Texas Worm Ranch’s Heather Rinaldi instructs “Summer Garden Survival” May 25 (10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.)  Keep vegetable gardens producing with summer hearty plants, water-wise techniques and healthy soil.  Learn Heather’s tricks for pest and disease control and maintaining summer plant health.  Plan a Fall Harvest while getting hands on experience in planting and take home sweet potato slips, basil transplants and pumpkin seeds.  Cost is $40 per person and $30 for members of White Rock Local Market.

On June 22 (9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.) Kathy Neumuller from JJ&B Jams and Jellies and Karen Phelps from In a Pickle walk you through the process of canning and pickling summer’s bounty during “You Can Pickle That!”  Demonstrating hot bath canning, brine and spices for quick pickling as well as shelf safe pickling, students will pickle their own vegetables and preserves.  $50 per person and $40 for WRLM members includes a light lunch.

Learn the basics from some of the best brewers in Texas during “In Heaven There is No Beer…” Home Brewing 101 on July 20 (11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.).  Ty Wolosin and Kevin Sykes from Wind Hill Organics demonstrate a partial or mini-mash technique easily done at home.   Workshop includes lunch from Luscher’s Post Oak Red Hots, beer tastings and discussion from Lakewood Brewing Company, take home instructions and basic supplies.  Cost is $75 per person and $50 for WRLM Members.

Reservations are required for all classes.  A package of three classes may be purchased for $150 or $120 for members of WRLM.  For more information and to purchase tickets go to www.dallasuu.org, call 214-797-4989 or sign up at the WRLM information desk on a market day.  First Unitarian Church of Dallas is located at 5700 Preston Road, Dallas 75205.

White Rock Local Market is a 501 (c)(3) tax exempt organization sustained by contributions and memberships.  Individual memberships for 2013, from Seeds ($25) to Beyond Organic ($1,000) and everywhere in between are on-sale now at www.whiterocklocalmarket.com.  Membership benefits vary.

White Rock Local Markets are open from 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 through December 8.  The first and third Saturdays of the month markets will be located at Lakeside Baptist Church, 9051 Garland Road.  Markets on the 2^nd and 4^th Saturdays at the Green Spot are located at 702 North Buckner Boulevard.  For more information, event calendar, vendor listings and memberships go to www.whiterocklocalmarket.com.

We are now offering several high quality products from Bear Creek Smokehouse including bacon and smoked turkeys to brisket and pork tenderloin. Whether you want to prepare a special dinner or give the ultimate gift, you can't go wrong with one of these fine products. For a unique and irresistibly delicious flavor combination, check out Bacon Bark - Chocolate Covered Bacon!

Bear Creek Smokehouse Products - TexasFood.com

Entries will be quirky, entertaining and include Wheelie-ing Elvi, Pickle Queens, and the parade Big Dill, Gary Dalton, president of Best Maid Products, Inc.

The parade will roll through downtown Mansfield at 2:00 p.m., preceded by the Pickle 10K, 5K and 1-mile runs (run registration is at www.active.com), children's activities, vendor booths and food truck court on Main Street.

Once the parade concludes, the street party begins on Smith Street. Pickle eating and pickle juice drinking contests, green beer, and live music will be by The Trinity River Whalers, The Party Crashers and Me & My Monkey. The children's area and food vendors will all be in full swing.

For more information, visit the Best Maid Products, Inc. website at www.bestmaidproducts.com or the parade website at www.pickleparade.org and Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pickleparade

- Make the citizens of Houston (and Texas, and the U.S., etc.) aware of the long history of barbecue here and that the quality of Houston barbecue is comparable to other regional styles of barbecue.

- Recognize the talent, hard work, and dedication of the owners and pitmasters that make Houston barbecue great.

- Make Houstonians true connoisseurs of barbecue by offering samples of great barbecue so they can choose to patronize those barbecue joints committed to only the highest quality of barbecue.
-Celebrate the diversity of Houston barbecue by including the many styles of barbecue found here.

For tickets and more information , visit www.houbbq.com

HOUSTON – January 21, 2013

“There has been tremendous growth in Houston and we’re excited that Zoës is a part of it,” said Ric Chuon, Regional Operator of Zoës Kitchen in Houston. “We are thrilled to be a part of the community here and to help develop this new shopping area.”

To celebrate its opening in Rice Village, Zoës is giving away 500 meals to its Facebook fans. To top it off, one grand prize winner will win Zoës for a year at the new store! Visit Zoës Kitchen’s Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/ZoesKitchen to enter to win. The contest runs from January 30 through February 14. The Grand Prize winner will be announced on Zoës Facebook page on February 14, 2013.

The new restaurant includes the flavorful favorites that have made Zoës an extension of many home kitchens. The menu will also showcase delicious entrees as well as fresh sides such as no-mayo slaw and potato salads and braised white beans with fresh rosemary, among others.

The Rice Village restaurant offers guests a selection of signature dishes such as chicken kabobs, chicken rollups and hummus and gluten-free options. As always, the focus will be on serving food of exceptional quality and using fresh ingredients prepared daily from original recipes; perfect for busy people who want to eat well with a little help from a friendly, neighborhood kitchen. Fresh is the focus, and unlike most restaurant kitchens, there are no fryers or microwaves at Zoës.

At Zoës, guests can dine in, order online or call ahead for takeout; purchase a variety of fully-prepared Dinners for Four for the hungry family on the go; pick up side dishes by the pint; and take advantage of an extensive catering menu, which includes box lunches, party trays and meals for large groups that can be delivered locally.

Zoës’ location in Rice Village seats approximately 76 guests in the dining room, including an outdoor patio which seats 34. The restaurant opens from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. The new location also plans to offer beer and wine.

 About Zoës Kitchen

Founded in 1995, Zoës Kitchen is a fast-casual restaurant that creates homemade Mediterranean-inspired food designed to help you celebrate life with family and friends through providing authentic, better-for-you recipes that are hand-prepared daily with wholesome, close-to-the-garden ingredients and a side of Southern hospitality. Zoës Kitchen is dedicated to delivering delicious, fresh and convenient in-store and takeout meal solutions that allow families to get out of the kitchen and enjoy more time together. All Zoës Kitchen recipes are made using good, honest ingredients that are chemical-free, as well as fresh, never frozen poultry. Vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free dishes are also available. Zoës Kitchen has 77 locations in 13 states across the U.S. For more information, please visit www.zoeskitchen.com, www.facebook.com/ZoesKitchen or twitter.com/ZoesKitchen.

Our friends at Heaven Made Products shared some turkey cooking tips with us, so we're sharing with you!

With a few simple tips you can make this Thanksgiving Turkey the best Turkey you have ever cooked.

1. Bring your Turkey or any piece of meat for that matter to "Room Temperature" before cooking. This will insure even cooking throughout the Turkey or other Meat.

2.  If you don't have an "Internal Temperature Probe" purchase one. Walmart should even have one of these available or you can try your local sporting goods store. Right before you put your turkey in whatever you are using to cook the turkey (Oven, Smoker, Grill etc.) insert the probe into the thickest part of the turkey breast but do not let the probe touch any bone, try to set the tip in the center of the breast meat. Cook till the internal temperature reaches 155 degrees. Then remove the turkey from the cooker and place a foil tent over it and let it rest for at least 30 minutes. During this time the natural occurring "Carry Over Cooking" process will finish cooking the turkey and bring up the internal temperature to between 160-165 which will be a perfectly cooked, moist and juicy turkey. This process also called resting, not only allows for the cooking to finish, but once the temperature reaches it's peak, the temper then begins to drop and the meat begins to cool down allowing all of the juices around the outside of the meat to begin to flow back into the recesses of the meat. Now when you slice the turkey all of the meat will be moist and juicy, If you slice a very hot piece of meat the juices will immediately run out and the meat becomes dry.

3. Brine or Inject your Turkey to get added moisture and flavor in the turkey all the way to the bone. We have recipes for brining we can email you if you like, just send us an email and we'll shoot it out to you quickly. We also have the very best Injectable Marinades to get some wonderful flavor throughout the whole Turkey and the kicker is our marinades are dry seasonings that you add real butter and water to it or just butter, talk about "Butter Basted" Turkey, you don't get this with any turkey you purchase from the store.

4.  Make sure your Turkey or other piece of meat is fully thawed. About one hour before cooking remove the turkey or meat from the refrigerator and bring your Turkey or any piece of meat for matter to "Room Temperature". This will insure even cooking throughout the Turkey or other Meat.

Michael Pitre - Heaven Made Products

Salsa Eddy, owner of the Houston Dance Factory, will be conducting a salsa-dancing contest for couples. A limbo competition will also be held, encouraging individuals and couples alike to compete for prizes. Local vendors will sell merchandise as patrons sample unique concoctions such as wine, jalapeno, cucumber and low-calorie margaritas, beer or wine.

The Houston Margarita Festival will be working closely with several local nonprofit beneficiaries at this year s event including the Spring High School Starlettes Drill Team Booster Club, Houston Regional HIV/AIDS Resource Group, Inc., Wesley House Houston, Twi-Light Twelve Foundation Inc., Lily of the Valley Grand Chapter, and the United Way. Those interested in volunteering at the festival may sign up via the official Houston Margarita Festival website. Additional partners include Fiesta, Bud Light, Red Bull, The Wave, The Scene, The Montrose-Star, Mas Branding, and 1800 Tequila. Bam Bou Lounge will be sponsoring the official after-party from 10:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. following the festival.

" We are thrilled to bring the first official margarita festival to Houston,"  said event organizer Jirmar Proctor. " Houston is known for some of the best Mexican food this side of the border, so why not have a whole day dedicated to celebrating the best Mexican cocktail? "  Proctor went on to say, " Discovery Green is the perfect setting for this celebration, which brings together the best food, live music, and libations the city has to offer."

The Houston Margarita Festival is 21+ only with tickets for $15 pre-sale. The first 1,500 people to attend will receive a free festival t-shirt. Tickets at the door are $25, with designated driver tickets being offered for $10. VIP tickets may be purchased for $60 and offer early entry, free food, and seating. All tickets may be purchased via the Houston Margarita Festival website, GoldStar, Houston Press, Fiesta, or Groupon.

For more information on the Houston Margarita Festival, please visit http://www.houstonmargaritafest.com/

Salsa: A unique Texas style salsa created out of a passion for our mother's homemade salsa.  Mom began making this salsa in our kitchen in 1970 for family and friends who recommended we begin packaging it for consumers nationwide.

- 2nd Place (red salsa), 2010 Houston Hot Sauce Festival

http://www.texasfood.com/Smither-Family-Kitchen-Salsa.html

Dillapeño: A sweet and spicy blend of cucumber, jalapeño peppers, carrots, onion, and our SECRET blend of spices. It tastes great on everything from barbecue, chicken and tuna salad, cream cheese, and our favorite...chips!​

- 1st Place (relish condiments), 2011 Dallas Zest Fest
- 1st Place (pickled goods), 2010 Houston Hot Sauce Festival
- 2nd Place (condiments), 2010 Houston Hot Sauce Festival​

http://www.texasfood.com/Smither-Family-Kitchen-Dillapeno.html

May 24, 2012

Many of the top 50 BBQ joints in Texas, as selected by the magazine, will travel from across the state to share their fare, cooking tips and visit with festival-goers. Participants at the 2010 and 2011 festivals included Baker’s Ribs (Dallas), Bid Daddy’s Roadhouse BBQ (Lavon), Baby J’s Bar-B-Que & Fish (Palestine), Franklin BBQ (Austin), Coleman’s BBQ (Clarksville), Hard Eight BBQ (Stephenville), Cousin’s Bar-B-Q (Fort Worth), Snow’s BBQ (Lexington), Stanley’s Famous Pit Bar-B-Q (Tyler), and Vincek’s Smokehouse (East Bernard).

Texas Monthly will again be hosting 3,000 BBQ fanatics and will offer VIP and general admission tickets, both on sale on July 26.

For more information about the 2012 Texas Monthly BBQ Festival, including ticket information, visit www.texasmonthly.com/bbqfestival or follow @tmbbqfest.

Texas Monthly has a monthly readership of over 2.4 million, reaching one out of every eight Texas adults. Texas Monthly is published by Emmis Publishing, L.P. Emmis owns and operates radio stations and other magazines across the country.

Participants of the Uptown Dallas Food Tour can expect delicious sit down tastings at a collection of area restaurants, historic commentary, and a scenic stroll down McKinney Avenue to the West Village Shopping District. The walking tour also includes a look at community theaters and art galleries, and the State Thomas Historic District, which contains the largest collection of 1880's Victorian homes in Dallas. The tour ends with an optional ride on Uptown's antique trolley cars.

Food Tours of America was founded by three adventurous women with a passion for great food, southern hospitality and unique experiences. "We believe that first-hand experiences of culture and cuisine are the best ways to absorb and appreciate a city" said Director of Sales and Marketing Jodi Philippson. Food tours are sweeping the nation, but so far, Dallas' food scene has been unrepresented. By offering Uptown Dallas' first walking food tour, we hope to provide a unique opportunity for visitors and locals alike to enjoy the diverse cuisine and rich history and culture that drive our vibrant city.

Uptown Dallas Food Tours will begin on June 9, 2012 and occur each Saturday and Sunday and some weekdays. Tours last approximately 2.5 hours with brief, scenic walks in between tastings. To ensure a personal, high quality experience, each tour is limited to 16 participants. Food Tours of America can provide up to seven guided tours daily, and specializes in customized private events for corporations, wedding and event planners, and individual groups of any size. Food and beverages tastings, as well as cultural attractions are all included in the $45 cost per person.  For more information, or to book a tour, please visit www.FoodToursOfAmerica.com or call (888)-871-2052.