an excuse to eat some fries today. You know, “I normally wouldn’t eat this sort of thing but it’s Lindsey Nair’s fault. She told me to do it.”

* It is also National Ice Cream Month. Ditto the excuse thing. What’s your favorite ice cream? In the absence of something homemade, especially if it’s homemade peach or strawberry ice cream, I’d vote for Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia. I’ve always loved that stuff.

* Don’t forget Taste of Culture in downtown Roanoke today from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The cuisine is Philippino. Click here for more details.

* Local Roots Restaurant has a couple of special dinners coming up:

1. Heritage Chicken Dinner, Wednesday, July 18: “Help us celebrate the return of these flavorful birds grown exclusively for Local Roots with a three-course dinner and passed hors d’oeuvres. Brent Wills from Bramble Hollow Farm in Montvale, Va. will be here to talk about the farm and the birds.” $37 per person plus tax and tip. For reservations, call 206-2610.

2. Tomatolicious Dinner: Wednesday, Aug. 22: “We welcome Chef Jeremiah Langhorne, Sean Brock’s Chef De Cuisine at McCrady’s in Charleston, SC, who will pair with Local Roots’ Head Chef Nathanial Sloan to  create all things scrumptiously, deliciously, juicily tomato paired with other culinary delights from right here in and around Roanoke. This is a prix fixe  multi-course menu. Chef Langhorne has recently been voted a 2012 Eater Young Gun chefs to watch. Wine pairings available.” Price TBA, keep an eye on their website for details and call the number listed above for reservations.

Have a great weekend, folks!

Al Hubbard. The Roanoke Times l File photo.

Al Hubbard, owner of Healthy Stuff Cakery and Cafe on Grandin Road in Roanoke, has completed his outdoor seating area, which can accommodate 22 customers. Because he never had an official grand opening at the current location (in the big house beside the post office), he’s going to have a celebration this weekend to break in the new deck.

Hubbard said the event will include live music, homemade ice cream, a baked goods giveaway and all of the usual delicious- yet-healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner items he carries on the menu. He has also recently added some new menu items, including a New York-style corned beef sandwich, salmon, barbecue, smoothies, freshly squeezed carrot juice and lemonade sweetened with agave instead of sugar.

There will also be metal art for sale made by Radford artist Ken Edwards. Check out Edwards’ website to see the kind of beautiful and whimsical creations he makes. The celebration will take place Saturday (June 16) from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday (June 17) from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Moving forward, Hubbard said, he’ll feature live music on the deck occasionally and will have a barbecue grill area there. He asked me to remind folks that they can park in the post office spaces next door when the post office is closed on the weekends.

Al Hubbard is one of the coolest and most interesting people I’ve met in the 5+ years I’ve been covering the food beat. Stop by and chat him up – if not this weekend, then sometime soon.

The Palisades Restaurant l File photo

We received some 80 entries for tickets to the Celebrity Chef Tour dinner at The Palisades Restaurant in Eggleston this weekend. Palisades owner Shaena Muldoon randomly chose No. 28 over the telephone, and the comment which corresponds with that number was left by blog reader Shannon, who said:

Congratulations to Shannon! I called and talked to Shannon and she was very excited about the opportunity to attend this spectacular event. Shannon lives in Forest with her husband and their three children, and she works as manager of a wine importing and distribution company. So I’m betting she could use a break and a night out for a fine meal.

I want to sincerely thank everybody who entered to win this contest. Keep an eye on the Fridge Magnet blog for future contests!

I know everybody who entered to win tickets to the Celebrity Chef Tour dinner at The Palisades in Eggleston is eagerly waiting to hear whether their name was drawn.

I am going to allow Palisades owner Shaena Muldoon to pick the winning number today, and will announce the winner before the end of the business day. So stay tuned!

Meanwhile, let’s have an open thread about what we cooked over the weekend. I wonder if you, like me, took advantage of the cool, rainy weather to do some roasting or baking. It occurred to me that it might have been one of the last weekends when I could comfortably crank up the oven.

I had friends over Saturday and we made chicken Marsala with roasted potatoes and grilled asparagus, along with a wonderful chocolate cake (I’ll have to share that recipe later this week). Yesterday, I made a nice pot roast with mushrooms and lots of sweet onions. Yay for leftovers!

The deadline to enter to win two tickets to the Celebrity Chef Tour at The Palisades restaurant in Eggleston is NOON tomorrow, Friday, March 23, 2012.

If you’re interested in attending the March 31 dinner, which costs $140 per person, please CLICK HERE and follow the instructions to enter our random drawing. It’s easy!

I will not consider comments left on this blog entry or comments left after 12 p.m. tomorrow. Good luck to everybody, and thanks for playing!

I’ve given away some great prizes on this blog, but this might be the most exciting opportunity ever. Shaena Muldoon, owner of The Palisades Restaurant, has generously offered us two tickets to the Celebrity Chef Tour dinner at the restaurant later this month.

This dinner will feature the handiwork of five extremely talented chefs, including past contestants on Bravo’s “Top Chef,” Esquire magazine’s 2009 “Chef of the Year” and Roanoke’s own Aaron Deal, who was a semi-finalist for a prestigious James Beard Award in 2009. To see the entire lineup and read more about the dinner, please click here.

The celebrity chefs will be cooking at The Palisades for two nights in a row, Friday and Saturday, March 30 and 31. This contest prize is for tickets to the event on Saturday, March 31. Tickets cost $140 per person, so this is a prize valued at close to $300.  They will be will-call, so Shaena will have the winners’ names and you won’t have to worry about getting them through the mail. The tickets are transferable, so if you win but cannot go you can send friends or family in your place.

To enter to win, you MUST:

1. Read all of these rules, please.
2. Leave your comment on THIS blog entry.
3. In your comment, tell me who is your favorite celebrity chef and why. It certainly does not have to be one of the chefs who will be cooking at the dinner; in fact, you will not be awarded any brownie points if you name one of them because the winner will be selected at random.
4. Your comment must also include your favorite recipe from your favorite celebrity chef. You don’t have to type out the entire recipe in your comment if you can provide a link instead or email it to me at lindsey.nair@roanoke.com before the deadline.
5. Leave your comment by NOON on Friday, March 23. The winner will be announced on Monday, March 26.
6. Employees, shareholders, officers, directors, agents, and representatives of Times-World, or their respective parent companies, affiliates, subsidiaries, divisions, agents, representatives and promotional agencies, and their immediate family members (defined as parents, spouse, children, siblings, grandparents or grandchildren) and/or any person with whom they are domiciled are not eligible, and people who meet this definition cannot enter the contest.

Good luck, everyone! And thank you so much, Shaena, for giving readers this wonderful opportunity!

Update: I was going to choose two winners of the McCormick spice kits today, but nobody who left a comment on this entry said they needed them. So I’m going to revise this a bit and ask, does anybody actually WANT them? If you would like to have one, please leave a comment. I’ll include those who have already left comments and will give this contest a bit more time – until noon on Tuesday. Thanks. End update.

I remember the first time I hosted Thanksgiving dinner at my house. After experiencing what was essentially the same wonderful gathering with my family every year since I was old enough to remember, I felt so out of sorts. But I also felt excited, because I was proud to show off my home and set a beautiful table for our mixed group of guests.

I was lucky that my dad was there to help me with the turkey, which was an expensive local bird I certainly didn’t want to screw up. I was also lucky that some of my guests brought side dishes, but it was still left to me to cook the bird, make mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, and a few other accoutrements.

If this will be your first time cooking Thanksgiving dinner, I’d like to offer a little help:

1. For advice on how to brine and cook your bird, check out these archived blog entries here and here.

2. If you want to know how to make what is, in my opinion, some really awesome stuffing, click here.

3. You can also search the PlateUp recipe database for all sorts of recipes for side dishes and dessert.

4. Finally, if you are lacking some of the seasonings needed for the big dinner, I’ve got TWO nice Thanksgiving dinner kits from McCormick that I’m going to give away right now.
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The Roanoke Times l File photo

I got a call today from Tom Noelke, the franchisee of two area Zaxby’s restaurant locations — the one on Hershberger Road in Roanoke and the one on Main Street in Salem.

Noelke wanted me to spread the news that he’ll be offering all veterans a free meal with a drink on Friday, which is Veterans’ Day. He has done this for a year or two and they served about 100 veterans last year.

This is not a chain-wide event; it is something that Noelke decided to do on his own. He said he lost an uncle and a good friend in Vietnam. “It is a personal thing with me,” he said. Last year on Veteran’s Day, a 102-year-old veteran came to one of his restaurants decked out in all of his metals.

These Zaxby’s locations are open from 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Friday. They do not check military IDs; it is based on an honor system.

I’m surely not the only one who would like to thank Mr. Noelke for this kind gesture. If I hear of any other businesses offering specials to veterans, I’ll pass that along. And if you hear of anything I’ve missed, please share!

This blog entry is jam-packed with upcoming food and beverage events, so click on “Read more” for details about:

* the release of New Belgium Brewing Company beers at local retailers
* a birthday bash at Mr. Bill’s Wine Cellar
* free tastings at Vintage Cellar
* the end of a local food retail service
* a murder mystery dinner at Hotel Roanoke
* a three sisters (corn, beans and squash) with buffalo dinner at Local Roots
* some local poultry options this fall
and
* a cookbook to benefit the Women’s Resource Center of the New River Valley

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Congratulations to our random winners of tickets to the Horse & Hound Wine Festival at Peaks of Otter Winery in Bedford County on July 9:

#19, Mark M (one pair of tickets)

#27, Candace Poling (one pair of tickets)

Our features intern, Becky Mickel, a rising junior at Washington & Lee, was my guest number-drawer for this contest. I think she did a mighty fine job because she picked my favorite response, which came in from Mark. (Becky says she picked 19 because that’s her age)

Mark said:

“I’m a simple guy with simple tastes. A little sun filtering through the shade of large oaks, to enjoy berries — blue, straw, rasp, black; wheat crackers of differing textures; cubed cheeses of a couple of sharp flavors; and a cooled white wine with its hint of blended flavors to touch the palate…much like the woman I share it with who touches my mind.”

Mark M. and Candace, please email me at lindsey.nair@roanoke.com to claim your tickets. Thank you for playing, everyone!

Image courtesy Bedfordwine.com

Thanks to Danny and Nancy Johnson, the kind owners of Johnson’s Orchards and the Peaks of Otter Winery in Bedford County, I have two pairs of tickets to give away for The Horse & Hound Wine Festival on Saturday, July 9.

The festival will include tastings with Virginia wineries, including Fincastle, Hickory Hill, Leo Grande, Rebec, Savoy Lee, Tomahawk, White Rock, Wintergreen and, of course, Peaks of Otter. There will also be arts and crafts, live music, food, agility dogs, a parade of horses, lure coursing, muskrat races, pony rides, a stick horse race and activities for children in the “Kiddie Korral.”

Part of the proceeds from the event benefit the Commonwealth Search and Rescue team, Bedford Humane Society, All American Mutt Rescue and Brook Hill Farm horse rescue. Guests may bring their dogs, who can try out the agility course and the lure course after the pros have finished with their demonstrations. And all dogs are invited to take part in the muskrat race, so if you’ve got a great swimmer at home you might want to think about showing him or her off! For more information about the event, click here.

For a chance to win the tickets, leave a comment on this post and tell me: What is your favorite food and wine pairing?

The deadline to enter is 5 p.m. on Monday. Since there can be no right or wrong answer to this question, I will pick the winner randomly. Good luck!

Congratulations to Karen T.! You’ve won two tickets to next weekend’s Wine Trail of Botetourt County Summer Concert Series event.

Karen said: “My husband and I love going to different wineries but we love the Peaks of Otter winery. The person who did the tasting on our last visit was great and so much fun! We bought several bottles while there and have enjoyed trying “the Kiss” in several dishes. We look forward to our next visit!”

Let me know how it goes!

Thanks to everyone else for participating. I love making trips to local wineries and will have to try out some of your suggestions.

Hello everyone! This is Rebecca Holland (RT staffer and Shoptimist blogger) stepping in for Lindsey. I know it’s only Thursday, but I thought we could have some fun and start the weekend early.

The Wine Trail of Botetourt County Summer Concert Series is in full swing, and I’ve got 2 free tickets to give away for a lucky reader. The concert, featuring Solrevolt, is happening June 18 at 6 p.m. at Virginia Mountain Vineyards. Entry includes a souvenir wine glass and tasting.

So how can you get your hands on these tickets (valued at $10 a piece)? Leave a comment below telling me about your favorite local winery — which it is and why you’re so fond of it – by Friday at 4 p.m. A winner will be chosen at random and notified Friday afternoon.

To read more info about the Wine Trail of Botetourt County, click here.

Even if it is for a great cause, a lot of us don’t have the dough for $150 tickets to see former White House chef Walter Scheib at the YMCA fundraising dinner this weekend. But I have info about an opportunity to see him for FREE! Scheib will be doing a cooking demonstration at the opening weekend of Chef’s Circle at the Salem Farmers Market.

This demonstration will take place at 9:30 a.m. this Saturday, June 4 at the market. Get there early for a good seat. Chef Scheib will be assisted by Chef Jeff Bland of U.S. Foodservice. I’m sure it will be a great event. I will be assisting at a Chef’s Circle event later this summer. Stay tuned for more details on that.

After the Chef’s Circle this weekend, you may want to head down to the Roanoke Farmers Market for a free chocolate chip cookie! For more on that, here is the word from Hotel Roanoke spokesman Michael Quonce:

Read more »

The upcoming week is National Entrepreneurship Week, so it’s a perfect time for the free seminar to be held Friday at the Jefferson Center in Roanoke.

“The Business of Restaurants,” a four-hour workshop for restaurant owners and those who have considered opening a restaurant, will provide a plethora of tips and resources for success in one of the toughest industries. Lessons include:

• Why restaurants fail

• Steps and resources for launching a successful restaurant in Virginia

• How to prepare a market analysis: Is there a need for this restaurant?

• Finance preparation and sustaining a restaurant

• Tips from panel discussions with current business owners Matt Bullington (Texas Tavern), Charles Hooper (Crock & Roll), Bridget Meagher (Alexander’s) and Scott Switzer (Blue Apron Restaurant and Red Rooster Bar)

• Information about local taxes, food and beverage taxes, consumption tax, business licensing, etc.

• Liability and insurance information

• Marketing, promotion and customer service ideas from successful restaurants

• Presentation on the Virginia Hospitality and Travel Association by Butch Craft (The Roanoker)

And so, as you can see, a ton of useful information will be provided, and the networking opportunities will be invaluable. The event is sponsored by the city of Roanoke, Roanoke County, the Roanoke Regional Small Business Development Center, Virginia Department of Business Assistance, Virginia Tourism Corporation, People Inc. and Wells Fargo. Panera Bread is providing some breakfast food.

As Lisa Soltis with Roanoke’s Department of Economic Development put it, you need a lot more than a great spaghetti sauce recipe to create a successful restaurant. To register for this workshop, go to www.vastartup.org or contact Soltis at 853-1694. For additional information, contact Sandy Ratliff with the Virginia Department of Business Assistance at (276) 676-3768 or sandy.ratliff@vdba.virginia.gov.

Bill "Sauce Boss" Wharton. Photo by Cheryl Gorski, courtesy Sauce Boss website.

This is craziness, people. Craziness. And if you don’t have any plans tonight and are looking for something to do, you should consider checking out The Sauce Boss at Blue 5 at 312 2nd St. in Roanoke.

Who, or what, is The Sauce Boss? It’s Bill Wharton, a Florida slide guitar blues player who actually makes gumbo on stage while playing live music. I am not kidding.

According to Wharton’s website, he has cooked gumbo on stage for more than 170,000 people, adding his “famous Liquid Summer hot sauce” to every batch and playing away on that guitar all the while. At the end of the show, the audience gets to taste the gumbo, and the best part is that there’s no cover charge for this show.

I wonder how good the gumbo is? I wonder if he’s ever dropped a guitar pick in there? Well, I wonder a lot of things. And if I can get my booty over there tonight, I’ll maybe find some answers. The show starts at 9:30 p.m.

Just a reminder that the PlateUp Winter Recipe Contest cookoff will take place starting at 6 p.m. this evening at the Bonsack Kroger store, just off U.S. 460 near the Walmart in Bonsack.

Anyone is welcome to come and see us judge the three finalists’ recipes. Their dishes will be available for sale in the bistro at lunch and dinnertime today, and during the event tonight, free samples will be handed out. In addition, there will be five Kroger gift cards given away as door prizes. So come on out, see the winners and maybe you will win something yourself!

iStock

Like many Southwest Virginians, my budget this holiday season is feeling tighter than a lockjawed oyster.

I’ll be buying a tree, presents to put under it, wrapping paper for said presents, tons of food and drink and about a thousand other odds and ends that’ll pop into my head and sneak money out of my wallet.

Oh, for a winter fairy who could drop a few hundred extra dollars in my pocket! I don’t see any such fairy approaching, but you might just be in luck.

I’m excited to announce today’s launch of The Roanoke Times’ PlateUp Winter Recipe Contest, sponsored by Kroger. Just by entering your family’s favorite recipes in our online database, you’ll be eligible to win hundreds of dollars worth of Kroger merchandise.

The payoff for everyone will be a plethora of delicious, tested-and-tried recipes we can continue to share for years to come.

To continue reading this column, click here.

To enter the contest, click here to go to the PlateUp recipe page, then look for the green box that says “Submit your recipe.”

Here is the latest round-up of food-related community events:

THURSDAY, SEPT. 30

Food bank fundraising at Local Roots Restaurant. The front-of-house staff at the Grandin Avenue restaurant will be donating half of their evening gratuity to Feeding America Southwest Virginia (formerly the Second Harvest food bank).

FRIDAY, OCT. 1

Oktoberfest Beer Festival at Wine Gourmet. 5 to 8 p.m. Featuring samples of 12 different beers, as well as some complementary fare, such as brats and roasted vegetables, provided by Comfort Cuisine. And it’s all free! Wine Gourmet is at 2219 Franklin Road in Roanoke. For more info, call (540) 400-8466.

Strengthening NRV Local Foods & Hunger Relief Efforts at the New River Valley Competitiveness Center in Fairlawn. 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. This is a daylong seminar including three programs on local, sustainable food, hunger relief and how to pair the two concepts so that people in need can have access to nutritious local food. Includes breakfast and lunch. FREE. If you’d like to attend, RSVP by Thursday to (540) 381-8999 or cfnrv@cfnrv.org.

That’s all for now, folks! Check the Foodie Calendar in every Thursday’s Extra section for more food-related events.

Congratulations, y'all! (AP photo)

This was hard, folks. I know I say that every time we have to pick a contest winner, but in this case so many of you seem to adore Paula Deen for many reasons. But I narrowed down the 50 or so entries to two winners, who will each receive two tickets to Paula’s appearance at the Salem Civic Center on October 2.

Winner #1 is Renee Ratcliffe, who offered this heartfelt and compelling argument for why she should be a winner:

“I would love to get these for my mother-in-law & sister-in-law for an early Christmas present. As with everybody else, times are extremely tight at my house right now. My husband had a kidney-pancreas transplant in February with alot [sic] of complications afterward. He has spent over 6 months either in the hospital or laid up at home not being able to earn any type of income except his monthly disability which barely helps to cover our bills combined with my salary. My in-laws are HUGE Paula Deen fans but also can’t afford the tickets. They don’t have cable so don’t even know about her coming to the area. I saw it on WDBJ7 & checked on the ticket prices but there is no way we can do this for them. My mother-in-law put her life on hold to stay at our house with our dogs while we were at UVA for 3 solid weeks after surgery. All we hear about from her is Paula Deen this, Paula Deen that. We had to buy a couple pieces of her cookware last year for Christmas & she’s all the time asking for her cookbooks & books. As far as being the biggest fan, I don’t know if she is or not but I would greatly appreciate being considered for these tickets as a way to pay them back for all their help this year.”

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In case you missed it in today’s Extra section, Corned Beef & Co. in downtown Roanoke is celebrating 25 years in business. They are celebrating with 25 cent wings through Saturday. Also, today and tomorrow, all appetizers are $5 and all sandwiches are $5. There’s your cheap lunch today!

Speaking of cheap lunches, my husband gave me a hard time last night because I forgot to link to my column this week. In case you missed that, I scrounged up 25 lunch options in downtown Roanoke for $6 and less. That’s proof you can still eat an affordable lunch while the market building is closed! Click here to see the story.

Can you handle more money savings? Weeeell, today’s Daily Deal on Roanoke.com is $15 for a full wine tasting for two at Virginia Mountain Vineyards in Fincastle, which normally costs $30.

Finally, don’t forget to enter to win those Paula Deen tickets by 5 p.m. today. To enter, click here. The winner will be announced on Monday. Good luck to all!

Don’t forget to enter to win tickets to see Paula Deen at the Salem Civic Center on Oct. 2. The deadline to enter is 5 p.m. tomorrow (Friday).

For more details, and to enter, CLICK HERE.

It took me several e-mails, a proposal and few phone calls over the past few weeks, but I finally have wonderful news for Paula Deen fans: I’ve got tickets to give away here on the Fridge Magnet blog!

Paula Deen the Butter Queen is coming to the Salem Civic Center on Saturday, October 2 to share Southern recipes and stories with her adoring fans. The show, sponsored by Grand Home Furnishings, is at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are normally about 60 bucks, including taxes and fees, but I’ve got two pairs of tickets for two lucky winners.

In order to enter, please follow these directions closely:

1. Leave a comment on THIS BLOG ENTRY. Comments on other blog entries will not be considered.

2. Your comment must address the following question: What makes you the biggest Paula Deen fan in Southwest Virginia?

3. Leave your comment by 5 P.M. on FRIDAY, SEPT. 24. The winners will be selected by my editor and me and will be announced on Monday, Sept. 27. Tickets will be left for the winners at the “will call” booth at the Salem Civic Center.

That’s all, folks! Convince me that you would be the most deserving person of these tickets! Good luck to everybody.

Author Barbara Kingsolver will speak at Virginia Tech on Sept. 14.

Over the past few weeks, e-mails and press releases about fall food events in Southwest Virginia have been raining down on me like autumn leaves. Summer is a popular foodie time, but fall brings those cooler temperatures and lovely colors that make outdoor events special. Also, I think organizations want to get the fundraisers out of the way before wallets start opening for Christmas.

Without further ado, here is a big, honkin’ list of September events. I’ll share October events in the next few weeks:

Friday, Sept. 10: Taste of Culture’s September event will feature the cuisine and culture of the Philippines. Admission is free, food will be for sale. This Local Colors event happens on Wall Street beside the market building in downtown Roanoke from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. October’s culture will be Scandinavian!

Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 11-12: Mountain Road Wine Experience. This self-guided tasting tour winds through the Blue Ridge Mountains of Southwest Virginia. It includes stops at Amrhein Wine Cellars, Blacksnake Meadery, Chateau Morrisette, Foggy Ridge Cider and Villa Appalaccia Winery. Cost is $30 per person for “innovative food and beverage pairings at each location,” the flyer states. You may want to think about a designated driver. For more information, click here.

Tuesday, Sept. 14: Barbara Kingsolver at Virginia Tech. From the press release: “Kingsolver and her husband and co-author, Steven Hopp, will give a presentation at 8 p.m. in Burruss Hall Auditorium. A special event will precede the presentation from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at D2 dining center, featuring a complete menu of locally sourced or sustainably produced food. Both events are open to the public and the university community.” For more information, including ticket pricing, click here.

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Image: Downtown Roanoke, Inc.

The shopping experience on the Roanoke Farmers Market was enhanced this summer by monthly cooking demonstrations by Leslie Thomas of the Culinary Institute at Virginia Western. Now, Downtown Roanoke, Inc. is hoping that enthusiasm will extend to a series of monthly events this fall that will feature free tastings of local, artisanal products.

“Cellar Door at the City Market” kicks off tomorrow evening from 4 to 7 p.m. in West Market Square (nearest to the Roanoke Weiner Stand).  It will feature wine tastings from Blue Ridge Vineyard, Virginia Mountain Vineyards and Villa Appalaccia. Also represented will be Blacksnake Meadery and Foggy Ridge Cider, both of Carroll County. Local cheeses and artisan breads will be available, as well.

Wrist bands cost $1 per person, but the tastings are free! Wine by the glass or bottle will also be for sale, and there’ll be live reggae-funk beats by The Lazy Man Dub Band. If you miss this week’s event, don’t worry – DRI will be repeating it on the first Thursday in October and November. Some additional wineries and food producers may be added for the later events, if they are interested.

Downtown Roanoke, Inc. President Sean Luther said he hopes people who attend Cellar Door at the City Market will also take advantage of the Art by Night gallery tour, which runs concurrent but lasts longer into the evening. Also, this week’s Cellar Door happens on the same night as Party in the Park in Elmwood Park. So make a big night of it!

It is time for everyone’s favorite kind of entry on the ole Fridge Magnet (other than when I talk about soda or grilled cheese): a book giveaway!

But first, I’d like to share a couple tidbits of food-related information:

* Remember Sausser Farms, the CSA program that left a lot of customers in the Roanoke and New River valleys dissatisfied? If you recall, the last news on Sausser Farms was that they were planning to shut down operations for three weeks to replant their crops. Well, according to a couple of my colleagues, they’re baaaaaaaaack. They have been spotted on the Roanoke Farmers Market selling eggplant and a couple other things, and they told my editor they’ll have squash and tomatoes soon. I wonder why they didn’t send an e-mail to their CSA members?

* Today’s Daily Deal on Roanoke.com is $30 worth of food and drinks at Martin’s Downtown Bar & Grill for $14. I purchased a deal for 202 Market last week that was worth $30 for just $15, and the process was fairly easy. I just clicked “buy,” entered my information and credit card (it’s secure) and got a confirmation number. The next day, I received an e-mail with a link to print out my coupon. The deals aren’t just for food; they’re for a variety of different services and have included such items as mani-pedis, car detailing and tumbling classes. Check them out.

Alright, since you were patient, here’s the book I’m giving away today: “What’s a Wine Lover to do?” by Wes Marshall promises “334 essential oenophile pointers and tips.”

What makes a white wine white? What is noble rot? What are the best wine regions? What should you be keeping an eye on in the wine world? How do you pair wines with food? This book answers all these questions and many, many more in a fun, snob-free tone.

If you’re interested in this book, I want you to send me a winey (er, whiny) comment about why I should give it to you. The deadline is 5 p.m. tomorrow (Wednesday) and the winner will be selected from a random drawing. Good luck!

This Saturday, July 10, will bring another round of free cooking demonstrations to the Roanoke Valley. They include:

* A demonstration at the Roanoke Farmers Market by Leslie Thomas, a student at the Culinary Institute at Virginia Western Community College. 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. The recipes for this demonstration are attached below if you want to check them out in advance.

* The Fresh Market’s July Fresh Flavors Cooking Demo featuring Firecracker Raspberry Chipotle Glazed Shrimp with Summer Pasta and Vegetable Salad with Roasted Garlic Dressing. 3 to 6 p.m. at the Roanoke store.

* The Chef’s Circle cooking demonstration at the Salem Farmers Market with Chef Nazim Khan of Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center. The “celebrity sous chef” will be yours truly. Let’s hope I don’t get any fingers in the roasted vegetable medley.

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Yesterday was the first day tastings were allowed at Virginia ABC stores under a new law that authorizes vendors to hand out samples of their products. The bill was passed by the General Assembly during the 2010 legislative session and Gov. Bob McDonnell signed the legislation into law.

According to ABC spokesman Philip Bogenberger:

“Customers can only sample the product(s) being offered for tastings at each event and the vendors choose the product(s) they wish to showcase. Up to three products can be offered by vendors and the tastings can last no longer than two hours.

The rules are similar to tastings that are currently permitted at restaurants such as a maximum limit of three ½ oz. samples per person of legal age for spirits or a total of 5 oz. of wine.”

The Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control will be posting scheduled tastings on its website here. It doesn’t look as if any local ABC stores have scheduled a tasting yet, but it will be interesting to see how they go when they do.

Anybody got a strong opinion on this, either way?

Well, nothing is really “free,” is it? But at least these pancakes at IHOP are for a good cause.

On Tuesday, Feb. 23, every guest at IHOP will be eligible for a free short stack of buttermilk pancakes. In exchange, customers may make a donation to the Children’s Miracle Network. If you make a donation at a Roanoke- or Lynchburg-area IHOP, the money will go to the Children’s Miracle Network programs at Carilion Medical Center for Children and Virginia Baptist Hospital.

On National Pancake Day 2009, IHOP raised $1.5 million for childrens’ charities. The free offer lasts from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.