Asheville chefs discuss local specialty markets that bring globally sourced products close to home.
Food roundup: Cúrate at Earth Fare, a new lunch option and leadership change at Benne on Eagle
Asheville’s December food news includes Spanish specialties, fried fish and a kitchen leadership changeover .
Food news roundup: Buddha bowls, KC barbecue and more
Chef Randy Dunn opens Zen Hen in Hendersonville, Bear’s Smokehouse BBQ offers Kansas City ‘cue, HomeGrown and Proving Ground Coffee join forces, and more local food news.
Small is the new big for Thanksgiving in the age of COVID
From work pod parties to outdoor dining with friends, Asheville chefs and restaurant owners are finding new ways to celebrate Thanksgiving in 2020.
WNC food banks gear up for winter
The directors of MANNA FoodBank, Bounty & Soul and Beacon of Hope say their organizations are persevering to meet the community’s ongoing need in an ever-shifting landscape.
Green in brief: WNC shows air quality improvement, AG Stein awards $340K to area environmental work
According to a new study by Filterbuy, an air filter industry website, the median air quality index in the Asheville metropolitan area was 15.3% better over the period from 2015-2019 compared with the period from 2005-2009. The Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton and Greenville, S.C., metros also showed big improvements.
Key takeaways from Buncombe’s 2020 elections
Xpress has compiled election night summaries for each of the contests previously included in our general election voter guide. The Buncombe County Board of Elections will not officially certify results until Friday, Nov. 13, and the state board will not issue certification until Tuesday, Nov. 24.
WNC’s independent poultry farmers persevere through processing challenges
Three years out from the closure of the state’s only USDA-inspected plant for independent farmers, more than 200 North Carolina farms are processing their own poultry. But due to the extra labor and time requirements, many producers statewide are still putting less pastured poultry on the market now than they were in 2017.
WNC Fermentation Festival goes online
The annual event has pivoted its 2020 efforts to offering a curated collection of locally made fermented foods and beverages.
No tricks, just treats for Halloween 2020
Local bakers celebrate Halloween with the flavors or pumpkin spice, caramel apple, sweet potato, candy corn and more.
Women steer local online grocery concepts
Mother Earth Food and Zadie’s Market have navigated the challenge of coordinating product sourcing, order fulfillment and delivery processes to create online grocery businesses that support local farms and producers.
Two new specialty chicken restaurants are ready to hatch
October will see the second coming of King Daddy’s plus a new rotisserie chicken concept from Chai Pani Restaurant Group.
Asheville restaurants and food businesses are betting on the future
Tasty Greens, GRIND, Morsel Cookie Co. and Leo’s House of Thirst are among the many new food and beverage businesses opening this fall in Asheville.
Jewish Family Services breaks the Yom Kippur fast with breakfast for dinner
Sales of the catered Break Your Fast meals will support Jewish Family Services’ holiday meal program, which delivers kosher meals to isolated seniors.
Okra 2020 mounts successful campaign to bring pods to the people
Though Slow Food Asheville’s original plans for Aunt Hettie’s Red went awry due to the pandemic, local farmers and chefs have still managed to experiment with the heritage okra variety.
Asheville relishes chow chow, the quintessential Southern condiment
Cookbook author Ashley English describes chow chow as a “democratic” condiment. “There are so many permutations and iterations, you can customize it the way you want.”
Green in brief: Henderson planning board votes against asphalt plant
Board member Rick Livingston, who made the motion to deny the recommendation, said the proposed SE Asphalt plant’s location in a “very residential area” off the Spartanburg Highway was incompatible with both the county’s comprehensive plan and East Flat Rock’s community plan.
Fire up the grill for Labor Day weekend
WNC meat and seafood purveyors bid farewell to summer with grilling tips and ideas.
ASAP expands Double SNAP program at weekly tailgate markets
The program, explains communications coordinator Sarah Hart, allows the market to make a 100 percent match on dollars spent through SNAP. “People swipe their SNAP card for $5 and get $10 in tokens to shop the market,” she says.
Homeowners rethink cooking spaces during pandemic
Local contractors say kitchen remodels have seen a significant uptick since stay-at-home orders went into effect this spring.
WNC apple orchards are open for socially distanced picking
With safety precautions in place and plenty of outdoor space, local orchards welcome guests for U-pick and other activities.