By Donna CorneliusSome churches have bake sales. Others have fellowship dinners. But there aren’t many church events that involve making 12,000 stuffed grape leaves. At St. Elias Maronite Catholic Church in downtown Birmingham, volunteers have to cook enough food to feed the thousands who attend its annual Lebanese Food and Culture Festival. This year’s 18th annual … [Read more...]
Digital Dishing: Cooking Light Editor Is Among Speakers at Food Media South Event
By Donna Cornelius Some people are enticed into making career changes by fatter paychecks, better working hours or attractive benefits. Ann Taylor Pittman was lured into a new job by lasagna. Of course, there’s a little more to the story than that. Pittman, Cooking Light magazine’s executive food editor, attended Mississippi State University in her home state. She majored … [Read more...]
Red Hot Chili Contest: Exceptional Foundation Fundraiser Stirs up a Crowd
By Donna Cornelius The Exceptional Foundation has come up with a winning recipe for its biggest fundraiser. The Homewood-based nonprofit’s Chili Cook-off, which last year attracted more than 11,000 people, is set for March 5 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The 2015 version of the cook-off drew more than 90 teams and raised more than $294,587. At the first event 12 years ago, 20 teams … [Read more...]
The Constant Gardener: Krewe King Tommy Amason Doesn’t Mind Getting His Hands Dirty
By Donna CorneliusIn between ridding himself of unwanted wives, Henry VIII studied a gardening manual. The famous garden maze at England’s Hampton Court Palace was created for another British king, William of Orange. France’s Louis XIV wrote a book giving visitors a path to follow at his spectacular Versailles garden. Dr. Tommy Amason, the king of this year’s Beaux … [Read more...]
Life of the Party: Kathy Mezrano’s Cookbook Has Recipes, Tips for All Kinds of Gatherings
By Donna CorneliusThere’s no such thing as too many spoons. Always keep a goat cheese log on hand. And just for fun, top your elegant silver candelabra with Chilton County peaches. Those are just a few of the practical and imaginative bits of insider information in a new cookbook by one of Birmingham’s best-known caterers. In “Food, Fun & Fabulous: Southern … [Read more...]