As anyone who’s made the mistake of sluggishly finishing off a cone knows, slow ice-cream eating is usually a sticky mess. But slow ice-cream making is one of the great joys of summer, and Slow Food Asheville is spearheading a communal appreciation of it. The convivium is hosting an ice-cream social at Southern Waterways this Sunday, July 22, from 4 to 6 p.m. “Bring your freezer and let’s make or just eat ice cream,” reads an event announcement. Ice-cream fans without freezers are welcome, but those packing their own are asked to RSVP to bob@barnardsville.com so the group will have enough ice available.
When Kate Hopkins, who blogs as the Accidental Tourist, mused online whether she should accept a free trip to Asheville from the city’s Convention and Visitors Bureau, a poster named Nate replied: “The important thing to keep in mind is that in Asheville, there should be (a) lots of barbecue and (b) good barbecue.” To expand upon that notion, and familiarize the power players in the culinary blogosphere with Asheville’s unique food scene, the CVB last month hosted three bloggers, including Hopkins, for multiday “familiarization visits.” Judging from their resultant posts, they were impressed by chefs’ use of local ingredients and diners’ support of local chefs. “The cuisine here is eclectic, but there are some real standouts using local products—fresh trout, stone ground grits, sweet potato salad, goat cheeses and more,” wrote Amy Sherman of “Cooking with Amy,” who called Table “the best-kept secret” in Asheville. (“Where is Asheville?” responded one perplexed reader, surely to the CVB’s delight.)
November may seem like a long way off, but time flies when you’re trying to construct a house from sugary sweets. The Grove Park Inn is already calling for submissions to its 2007 National Gingerbread House Competition, the 15th edition of the annual event. This year, entries will be judged on Nov. 12. To download an entry form, visit www.groveparkinn.com and click on “happenings.”
