Cook Alongside Former Top Chef Contestant Kevin Gillespie at Salud! Cooking School

Where else can you say you’ve had the opportunity to cook with a former Top Chef contestant? Salud! Cooking School hosts Chef KevinGillespie, who is eager to share his passion for preparing organic and sustainable food at his “Fire in My Belly” cooking demonstration. Guests will get a chance to taste several menu items from the Woodfire Grill executive chef’s new book – “Fire in My Belly: Real Cooking” including buttermilk-marinated fennel with satsumas and jalepenos; sage-battered mushrooms with cheddar fonduta; butter-basted scallops with Romanesco; slow-roasted pork chops with apples and redeye gravy; and warm banana pudding. Besides this delicious tasting menu, the $79 class price includes a signed copy of Gillespie’s new cookbook. Space is limited, so make sure you register in-store or by calling the customer service desk: 770-442-3354 ext.1 or 770-664-6300. Note: No coupons, discounts or student cards are being accepted for this class.

Entertaining Made Easy with Gena Knox and Salud! Cooking School

Join Gena Knox for a demonstration and book signing at Salud! Cooking School at Harry's Farmers Market in Alpharetta on Tuesday, December 14.  Knox will prepare some of her favorite recipes from her new cookbook "Southern My Way:  Simple Recipes, Fresh Flavors."   

She has selected recipes that are perfect for entertaining, whether for New Year's Eve or a fun weekend get together and will show students how to easily entertain at home from start to finish.   On the menu are manchego-stuffed dates, an orange-avocado salad with poppyseed dressing, shrimp and artichoke bake with creamy stone-ground grits and milk flips, a frozen vanilla ice cream drink with brandy.  Register for the 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. demonstration online; cost is $39 per person.  

Harry's Farmers Market - Alpharetta: 1180 Upper Hembree Road; 770-664-6300.

Beef Up Your Day with Whole Foods and White Oak Pastures

There are some deals  that are worth the time to clean out your pantry or your freezer.  In this case, I spent a good chunk of time cleaning out my freezer this week because Whole Foods Market has a fantastic deal on grass-fed beef TODAY!  I foresee a lot of tasty sauces and burgers in our future this fall.

All Whole Foods Markets and Harry's Farmers Markets will serve up burgers made from White Oak Pastures' tender and juicy grass-fed beef at the remarkable price of a buck a burger!  Note to travelers:  special applies to Whole Foods in Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and the Carolinas.  Also today, grillmasters can purchase ground, grassfed beef to shape into their own patties for $3.99 a pound -- that's $2 off the regular price! 

You can also pick up some free handy cooking tips if you’re in Duluth or West Paces Ferry areas today - White Oak Pastures Owner Will Harris will be at the Whole Foods Market - Duluth from 11 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. (5945 State Bridge Road; 678-514-2400) and at Whole Foods Market - West Paces Ferry from 4 - 7 p.m. (77 West Paces Ferry Road, NW; 404-324-4100) showing some of the best ways to prepare grassfed beef. 

Also, make sure to check out the video above – Whole Foods recently visited White Oak Pastures along with Woodfire Grill’s Executive Chef and Owner Kevin Gillespie.  Take a look at the farm and learn some grilling tips from Chef Kevin!

Harry's Farmers Market Celebrates Julia Child's 97th Birthday

As featured in DailyCandy’s Weekend Guide, Harry’s Farmers Market and local chefs are coming together to celebrate Julia Child’s 97th birthday on Saturday, August 15. The day will include live cooking demonstrations and cookbook signings from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The following chefs will perform live cooking demonstrations. The Union Restaurant Executive Chef Justin Balmes, Culinary Works Founder Gena Berry, 5 Seasons Brewing Executive Chef Dave Larkworthy, Whole Foods Market Regional Chef Butch Raphael, Andrea Thrailkill of Bella Cucina, former President of Les Dames d’Escoffier’s Atlanta Chapter Gloria Smiley and the current President Barb Pires.

Books signed will be Atlanta Cooks at Home: The Cookbook by Melissa Libby and Cooking with Les Dames d’Escoffier: At Home with the Women Who Shape the Way We Eat and Drink by Les Dames d’Escoffier.

Harry’s Farmers Market is located at 1180 Upper Hembree Road.

Dad Deserves a Delicious Dinner This Father's Day

Around my house, Father’s Day has always been a full fledge holiday and is also the only time when Dad allows others to dote on him. It wasn’t until I was grown that I understood why: my father works extremely hard for our family. For him, beyond birthdays, Christmas and any other gift giving season that has been added to the calendar over the years, Father’s Day celebrates the accomplishment of which he is the most proud – my siblings and I.

This year, make dad even more proud by creating lasting memories with him at his favorite (or soon to be favorite) restaurant. Cheers to dads everywhere!!! Happy Father’s Day!!!

Take Dad to Atlanta’s beef haven, Fogo de Chão, where he can sit back and be showered with 15 savory cuts of delicious meat, carved tableside by request with no limit. And for Dads who don’t do meat, their stunning salad bar is sure to hit the spot. Atlanta’s Fogo de Chão, located at 3101 Piedmont Road, provides a succulent slice of Southern Brazilian hospitality on Father’s Day for lunch ($38.50) from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and for dinner ($48.50) from 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. To make reservations, call 404-266-9988.

Both Atlanta locations of Morton’s The Steakhouse will offer a four-course steak and seafood dinner for two on Sunday, June 15. For $99, this special surf and turf menu includes two single-cut filets; a choice of two seafood options (Morton’s jumbo lump crab cake, shrimp Alexander or broiled sea scallops); a choice of two salads (Caesar or Morton’s salad); one Morton’s signature potato and one fresh vegetable to share; and lastly, a choice of two desserts (Morton’s legendary hot chocolate cake or Key lime pie). Regular hours for both locations: 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday. Additionally, the Morton’s Steak Bible ($30) and steak knives (set of six is $55 and set of two is $20) will be available for purchase at the restaurants as gifts for Dad. Buckhead: Peachtree Lenox Building at 3379 Peachtree Road, NE; 404-816-6535. Downtown: SunTrust Plaza Building at 303 Peachtree Center Avenue; 404-577-4366.

VITA will host its regular Bellini Brunch on Sunday, June 15, offering $5 martinis and a $5 Bloody Mary bar as well as $6 mimosas and Bellinis. Open all day Sunday: brunch and lunch menu served from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and dinner menu served from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. 2110 Peachtree Road, 404-367-8482.

The local Harry’s Farmers Market locations are holding a couple of creative events to get the little kids (ages two to five) involved with a gift for Father’s Day.
Sign up today for the free Kids Corner event at the Cobb location of Harry’s Farmers Market. On Saturday, June 14 at 11 a.m., Ms. Marcy and the gang will be making Dad a grilling apron for Father’s Day. The aprons and all the decorations are provided for your little ones to make Dad something he is sure to cherish forever. Harry’s Farmers Market in Marietta is located at 70 Powers Ferry Road, SE; 770-578-4400.

And if Daddy has a sweet tooth, the “decorate a cookie cake for Dad” Kids Corner event at the Harry’s Farmers Market in Alpharetta is the place to be. On Saturday, June 14, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., Daddy’s little angels can add all the trimmings to a scrumptious 12-inch cookie cake for him on his special day. This program is free, but registration is required. Register by Wednesday, June 11 at the customer service desk at Harry’s Farmers Market in Alpharetta located at 1180 Upper Hembree Road or call 770-664-6300.

On June 15, Wolf Mountain Vineyards & Winery will host its sixth annual Father’s Day barbecue brunch. The cost is $30 per person (excluding wine, tax and gratuity). All Wolf Mountain wines are priced separately and will be available by the glass or bottle. The two seating times are 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Advanced reservations are required for all events; please call 706-867-9862 to reserve. 180 Wolf Mountain Trail in Dahlonega.

White Oak Pastures' Beef Wins 2008 Flavor of Georgia Contest

You can chew the fat on what makes flavorful beef until the cows come home, but in the end, it's all about what's inside that counts. In the case of Harris Family Heritage Beef, raised by Georgian Will Harris of White Oak Pastures, the prize-winning flavor comes from a herd that chomps on grass. Unadulterated green grass. No grains, hormones or feed I can't pronounce or spell. The 2008 Flavor of Georgia Grand Prize Winner Will Harris will be at Harry's Farmers Market in Alpharetta this Saturday May 24 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. giving shoppers a taste of the award winning beef. If you can't make it Saturday stop by Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Whole Foods Market on Ponce. Be sure to pick up some beef to take home for the Memorial Day grilling on Monday.

Harry's Farmers Market in Alpharetta is located at 1180 Upper Hembree Road; 770-664-6300. Whole Foods Market located at 650 Ponce de Leon Avenue, NE; 404-853-1681.

Restaurants and Stores Stay Open On Memorial Day So You Can Honor More, Cook and Clean Less

Memorial Day marches in each year on the last Monday in May, giving us a chance to pause and honor our servicemen and women, hang out our flags, and unofficially dive into summer with a bevy of outdoor activities. Take in one of Atlanta’s many Memorial Day activities -- reflect on the hundreds of mini-flags posted on soldiers’ graves at the Marietta Cemetery, cheer at Stone Mountain’s Salute to the Troops laser show or chill out to the sounds of the Atlanta Jazz Festival in Woodruff Park. Keep things simple on the food front by choosing to dine out or pick up something deliciously portable at these fun restaurants and stores strategically located around town and definitely open on Memorial Day.

Bonefish Grill –Johns Creek: 11705 C. Jones Bridge Road; 770-475-6668.Buford: 3420 Buford Drive; 678-546-8240.Gwinnett, The Avenue Webb Gin: 1350 Scenic Highway 124; 678-344-8945.

Chipotle -- 12 Atlanta-area locations.

Ecco -- 40 7th Street; 404-347-9555.

Fogo de Chão -- 3101 Piedmont Road; 404-266-9988.

La Tavola Trattoria -- 992 Virginia Avenue, NE in Virginia-Highland; 404-873-5430.

Marlow’s Tavern – Kennesaw: 745 Chastain Road, NW; 770-425-8777. Alpharetta: 3719 Old Alabama Road; 770- 475-1800. Vinings: 2355 Cumberland Parkway; 770-432-2526. Midtown: 950 West Peachtree Street; 404-815-0323.

Whole Foods Market – Buckhead: 77 West Paces Ferry Road, NW; 404-324-4100.Briarcliff: 2111 Briarcliff Road; 404-634-7800.Duluth-Johns Creek: 5945 State Bridge Road; 678-514-2400.Sandy Springs: 5930 Roswell Road; 404-236-0810.Ponce: 650 Ponce de Leon Avenue, NE; 404-853-1681.Harry’s Farmers Market in Alpharetta: 1180 Upper Hembree Road; 770-664-6300.Harry’s Farmers Market in Marietta: 70 Powers Ferry Road, SE; 770-578-4400.

What Does Virginia Willis Do On A Girl's Night Out?

She shares her flair and signs Bon Appetit, Y'all at Whole Foods Markets and Harry's Farmers Market!

Virginia Willis wants to do something she loves when she snags a girl’s night out or two: talk about Southern cooking, show how it’s done, and pass on the word through her new cookbook so fellow Southern food lovers can carry out and carry on! Bon Appétit, Y’all: Recipes and Stories From Three Generations of Southern Cooking ($32.50) gathers recipes passed down from Virginia Willis’ grandmother and mother and adds plenty of Willis’ own flair as a French-trained chef, food writer, kitchen director for Martha Stewart Living Television and executive director for The Discovery Channel’s Epicurious! The cookbook is flying off the shelves, but you can catch a copy and have it signed at the following Whole Foods Market and Harry’s Farmers Market locations this week. Still struggling to find the perfect Mother's Day gift? Now's your chance, do Mom proud!

Thursday, May 8 - Whole Foods Market in Duluth-Johns Creek
If you have an hour, come from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. for Virginia’s book signing and recipe tasting. Two hours? Join Virginia from 7 – 9 p.m. in Salud! Cooking & Lifestyle School as she prepares gougère with Georgia goat cheese, fettuccine with mushrooms and country ham, quail with red wine sauce, and peach cobbler with bourbon crème fraîche. $60 per person; includes signed copy of Bon Appétit, Y’all. Harry’s Farmers Market in Alpharetta: 1180 Upper Hembree Road; 770-664-6300. Whole Foods Market in Duluth-Johns Creek: 5945 State Bridge Road; 678-514-2400.

Wednesday, May 7 at 7 p.m. - Whole Foods Market in Sandy Springs
Saturday, May 10 at 2 p.m. - Whole Foods Market in Buckhead
Purchase Bon Appétit, Y’all and Virginia Willis will sign your copy! Whole Foods Market in Sandy Springs: 5930 Roswell Road; 404-236-0810. Whole Foods Market in Buckhead: 77 West Paces Ferry Road; 404-324-4100.