Q. I have had a recipe for Pound Cake that is from February 2000 issue.  I have been intimidated to try it, but bit the bullet a couple of weeks ago.  It was a hit!!  All I took home was crumbs and my cake carrier.  Thanks, Southern Living for giving me confidence to make a Southern tradition.

 
Also, I have a real problem!!  My mother used Red Band flour until she quit cooking, and I the same.  I have since learned that it has been discontinued.  What flour do ya'll use in the test kitchens at Southern Living?  I tried KIng Arthur flour on my chocolate cake receipe several years ago.  If I had dropped it on the floor, it would have gone all the way to China and beyond.  With Red Band flour, the cake was light  and springy; with King Arthur, it was flat and hard as a brick.  Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Cecil A.

A.White Lily flour is the hands-down winner from our staff.

On Saturday, April 18, I was one of four judges in the Fire on the Rock Chef Challenge. This event is similar to the Sweet Sixteen in NCAA college basketball.  Eight chefs were paired off in a head to head competition. Each round featured a mystery ingredient. Each chef had 50 minutes to prepare 3 dishes with the main focus being the mystery ingredient. Our main criteria was on taste, aroma, presentation and best use of the mystery ingredient.

Photo of Chef Bill Greene of Artisanal putting the final touches on one of his dishes. We tasted so many dishes it was hard to keep up with the names. All of the chefs did a fantastic job.

If you've never visited Blowing Rock, NC for the Annual Blue Ridge Wine & Food Festival then you are missing out on a culinary and cultural experience.  Get ready for a four day event full of wine seminars, tastings, music concert, shopping, and much more.