Charlotte woman gets a chance on 'Chef Academy'

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CAPITAL CULTURE: Obamas invite famous guest chefs

Think of it as take-out, but at the presidential level.

Since bringing their well-documented high-end appetites to the White House, President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama have broken new gourmet ground by inviting in a steady stream of the nation's top culinary talents.

It's an experience the chefs say they consider a career achievement.

Worst dining trends of the last decade

Decades from now, when you reflect on what dining was like during the fledgling years of the 21st century, on a good day you will picture a heartening trend toward comfort food in the wake of Sept. 11 and a well-meaning push toward locally sourced menus.

But on a bad day, when someone asks what the worst restaurant trends of that first decade were, will you be able to shut up?

What follows are the worst restaurant trends of the decade, culled from interviews with chefs, consultants, even the owners of a food bookstore in Maine. I couldn't include every gripe -- mache, water sommeliers, organ-meat entrees, unisex bathrooms, bacon tattoos on chefs, over-flaunted kitchen burns, chefs tables ("usually they're done as an afterthought, and it shows") -- but here's what leaped out, in order of annoyance:

This DJ's still cooking on the radio

If you tune into 100.7 The River during your drive to work, you may have noticed that radio deejay Kitty Kinnin loves food.

Kinnin shares a recipe every day, whether it's Meatless Mondays or Man Food Fridays, on her blog on the station's Web site. During her jazz and blues show on Sunday mornings, she interviews chefs from Walter Royal of the Angus Barn to Daniel Schurr of Second Empire. A few of her lucky fans can win Kat Pack outings, where they can go to dinner with her.

"The older I am, the more I'm into food," Kinnin said during a lunch interview at 18 Seaboard.

Show your devotion with fabulous food

We challenged three chefs to come up with two recipes for a Valentine's Day feast - one for a simple dish and the other for a more impressive appetizer, entrée or dessert.

Voilà, we have two menus for the home cook who wants to serve a sweetheart a special meal. Which menu you choose, whether easier or hard, might depend on how many extra points you need to earn this holiday. (Hint: If your partner was at all disappointed in your Valentine's Day effort last year, you might want to redeem yourself with the splurge menu.)

Chef Andrew Pettifer of Margaux's in Raleigh offered two appetizer recipes. Chef T.J. Donovan of Ladyfingers Catering in Raleigh chose entrée. And pastry chef Frank Kaltsounis of Ilios Noche in Charlotte picked dessert.

Let the child cook

If there is any day when moms deserve a break from the kitchen, it is Mother's Day.

To inspire dads to cook with their children, we sought advice from a few ladies who spend their days teaching children: Dorette Snover, owner of C'est Si Bon cooking school in Chapel Hill, Tessy Santos-Medley, who owns Classy Kids Cook in Cary and Lisa Owens, owner of Young Chefs Academy in the Ballantyne area of Charlotte.

Snover is quick to joke: "Our approach certainly involves a cup and a half of patience."