By CAMILA DOMONOSKE
DavidsonNews.net

GO WILDCATS! After that dramatic game Monday night, I think all Davidson fans deserve a little celebration. How about splurging on Flatiron Kitchen + Taphouse‘s four-course Argyle Winery dinner? If you happen to be a Western Carolina fan, you might prefer to console yourself with some ice cream… fortunately, Ben and Jerry‘s has some new Greek Yogurt flavors that can comfort your soul without adding to your waistline. Details about all that below, plus a “beer bracket,“ Guinness brewer, an update on cooking classes, and the local music lineup. Read the full story

The North Mecklenburg Rotary has partnered with the Lake Norman Wine and Food Festival this year to plan its 2nd annual event at Kenton Place in Cornelius. This year, three local charities have been selected as the beneficiaries. Also in this column, Alton’s Kitchen and Cocktails and Tenders restaurants in Cornelius host events to benefit the Cornelius Animal Shelter, Alton’s also plans a 5-course wine dinner, Flatiron Kitchen + Taphouse unveils new lunch and dinner menus and a gourmet olive oil and vinegar shop, Isabella’s, opens in Mooresville. See details below. Read the full story

By KATIE LOVETT

Monday – it comes around every week, whether we like it or not. We grudgingly leave behind weekend relaxation mode and plan for the busy days ahead. For a growing number of Americans, Monday marks more than just the beginning of another week of work, school and carpools: It’s “Meatless Monday.”

Meatless Monday is a trend taking hold across the United States that can have many benefits, according to Kristie Middleton of the Humane Society of the United Sates, who spoke Sunday night at Davidson College.

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By DAVID BORAKS
CorneliusNews.net

HUNTERSVILLE – Asheville-based grocery chain Earth Fare calls itself “the healthy supermarket,” and as it opened its newest store in Huntersville this week, CEO Jack Murphy said it’s hoping to win customers with its insistence on a different “food philosophy.”

Earth Fare won’t sell anything with high-fructose corn syrup, a now notorious “bad boy” ingredient in many processed foods. It emphasizes organic foods and local produce. And when it says “local,” it means it: It won’t put a local label on anything grown more than 100 miles from a store, Mr. Murphy said in an interview. Read the full story

Just in time for Memorial Day weekend, Liz Weindruch shares a recipe for a unique side dish – perfect for any cookout. Her recipe for Mexican-style grilled corn is the first in a summer series from our Blue Plate Special columnist. The series, called “Take it with you,” will include dishes that are great additions to cookouts, picnics, and other outdoor summer gatherings. Enjoy!

RECIPE: Elote Read the full story

By LIZ WEINDRUCH
DavidsonNews.net

Before moving to North Carolina, I spent several years in Boston. It was at Flour Bakery on Washington St. that I first experienced a homemade version of the childhood breakfast treat, the Pop Tart. I’m not sure if it was nostalgia for Boston or nostalgia for childhood that sparked my craving this week, but I had to whip up a batch.

Recipe Below: Homemade Pop Tarts Read the full story

By LIZ WEINDRUCH
CorneliusNews.net

My husband and I made these peppers the other night, and the aroma drew out our across-the-hall neighbor, who came and knocked on our door. “Wow, something smells good…” he said.

Flattery will get you everywhere, so obviously we invited him to stay for dinner. And here’s what all the fuss was about:

Recipe below: Stuffed poblano peppers Read the full story

Chef Tim Groody has exited the kitchen at Flatiron Kitchen + Taphouse, the downtown Davidson eatery he helped open last summer. But Mr. Groody will remain a minority partner in a group that includes partners Michael Lavecchia and Chad Hollingsworth, his partners said Wednesday. Read the full story

By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

Like many Americans, my family background is mixed, and strands of the family tree have disappeared in the mists. Our family history links us to the part of eastern Europe that at times has been Poland, Russia and Belarus. It’s all a bit hazy, and we didn’t inherit language, culture or food traditions. We’ve tried to pick up what we can.

When I was a child in New England, a Polish-American neighbor – a Mrs. Satagaj – introduced us to golabki: delicious cabbage rolls of ground meat and rice cooked with tomatoes. Read the full story

By CATHRYN WESTRA
DavidsonNews.net

At the Davidson Farmer’s Market the other day, local farmer Tommy Barbee was asked about the benefits of buying local eggs.

“They’re not from Iowa,” he joked.

National headlines recently focused on a recent salmonella outbreak that prompted a massive recall from large Midwest egg producers. On Wednesday, news reports said federal agents have returned this week to Wright County Egg and Hillandale Farms of Iowa. The two farms Read the full story

Construction has begun on the planned Rusher Market gas station and convenience store at the Davidson Gateway roundabout, off Exit 30, and its owners are promising tasty fare not usually found in a shop of this kind. Meanwhile, we also have news about Creole House on Main, and a couple of new businesses in Cornelius, and word of an autism fund-raiser at Healthy Home Markets in Davidson and Charlotte.
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