Asheville Food Bites: Cabana rentals, vegan soul food recipes, margarita twists, more
ASHEVILLE - Uniquely crafted outdoor cabanas unveiled; margarita cocktails made with a twist; plant-based soul food recipes released; and an Asheville chef sets off to Malaysia.
Silo cabanas in The Meadow
Highland Brewing’s new sustainably built silo cabanas are available for rental to host small gatherings of up to 24 guests for private events and during large events and shows hosted by the brewery.
The former grain storage containers were halved and anchored into the ground, and with the addition of retired beer kegs and concrete converted into lounging cabanas in the brewery’s outdoor entertainment space, The Meadow.
The rental cost varies for weekdays and weekends ― $25/hour for a two-hour minimum Monday-Thursday, $200 for a four-hour block on Friday and Saturday and $250 for a five-hour block on Sunday.
Highland Brewing’s main campus is at 12 Old Charlotte Highway. To rent, visit highlandbrewing.com and email [email protected]. For more, follow @highlandbrewing on Instagram.
Zero-proof margarita
Cut out the alcohol, artificial additives and preservatives with a new locally made, handcrafted mocktail.
Devil’s Foot Beverage Co. has released the latest flavor in its Zero Proof Series, a ready-to-drink nonalcoholic margarita made with 100% organic lime juice, organic orange juice, organic cane sugar, South Carolina honey, sea salt and filtered water – no tequila – and has 18 grams of sugar per can.
It’s the eighth Asheville soda makers’ expansion into classic cocktail and beer flavors that include nonalcoholic Negroni, Mai Tai and Dark & Stormy in collaboration with local and regional breweries, distillers and cideries.
The Margarita and Limed IPA ― scheduled for release this year ― are made in collaboration with Edmund’s Oast Brewery in Charleston, South Carolina.
Devil's Foot Beverages are sold at retailers across the Southeast, online and its taproom The Mule at 131 Sweeten Creek Road. For more, visit devilsfootbrew.com and follow @devilsfootbrew on Instagram.
Vegan soul food
Food Empowerment Project, a vegan food justice nonprofit organization, has launched a new website of vegan soul food recipes inspired by African Diaspora foodways.
Afro-Caribbean, Ethiopian, Kenyan, Nigerian, Cajun, Jamaican, Liberian and traditional U.S. soul food dishes are featured like “lobster” macaroni and cheese, black-eyed peas and greens with chipotle mushroom sausages and Bahamian “conch” fritters and the Jamaican sorrel-hibiscus drink.
Vegan Soul Food’s website launch aligns with the Juneteenth (June 19) national holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the U.S.
Food Empowerment Project, founded in 2007, aims to show how diners can lead vegan lifestyles while still enjoying traditional favorites with recipes that are healthier alternatives.
“Growing up in Charlotte, many of my friends and family are veg-curious but have difficulty transitioning over to a vegan diet due to how prevalent animal products are in our traditional foods,” Vegan Programs Collective Member jaz boler said in a news release. “Recipes featured in Vegan Soul Food have simple ingredients and are easy to follow. I am so excited for those I love to have easy access to this resource and to learn that we can still enjoy cooking our delicious and nostalgic favorites without using animal products and still embrace our culture.”
View the recipes at VeganSoulFood.org.
The organization’s other vegan food-centric sites include VeganMexicanFood.com, VeganFilipinoFood.com, VeganLaoFood.com, and VeganChineseFood.com.
Asheville's culinary diplomat adventures
Executive Chef William Dissen, owner of the James Beard Foundation Awards semifinalist restaurant The Market Place, has set off on a new international excursion as a U.S. culinary arts diplomat.
From June 16-21, Dissen will host educational cooking demonstrations, tastings and discussions on food sustainability and restaurant entrepreneurship for the public in Kota Kinabalu, Penang and Kuala Lumpur as a member of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Culinary Corps and as a part of the Arts Envoy cultural exchange program that deploys American artists and arts professionals to share their expertise with global communities.
He is slated to meet with members of the U.S. Embassy, Malaysian food producers, farmers and restaurant operators and students from schools, including Cosmo Culinary College, Etania School for marginalized, undocumented, and stateless students, IPK College, St. Mary and St. Xavier public schools and The Academy for Women Entrepreneurs.
“Food has a unique way of bringing people from all backgrounds together,” Dissen said in a news release. “That’s why these diplomacy trips are so important to participate in. Together, we foster crosscultural understanding in the world using culinary arts as the tool, and a shared desire to learn. It’s a privilege to represent my country and the Appalachian region in Malaysia’s vibrant community of culinary arts professionals and students.”
In 2021, Dissen represented the U.S. in a diplomacy trip for Qatar-USA Year of Culture, presented by the U.S. Embassy in Doha, Qatar.
For more, visit exchanges.state.gov/us/program/arts-envoy and marketplace-restaurant.com and follow @chefbillyd and @marketplace.avl on Instagram.
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Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at [email protected] or follow her on Instagram @PrincessOfPage. Please support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Highland Brewing's silo cabanas, Devil's Foot margaritas, more to know
