Laura Tucker, a regular contributor from Salem, sent along these pictures from the Virginia State Championship Chili Cook-off, which took place in downtown Roanoke on Saturday. Most of these pictures are of a chili-eating contest. It looks like some folks really got into their chili -- LITERALLY.
Check out the slide show. Or if you want to see the pictures individually on Flickr, go here.
Check out this poignant online documentary on the MediaStorm Web site about two Illinois families -- one that farmed their land for generations before they had to sell it and another that moved into one of the suburban homes built on the old farm.
Photographer Scott Strazzante spent 14 years documenting the two families. The result was this seven minute doc called "Common Ground." Click the box in the middle of the site to watch.
One quote from the doc: "It’s the next step and the next generation. That farmland changes to suburban and you still see the same qualities of life even though it’s no longer a farmland."
Really? What do you think?
We had a flub in Features and forgot to mention photographer Josh Meltzer's wonderful strawberry picking video with the column today. So I'd like to share it with all of you now. I dare you, after watching this video, to NOT want a fresh, juicy strawberry to gnaw on!
In other news, Roanoke Public Libraries are hosting an Introduction to Thai Cooking class later this month. If you're interested in learning more about this intoxicatingly delicious cuisine, check out the details after the jump.
And don't forget to enter my Mother's Day recipe contest! The prize consists of a whole package including a Pampered Chef apron, knife, spatula, measuring bowl and seasoning blend as well as a Betty Crocker cookbook written just for women.
