Food notes: Flavored salt, baking class, beer festival and winning cornbread
Have a little flavor with your salt
You’re just sprinkling salt on your food? How passe: Flaky salts, exotic salts, and now, flavored salts. Grillers will love McCormick’s new line of sea salts in four flavors: Smoked (very hickory), Sweet Onion, Chipotle (heat and smoke) and our favorite, Lemon Zest. The glass bottles are topped with adjustable grinders with a suggested retail price of $2.49 per bottle. Look for them in the supermarket spice aisle.
Love a mom who bakes?
If you’re still stumped for a Mother’s Day gift, The Secret Chocolatier is offering “Mommy & Me” cake-baking classes at two locations: 4-6 p.m. May 15 at the Cotswold location, 2935 Providence Road, and 2-4 p.m. May 16 at the Ballantyne location, 11318 N. Community House Road. Aimed at children ages 8 and older and their parents, the hands-on classes are $190 and include two aprons, cake-making essentials and your cake. Details: 704-323-8178 or info@the secretchocolatier.com.
Have a beer for hospice
Foxcroft Wine Co. will hold its second annual Hops for Hospice beer festival, 1-4 p.m. May 16. Breweries are local, state (Mother Earth) and national (Terrapin and Grand Teton), and there will be food and a silent auction. The shop is at 7824 Fairview Road. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door; proceeds benefit Hospice & Palliative of Charlotte Region. Details: www.foxcroftwine.com or 704-365-6550.
Matthews baker gets 2nd cornbread win
Andria Gaskin of Matthews came in second April 25 at the All-Star Cornbread Cook-Off in Pittsburg, Tenn. For the 19th cook-off, sponsored by Martha White and Lodge, 10 previous grand-prize winners were invited back to compete against each other. Gaskin’s Roasted Tomato and Bacon Cobbler, a grand-prize winner in 2014, placed second, getting her $1,500. Janice Elder, also an earlier winner, was a runner-up. Gaskin’s recipe is available in The Observer’s recipe database at charlotteobserver.com/living/food-drink.
This story was originally published May 4, 2015 at 11:26 AM with the headline "Food notes: Flavored salt, baking class, beer festival and winning cornbread."