Fire on the Rock serves up a fierce competitio­n

In a series of Fire on the Rock cooking competitions in Wilmington, Asheville, Greensboro, Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina’s top culinary talents are vying for the title of the state’s best chef. A crowd of 125 foodies assembled at Biltmore Estate’s Lioncrest on Monday, March 31 to indulge in a sumptuous, six-course feast. Chef Michelle Bailey of Season’s at Highland Lake Inn & Resort in Flat Rock and her team went up against Chef Sam Etheridge and his team from Ambrozia Bar & Bistro in Asheville.

PHOTOS: UNC Asheville dumpster dives into waste reducing competitio­n

Coming down the stairs of Ramsey Library, students and faculty faced the unmistakable smell of UNC Asheville’s trash.  Despite the cold, grounds workers and the recycling coordinator, Zig, searched for recyclable and compostable items discarded in trashcans and sorted them on a large blue tarp on the quad.  The demonstration was part of Recyclemania, an international competition to increase recycling and reduce waste.