The Toyota Farm to Table Tour will be at Pepper Place Saturday Market this weekend, 8 a.m.-noon July 24. Nine area chefs will be paired with market farmers to highlight the best of the market’s fresh local produce and products. The chefs will prepare complementary tastings using their partner farm’s locally grown items for visitors to sample. 

Visitors will also have the opportunity to receive complimentary potted culinary herbs and enter for a chance to win a culinary trip to Santa Barbara, and to test-drive Toyota hybrids.

The chefs:

• Kimberly Brock of Bitty’s Back Porch
• Jared Danks of Culinard Culinary Institute
• Chris Hastings of Hot and Hot Fish Club
• Clif Holt of Little Savannah Restaurant and Bar
• Clayton Sherrod of Chef Clayton’s Catering
• Chris Zapalowski of The Homewood Gourmet
• Haller Magee of Satterfield’s
• Guillermo Castro of Cantina
• Jean Evens Estinfort & Serge Pambo of Café de Paris

 The farms:

• Jones Valley Urban Farm
• Lasseter Orchards
• Frank McEwin
• Durbin Farms
• Snow's Bend Farm
• Fertile Minds Gardens
• Owl's  Hollow Farm
• Averiett Branch Farm

The American Culinary Federation is coming to Birmingham for its Southeast Regional Conference, April 24-26 at the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel.

The event is hosted by ACF Birmingham Chapter. This will be the second time the local chapter has hosted the regional conference.  A little more about the chapter: On their web site, they note, "The Birmingham Alabama Chapter of the American Culinary Federation is open to all culinarians of Central Alabama. Professionals, students, educators, vendors, support staff, or just plain crazy 'foodies.' All are welcome to come and be a part of our meetings and events."

The regional ACF conference brings together foodservice professionals and chefs from across the Southeast for a weekend of networking and educational opportunities, a trade show, cooking competitions and demonstrations from the region’s finest chefs. Cooking competitions take place off-site at Jefferson State Community College’s Shelby-Hoover Campus.

Speakers include Donald Barickman, an award-winning restaurateur, author and TV personality from Charleston, S.C., who is a pioneer in Lowcountry cuisine, as well as Birmingham chef Chris Hastings of Hot and Hot Fish Club, and Tim Grandinetti of Overlook Farms, Clarksville, Mo.

Some sessions are probably only going to be of interest to professionals, like "Food Safety Curriculum Development," or "Increasing Product Consumption in Foodservice," but others seem like they might be interesting for the non-chef foodie, such as "Global Flavors & Your Menu," "Thrill Your Guests with Precision Flambe Action Cooking," "Wild Fish & Game: Part of America's Culinary Heritage," and a cheese and wine tasting from Cabot and Kendall Jackson.

Registration is required to attend. Daily badges are $75, and full-registration packages are available. Guests can register on-site. For more information, visit www.acfchefs.org/events or call (800) 624-9458.

The James Beard Foundation has announced its list of restaurant and chef semifinalists for the 2010 James Beard Foundation Awards. The final five nominees in each category will be announced on March 22, and the winners announced at the foundation's annual gala on May 3. Several Birmingham entries on the list:

• Outstanding Restaurateur, Nick Pihakis from Jim 'N Nick's Bar-B-Q
• Outstanding Chef: Frank Stitt, Highlands Bar & Grill
• Outstanding Restaurant: Highlands Bar & Grill
• Best Chef, South: Chris Hastings,  Hot & Hot Fish Club

Za Za Trattoria downtown has changed its name to Trattoria Centrale. As Bob Carlton reports, the owner of another pizza place in Montgomery has trademarked the name "Sa Za" (with an "S" instead of a "Z") and plans to franchise, possibly in Birmingham. So even though the spellings are different, to avoid any confusion and potential litigation down the road, Za Za's owners have renamed their place Trattoria Centrale.

Carlton also brings us yummy news of soft-shell crawfish at Veranda on Highland. After two years off the menu, chef Tom Robey has found another supplier for the tasty critters. Each appetizer order features four large fried softshell crawfish, mirliton avocado slaw and smoked jalapeno butter for $12.50. 

Robey will also be the featured chef at Birmingham Bake and Cook Company in Inverness for February. On Monday, Feb. 8, he will prepare Jumbo Louisiana Brown Shrimp on a Griddled Cheese Biscuit with a Smoked Jalapeno Beurre Blanc and an Herbed Merliton Cucumber Slaw, and Seared Long Island Duck Breast on a Smoked Crimini Mushroom, Tasso and Sweet Potato Hash with Bourbon Honey. 6:30-8:30; Cost $25. Call 980-3661 for reservations.

Here's an easy way to support the Cahaba River Society. Go to Nabeel's Cafe in Homewood on Wednesday, Feb. 3, between 10:30 a.m. and 9:30 p.m., and enjoy a Mediterranean-inspired meal. When you pay your tab, mention to the cashier that you support the Cahaba River Society, and 10 percent of your tab will be donated to CRS.

Birmingham is becoming known for its dining scene. Our local chefs are among some of the best in the country. But what about their favorite wines? The organizers of the American Heart Association’s annual Heart Ball would like to find out.

For the annual Heart Ball, organizers would like the best chefs in town to donate a bottle of their favorite wine. Not the best or the favorite wine carried by their restaurant, but their own personal favorite. Chefs are asked to sign the label and include a note as to why it's their favorite. What makes that particular brand and variety special? For example, was it a wine they had on their first trip to Italy? Or perhaps, it's the wine they used to celebrate a significant event like an anniversary.

All the bottles of wine will be grouped together and auctioned off at the March 6, 2010 Heart Ball, the American Heart Association's signature black-tie event attended by the city's top business leaders, physicians, and philanthropists. All participating chefs and restaurants will receive recognition at the event. Frank Stitt has already donated a bottle.

All inquiries and donations should be directed to Janis Hagen, Heart Ball Co-chair at 907-9115 (cell).

For more information on the Heart Ball in general, click here.

Chris and Idie Hastings will be at the Alabama Booksmith in Homewood Wednesday to promote the new Hot and Hot Fish Club Cookbook. They're preparing finger-friendly versions of three dishes from the new cookbook: 

• Apple, almond and endive salad, with creamy herb dressing
• Foie Gras with brioche bread and wild persimmon jam
• Pumpkin soup with fried sage and lemon oil 

The Hot and Hot Fish Club Cookbook contains more than 200 recipes, organized to reflect the seasonal nature of local ingredients. It features profiles of dozens of purveyors who supply the restaurant with the freshest ingredients. It features more than 50 full-color photographs, lifestyle menus complete with wine and beer pairings, and a sourcing section.

The event is at 6 p.m. Wed.., Oct. 14, at The Alabama Booksmith, 2626 19th Place.

Just a few news tidbits to pass along in the midst of back-to-school madness:

Standard Bistro in Mt. Laurel is having an heirloom tomato wine dinner this Wednesday, Aug. 19, at 6:30 p.m. Hosted by International Wines, the menu features tomato-themed and -enhanced dishes such as tomato, pesto and mozzarella flatbred; crab and gazpacho "shooters;" fried green tomatoes and remoulade, and a chery tomato and cucumber salad, both accompanying seared snapper; and a panzanella, arugulat, and heirloom tomato salad accompanying roast pork. Call 995-0512 for reservations; cost is $75, including food, wine, tax and gratuity.

Alan Martin, the longtime executive chef of Standard Bistro and before that a favorite of ours at the Metro Grill that used to be in Brookwood Village, has moved back to his hometown to reopen the restaurant at Anniston's history Victoria Inn. The Birmingham News' Bob Carlton reports that the menu will feature contemporary Southern cuisine with an emphasis on locally grown produce and dairy products.

Veranda on Highland chef Tom Robey won the Iron City Chef competition this weekend. The fundraising event was sponsored by the Vestavia Hills Rotary Club.Robey prepared lump crab and truffle beet "martinis," pulled duck shortcake with Chilton County peach Habanera barbecue sauce, minted goat cheese mousse and peanut butter pie in a salted pretzel crust.

The first annual Free the Hops Oktoberfest has been scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 19 (jumping the gun a little bit, aren't they?) on Morris Avenue. It will feature German cuisine, live music, and more than 25 German and German-style American-made beers. More info at http://freethehops.org/oktoberfest.

Bellini's, located on Cahaba Valley Road near Hwy. 280, is now serving lunch Monday through Friday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Some of the offerings will include a potato crusted tuna salad with mixed greens, heirloom tomato, grilled artichoke; carb cake with mixed greens and heirloom tomato; shrimp scampi; lasagna involini; panini sandwiches; a Bellini burger, and several pizzas.

Birmingham's 21st annual Taste of the Nation will be Monday, Aug. 24, 6-9 p.m. at McWane Science Center, benefiting Magic City Harvest and Pathways. More than 40 of Birmingham's chefs and beverage vendors will offer signature dishes and drinks. Tickets are $75 in advance or $85 at the door. More info and tickets at www.tasteofthenation.org.

Four Birmingham chefs will face off in an evening of culinary competition as a fundraiser for the Vestavia Hills Rotary Foundation.

Tom Robery of Veranda on Highland, Clif Holt of Little Savannah, Troy Black of Learn2Q.com, and Robert Kamm of the Ross Bridge resort will compete in an "Iron Chef" style competition Saturday, July 18, a the Culinary & Hospitality Institute of Jefferson State Community College at the Shelby/Hoover campus off Valleydale Road.

"Iron City Chef" is scheduled for 6 p.m. and costs $50 per person.  It includes a wine tasting, dinner, silent auction, and live music by "Constant Adjustment." For more information, visit www.rotarytoast.org or call 823-7723.

The Aha Moment Tour gave Birmingham's Veranda on Highland four stars and three wows in its blog.

The aha moment is "that split second of clarity and sudden insight that instantly changes your life, and it's the basis of the Mutual of Omaha insurance company's latest advertising campaign. The "aha moment tour" features a crew of five going on the road to capture aha moments from real people across the country. The tour's Airstream was in Birmingham last week.

Executive Chef Tom Robey told the crew he has aha moments each time a guest enjoys their experience or his food enhances someone’s special moment.

While some of the crew went off for Dreamland Ribs, Katie Kirby and her colleague, Brett Rogstad, put themselves in the hands of Robey for dinner. She sang the praises of crab and Corn Beignets with pickled okra tartar sauce; Fried Green Tomatoes topped with crawfish andouille; wine-braised Pork Butt over homemade gnocchi with tomatoes, capers, olives and garlic; and Jumbo White Barbecued Shrimp with yellow grits.

Read the blog here.

Birmingham native Charles Gaines, one of the nation's premiere outdoor writers, has a love letter to his home town in the current issue of Garden & Gun. 

Of course, it's impossible to write about how great Birmingham is without talking about the restaurants. In "The Big Heart of Birmingham," Gaines notes that growing up in the city back in the '50s, "all our restaurants seemed pretty much third-world." But in 1982, he writes, "a young chef named Frank Stitt opened Highlands Bar and Grill, and the Birmingham renaissance had truly begun."

"What Stitt did with Highlands (and the three other fine restaurants he later bestowed on the city) was announce to Birminghamians with a megaphone that we were through sucking hind tit to Atlanta or anyplace else where food was concerned. ...

"There may be other cities in the South where that particular yin and yang of good living, past and present, town and country, are so enjoyably mixed as they are now in Birmingham, but I don’t know of one."

You'll also find a summary of some of Birminghams' best restaurants, bars, retailers and attractions. Read the whole article here.