Recently in Cooking Category

They only had one hour to chop and dice their way to become the area's best chef. On Saturday, April 17^th, eight local chefs battled "iron chef style" at the Fire on the Rock competition to make it to the final round on Sunday, April 18^th. Each team was given a secret ingredient that was to be in every one of their dishes. After each round on Saturday, the two chefs who earned the highest scores would then go head to head on Sunday. Chef Dominic Geraghty from Hound Ears and Chef Bill Greene from Artisanal were crowned top scorers and headed to the Hayes Center in Blowing Rock to battle it out. Their secret ingredient was Carolina Blue Crab. Both chefs not only created all of their dishes with the secret ingredient, but also completed them all in under one hour. The judges this year were from the magazine southern living, Greensboro news and record and top chef finalist Carla Lyons. And for the first time ever in Fire on the Rock history, there was a tie... so many are asking... will there be a rematch? Stay tuned in the future to find out.

We are told that fish are good for us... but studies have found that not all fish are healthy. High amounts of mercury in fish are causing concern for children and families. Mercury contaminates water systems and soil when it rains. As fish feed on one another, the mercury stores up in their bodies. The toxic metal affects the nervous system. And although studies have shown large amounts of mercury can also affect fertility and blood pressure, and memory loss in adults, it's particularly dangerous to young children. Prenatal and infant mercury exposure can cause poor mental development, deafness and blindness. Even in low doses, mercury may affect a child's development, delaying walking and talking, shortening attention span and causing learning disabilities. So what fish should you stay away from or limit your amount? Some say shark, swordfish and fresh tuna are all candidates of unsafe fish. Good fish on the other hand to eat would be salmon, cod, tilapia and haddock.

Though there are numerous reports on food recalls.... majority of Americans believe they are less likely than others to have bought recalled products. A recent survey by Rutgers University in New Jersey found only about 60 percent of Americans search their homes for foods recalled because of contamination. The United States has had a salmonella outbreak that sickened 700 people and was linked to the deaths of nine this year, with an ongoing recall of pistachios contaminated with the bacteria. A professor who led the study says getting consumers to pay attention to news about recalls isn't the hard part. It's getting them to take the step of actually looking for recalled food products in their homes. Nearly 75 percent of those surveyed said they would like to receive personalized information about recalls on store receipts. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and prevention estimates that 76 million people become ill from food every year.

Got a good recipe and want others to know about it? How about getting it published? Appalachian and the community together at ASU is collecting recipes from around the globe to include in a cookbook that will be sold as a fund raiser. Organizers are looking for recipes that are served during holidays, celebrations and festivals. Proceeds will benefit ACT's International Service-Learning and Community-Based Research scholarship fund in honor of an Appalachian student who passed away during her junior year Leigh Lane Edwards recipes should include information about the history behind the dish and the cultural event when it is served. Cookbooks will be sold beginning in fall 2009 for ten dollars each, and the deadline is June first. To submit a favorite recipe, visit the website ....http://act.appstate.edu/intl_cookbook.

Times are tough, and everyone is struggling from paying the bills to even putting food on the table. In Watauga County alone, the need for food stamps has risen. Food Stamp Supervisor Joanne Holland says there has been an increase in the last six to seven months and she thinks it's due to the economy. But with the recent Stimulus Package, many clients found an increase in the amount of money they were receiving. Most families got an over 13 percent increase and individuals also found themselves getting more. If a family or individual is looking to get food stamps, the requirements vary based on income and number of people in the household. If you are interested in receiving food stamps or wanting to know if you are eligible contact the Department of Social Services at 265-8100.

By Lindsay Ward on February