The Carolina Inn Blog

First Place winners received a $100 South Point Mall gift cerificate and Dinner for Four at Carolina Crossroads Restaurant. Second Place winners received a $50 South Point Mall gift certificate and Brunch for Two at Carolina Crossroads Restaurant. 

The winners of this year's contest are:

Adult: 1st Place Winner - Amalia Bolivar
Adult: 2nd Place Winner - Francesca Monachino

Youth: 1st Place Winner - Lynalese Kindy
Youth: 2nd Place Winner - Margret Conrad Troop #378

Congratulations to all our winners! Information regarding the 2011 Twelve Days of Christmas and Gingerbread House Competition will be posted online next fall.

HOW TO ENTER:
Deadline for entry forms is Friday, December 3, 2010
Via Fax: 919-918-2795
Via Email: 12days@carolinainn.com
Via Mail: 211 Pittsboro Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27516 Re: 12 Days of Christmas, Attn: Heidi Werner
Drop Off: Drop off your form at the front desk of the hotel at any time. Clearly mark envelope, Attn: Heidi Werner.

• To be eligible for the competition, a signed and completed entry form must be received by fax or mail prior to 5PM Friday, December 3, 2010. Entries that are not pre-registered will not be accepted. 
• Only one entry per entry form is permitted.  
• The 2010 Gingerbread House Competition Entry Form must be signed by the individual entering the competition. If the individual is younger than age eighteen by the date of the competition, a signature from a parent or legal guardian is required along with the minor’s signature.
• Entry numbers will be assigned upon receipt of completed entry forms, and competitors will receive a letter or email with entry number confirming their entry into the 2010 competition. 
• Team entries are allowed under the following guidelines:
o Complete one entry form for the team that only includes the team captain’s contact information. In the case of school groups or girls or boys scout troops entering the competition, the classroom teacher or troop supervisor should be listed as the team captain and provide his or her contact information.
o A separate typed list of each team members’ first and last names, along with ages, should be included with the team’s entry form.
o A signature from a parent or legal guardian will be required for each team member under eighteen years of age.
o In the event a Team Entry places in the competition, the team captain will be the recipient of any prizes. Distribution or splitting of any prize will be left to the team captain to determine. 
o A Team should consist of two to five individuals working on a single entry. No more than five individuals are allowed to work on a single entry.

Note:  Due to limited display space, we can only accept 20 entries 10 Adult and 10 Youth by order received. Only one entry is allowed per household.

CANCELLATION POLICY:
In the event you are no longer able to compete in our Gingerbread House Competition, please call our Twelve Days of Christmas concierge at 919.918.2755.

COMPETITION CATEGORIES:
Adult (15 and older)  
Youth (15 and under)

Note: Teen and Child competitors may be supervised while baking, for safety precautions, by a parent or guardian. However, all gingerbread house construction, design and decoration must be done by the individual(s) entering the competition.

COMPETITION THEME:
Competitors are not limited to the structure of a house. We welcome and encourage competitors to uniquely design their entry for this years’ competition, as long as the entry is in keeping with the competition Rules & Procedures.

JUDGING CRITERIA:
Entries will be judged by the general public and our Pastry Chef. The entry with the highest number of points in its category will be the winner. Entries will be judged on each of the following criteria on a scale of 1-5: Overall Appearance, Originality & Creativity, Difficulty, Precision, and Consistency of Theme (theme should be competitor’s own and consistent throughout entry). Winners will be announced on Monday, December 20, 2010 and will be posted on our website.

PRODUCTION CHECKLIST:

• Entries must not exceed 1.5 feet in height, 1.5 feet in width, or 1.5 feet in depth, including the board used as a base. We suggest using ½” or ¾” plywood as a base for your entry.
• Write your name, entry number, address, and phone number on the underside of your base.
• Entries must be made primarily of gingerbread and entirely of edible products (except for the base). Candies must be unwrapped. Edible materials are not limited to sweets.
• No artificial display materials, such as styrofoam or interior lighting, are to be used in the construction of the house.

DROPPING OFF YOUR ENTRY:

• Entries accepted Friday, December 10, from 9:00 am 12:00pm. Entries that are not pre-registered will not be accepted.
• Please check-in with our front-desk agents the day of delivery and they will direct you to one of our ballrooms where we will store all our entries by category and in order of entry number.
• The competitor’s name, entry number, address, and phone number must be labeled underneath the base.

Note: We reserve the right to refuse any entries deemed inappropriate for display at the hotel.

PICKING UP YOUR ENTRY:

• Entries will remain on display in The Carolina Inn lobby starting Saturday, December 11 through Monday, December 27, 2010.
• Entries may be picked up Tuesday, December 28th from 9:00 am to 12:00pm.
• Entries will be discarded on Wednesday, December 29th. No exceptions.

Category Place Prize
ADULT-First Place: $100 South Point Mall Gift Certificate and "Dinner for Four" at Carolina Crossroads Restaurant.
ADULT-Second Place: $50 South Point Mall Gift Certificate and “Dinner for Two” at Carolina Crossroads Restaurant.
YOUTH-First Place: $100 South Point Mall Gift Certificate and "Brunch for Four" at Carolina Crossroads Restaurant.
YOUTH Second Place: $50 South Point Mall Gift Certificate and “Brunch for Two” at Carolina Crossroads Restaurant.

REGISTRATION FORM
How to Enter:
Deadline for entry forms has been extended to Friday, December 3, 2010
Via Fax: 919-918-2795 Attn Heidi Werner
Via E-mail: 12days@carolinainn.com
Via Mail: 211 Pittsboro Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27516 (Re: 12 Days of Christmas, Attn: Heidi Werner) 
Or, you may drop forms off at the front desk of the hotel at any time. Clearly mark envelope “Attn: Heidi Werner”

Note: Due to limited display space, we can only accept 20 entries (10 Adult and 10 Youth), by order received.

Group or Business Name: (If applicable)  
Competitor’s  or Group Captain’s Name:  
Street Address:
City, State and Zip:

Daytime Phone:  
Evening Phone: 
E-mail Address: 
Preferred method of contact: 
Category for Entry: (Check one)   Adult   Youth                             
Type of Entry: (Check one)   Individual   Group
Type of Entry:  (Check one)   Professional   Amateur

I understand that to be eligible for the contest, I must complete and return this entry form by December 3, 2010 and be accepted into the contest by The Carolina Inn. In addition, I must deliver my completed entry Friday, December 10, 2010, between 9:00am and 12:00pm with competitor name, category, address and phone number on the base on I have read all requirements and understand that my entry must be completely edible and primarily made of gingerbread. I understand that my entry will be on display at The Carolina Inn from December 11 – December 28, 2010 and relinquish all responsibility from The Carolina Inn for any damage to my gingerbread house caused by public display. Winners of the competition will be announced Monday, December 20, 2010 and posted at carolinainn.com as well as our Twitter and Facebook pages.

Signature of Applicant:_____________________________________Date: __________________
If the applicant is younger than the age of eighteen (18) by the date of the competition, please complete the section below.

I affirm that the applicant listed above is ______ years of age and will independently design, construct and decorate the entry to be submitted.

Applicant’s date of birth (required for Applicants under the age of 18):_______________
Signature of Parent or Guardian:___________________Date: ________________

*NOTE: Group entries should only include the group captain’s information. A secondary list of each group members’ name and signature should be included along with date of birth and signature from a parent or legal guardian if under 18 years old.

Southern Style Red Bean Soup with Hot Crema

Ingredients:

1lb       Dried red beans-soaked in water and refrigerated overnight
¼ c      Oil
5 oz     Chorizo sausage, small dice
2 T       Garlic, fine chop
½ c      Onions small dice   
½ c      Yellow peppers small dice
¼ c      Green peppers small dice
¼ c      Carrots small dice
½ c      Celery small dice
1 T       Thyme, chopped
1 T       Chili powder
1 T       Cumin ground
2 c       Can chopped tomatoes with juice   
2 qts    Chicken broth
Cider vinegar to taste
½ lb      Small shrimp, peeled and deveined
Crystal Hot Crema (Recipe follows)

Crystal Hot Crema
½ c      Sour Cream
1 T       Lime juice, fresh squeezed
Crystal Hot Sauce, to taste

Method:
1. Place oil in a pot over medium heat
2. When oil is hot add chorizo sausage and begin to render fat
3. Add garlic, onions, peppers, carrots, celery, thyme, chili powder and cumin
4. Season with salt and pepper then sauté for 5 minutes
5. Add red beans after you have discarded the water
6. Add tomatoes and chicken broth and stir well
7. Bring soup to a simmer and continue to cook until beans are finished
8. Add shrimp just before serving and cook until shrimp is cooked through
9. Skim any fat off of soup and discard
10. Taste and season with salt and pepper if necessary
11. Add cider vinegar
12. Use a hand blender and pulse soup a few times just to give it some body
13. Add more chicken broth if necessary

Serve
Place soup in a bowl and drizzle with crystal hot crema

Come into Carolina Crossroads today and enjoy Chef Jimmy's fall menu. We look forward to seeing you soon! 

Here is an excerpt from The Green Kangaroo’s blog:
Devon, what are the top things couples should consider when looking at wedding and reception venues? There are so many things to consider! The biggest key is to do your research on your venue and vendors before committing to them. Check those references!

Read the rest of Devon’s recommendations.

Watermelon and Feta Salad
Serves 4

 Ingredients:

2 cups             Baby Arugula
1 oz                Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 cups             Seedless Watermelon, Diced Small
4 oz                Crumbled Feta Cheese (Hillsborough Cheese Company is my favorite)
To  Taste         Thin Sliced Red Onion
2 oz                Fig Balsamic Syrup (see below)
1 Tbsp             Fresh Mint –Julienne

Method: Fig Balsamic Syrup
12 oz               Dark Balsamic Vinegar
3 oz                 Dried Figs

1)      For fig syrup, reduce dark balsamic vinegar and figs by ¾ over low heat.
2)      Strain and let cool.

Assembly:

On four separate plates place arugula that has been lightly tossed in olive oil. Portion the watermelon, feta, red onion and mint on all plates. Drizzle with fig syrup right before serving and enjoy this wonderful summer appetizer. Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

 *For more delicious ways to enjoy watermelon, visit The Carolina Crossroads Restaurant and try Chef Reale's Summer Watermelon, Grilled Halloumi Cheese, Arugula, Picked Cottle Farm Cucumbers, Jalapeno Peppers, and Radishes with a Citrus Vanilla Vinaigrette.

Thursdays on Tap- $3 Drafts All Day

Fridays on the Front Porch- Live Bluegrass Music, Cool Drinks & a Summer Picnic Menu. Starts at 5:00pm

Saturdays- Double Reward Points for our Culinary Rewards Members. Join Today!

Bloody Good Sundays- Half Priced Bloody Marys & Small Plates

*Don't miss our July specials running all month long:

Locals Rule- Show us your driver's license with your Chapel Hill/Carrboro address and we'll take 10% off your dinner bill in July

Dinner at Dusk- Three Course Menu for $39 available Tuesday through Sunday for diners seated before 6:00pm

Click here for a printable calendar. Keep one on your fridge, in your office or in your car so you always know what's happening at Carolina Crossroads!

1) The Preserve - A Davis Love III Signature Golf Facility
2) Room 180 in The Carolina Inn, AAA Four Diamond Hotel built in 1924
3) Gene Fones, the affable General Manager of The Preserve Golf Club
4) Tasting North Carolina Wine made primarily from Muscadine Grapes and Vinifera grapes (there are now 76 wineries in North Carolina)
5) Walking Franklin Street, the main street in Chapel Hill - full of boutiques, restaurants & students

To read the full list, click here.

History, that sepia patina, plays a part in all this.  The first state university is here, founded in 1789, which means it was the first institution of higher learning where all a young man or woman had to do was get here to take a class, and the only state university to graduate students in the 18^th century.  Over two hundred years later it’s the doing the same thing, but better, changing as the world around it changes.  It’s constantly innovating and remains a model for universities everywhere.  Thomas Wolfe, one of the greatest writers America has produced, came here in 1915, when he was only fifteen years old.  He predicted that that his portrait would one day hang in Old West near that of North Carolina governor Zebulon Vance, and he was right: it still does today.  Other literary luminaries soon followed, and many of them have changed the face of contemporary American literature: Russell Banks, Taylor Branch, Shelby Foote, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, and Armistead Maupin, to name a very, very few.

What’s harder to see is how a similar history is being made right now.  There are more world famous writers in Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough, per capita, than in any other place in the world.  You can see them everywhere, meet them in the produce section of the grocery store, sitting at the table next to yours in a restaurant: you can even say hello, and tell them how much you love their writing (rumor to the contrary, they can’t hear that enough).  Do something particularly outrageous and who knows: you could end up in their next book.  Give it a shot. 

Chapel Hill, to this day, is sustained by the arts, and it sustains everybody with its art.  This is a community where art is practiced and perfected, and where professionals from around the world come to play, dance and sing.  Memorial Hall, on campus, hosts everybody from Yo-Yo Ma to Earl Scruggs, dance and drama from all over the world, one-stop shopping for the sort of culture that teaches while it entertains. 

On the other side of campus is Playmakers Repertory Company, whose productions are staged in Paul Green Theater.  Playmakers is considered the leading theater in the Carolinas, and has been honored by the Drama League of New York as one of the best regional theaters in the country.  Recent offerings include The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, an ambitious eight hour stage play, Romeo and Juliet, and The Glass Menagerie. 

And, as almost everybody knows, the Art of Basketball is performed here September through April, and more often than not it’s performed at the highest level, an exemplar of what human beings can do with a round orange ball.  You can see them rise like dancers, turn and spin, elegant and powerful, smart and fast as lightening.  Not unlike our literary tradition, famous practitioners of the art have lived and played here, including the greatest man to have ever played the game, Michael Jordan.  In this last decade alone two national championship banners have been hung from the rafters of the Dean Smith Center.  And yes: you can see our artists there as well, cheering along with half the population of the entire town. 

But this decidedly world-class offering of cultural happenings doesn’t end on campus: it radiates through the entire county like a ripple on the surface of a pond.  Carrboro hosts so many festivals you might think there’s one happening there every single day of the year: there are film, poetry, comedy, dance and music festivals.  In Hillsborough, there’s the annual Handmade Parade, featuring giant puppets the likes of which you’ve never seen before (trust us).  Just to maintain an appropriate balance between the arts and . . . everything else, Hillsborough also hosts Hog Day, now in its 28^th year, a down-home traditional pig-picking and barbeque contest, and the largest classic auto show in the state.

No, you will not go hungry in Orange County.  World-class cooks – two James Beard finalists – live and work here.   On Franklin Street alone – Franklin Street being Chapel Hill’s one and only drag – there are over fifty restaurants, from the elegant to the ridiculously informal.  And many of these establishments serve the freshest produce you’ll ever eat, because local farmers drive into town from their farms, dozens of which surround us like a great wall of organic goodness.  

It sounds like a polyester promise, but there’s something for everybody here.  The Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro is the only significant music club between Washington D.C. and Atlanta, so for a little town we get the biggest bands.  About a mile away, The Ackland Museum in Chapel Hill hosts over a dozen of shows every year . . . Oh, it’s tempting to continue, because once you start thinking about what’s happening here you realize that there’s very little that isn’t.  Even the weather is perfect.  Come at your own risk, because after coming you may not want to leave.  Even our buildings are adorned with murals.

Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Hillsborough, Orange County: It’s not one thing: it’s everything.

-Written by David Wallace for the Orange County Visitors Bureau

The unique history of the Inn and the important relationship between the Inn and The University of North Carolina was described as each employee read The University’s Living Room by Kenneth Zogry. From the Inn’s beginning in 1924 through the New Deal Era, Civil Rights movement and into present-day, The Carolina Inn has remained a fixture on the campus of UNC and truly is the University’s living room.

Click here to view an interactive timeline of the Inn’s history. Also, on your next visit to the Inn be sure to view our new historical photo display.

Photo:
Front row – Jim Phelan, Tracie Panko, Beverly Ingram, Alison D’Agostino, Elizabeth Rubio, Ashleigh Collins

Back row – Terri Nier, Elizabeth Bischoff, Kenneth Zogry (Inn’s Historian), Margaret Oppegard, Julie McCay, Mark Nelson

Executive Chef Jimmy Reale and his culinary team will be showcasing the following dishes during the month of May as part of the contest:

Appetizer - Grilled Local Asparagus, Arugula, Prosciutto di Parma, Hillsborough Cheese Company Ricotta, Crispy Latta Farm Poached Egg, Aged Sherry Vinegar, Za’atar Oil

Salad – Organic Arugula Salad, Red & Golden Beets, Hillsborough Cheese Company Feta, Toasted Hazelnuts, Blood Orange Vanilla Vinaigrette

Entrée– Roasted Chatham County Poulet Rouge, NC Fingerling Sweet Potatoes, Local Asparagus, Caramelized Cippolini Onions, Zucchini, Roasted Chicken Jus

Our featured dishes showcase local produce and North Carolina products from Latta’s Egg Ranch, Hillsborough Cheese Company, Red Farms, Sonny’s Pride Scott Farms and local area farmers markets.

A team of mystery judges will be sampling our featured dishes and a contest winner will be announced later this summer. Stop by our restaurant to try these featured dishes and earn double points toward our new Culinary Rewards Program.

Check back on our blog to see photos of our featured dishes, recipes and chef tips on making the most of local produce.

With our Culinary Rewards Program, you'll earn points every time you dine at the Carolina Crossoads, so you can enjoy more great food and good times on us. As a member, you'll earn one point for every dollar you spend at the restaurant and bar. Once you have accumulated 300 points, we'll give you a $20 Carolina Crossroads gift card that can be redeemed any time at our restaurant - it's that easy! Additionally, rewards members will receive special invitations to Members Only events and offers, as well as preferred reservations on high demand dates.

Enrollment in the program is simple - and free! Enroll now or register in person during your next meal with us. And just for signing up, you'll receive 25 bonus points to get started.

When you stay at Hamilton Park Hotel or The Inverness Hotel on Earth Day, you will be given seeds you can take home with you to plant.  At the Carolina Inn you will receive one of those fabulous, ever-so-handy reusable tote bags.  InterContinental Tampa and Royal Palms Resort are planting herb gardens on their grounds, and The Inn and Spa at Loretto and Vail Cascade will be cleaning up their local rivers.  Slow down and waive to the employees from Stowe Mountain Lodge and Sunriver Resort when you drive on the highway near those properties…today they will be out in full force cleaning up the roads!

Below is a listing of the local vendors and farmers the Carolina Crossroads used for their Greek Salad:

Bibb Lettuce - Green Haven Farms

Red Radishes - Cottle Farms

English Cucumbers - Barham’s Farms

Sunburst Tomatoes - Sunburst Tomato Company

Feta Cheese - Hillsborough Cheese Company

The Earth Day celebration continues on April 22nd at The Carolina Inn with a prix fixe menu at the Carolina Crossroads Restaurant designed to showcase local and organic ingredients. Stop by to try our three course menu for $55 person, four course menu for $65 per person, and five course menu for $75 per person. Call 919-918-2735 or visit the Carolina Crossroads for reservations.  

The event highlighted an eight minute film of Governor  Terry Sanford calling for racial equality in a 1963 speech in The Carolina Inn’s Old Well Room. Click here to view and download the speech.

Guests were also treated to a discussion with the authors moderated by William Friday followed by a book signing with the authors. Historical 1960s photography by North Carolina photographer Billy Barnes was displayed in the Alumni Room.

The digitization of  the Hellenian and Yackety Yack yearbooks kicked off a string of projects conducted by the North Carolina Digital Heritage Center to provide online access to photographic collections, scrapbooks and pictures of museum artifacts.

Click here to view the full Daily Tar Heel article or view the digitized Yackety Yack online.

 UNC System President Erskine Bowles in 1966

 UNC Sports Radio Announcer 
                                      Woody Durham in 1963

 Author Thomas Wolfe in 1919

 CBS Newsman Charles Kuralt in 1955

Clean the World not only helps save lives in the countries it donates soap to, it diverts waste from our landfills and its recycling operations are run by Central Care Mission, a long-term recovery home for men in Orlando, Florida.  Central Care Mission helps keep men off the streets and provides them with life management skills while dealing with an addiction.  Work is an important part of the recovery for these men and running sterilization equipment and packaging recycled soap bars provides a necessary win-win partnership for both Clean the World and the Central Care Mission.   Divert from landfills, save lives and provide work to those in need…sustainability at its finest.

-Destination Earth

Some of the materials they used included: Tail, a fungi used in stew, and Reindeer Moss, also stewed as a thickener and cabbage substitute for sweetness. The little fairy placed next to their house was made from Marzipan and sat on a gingerbread bench at the back of a rock-wall made of edible chocolate stones bordered with candied parsley. The fairy was surrounded by edible, candied flowers in blue, and had an almond sliver path at her feet. The gingerbread wall of her house was made dark from molasses and covered in colored sugar crystals.

Congratulations to the Holland Family!  Thank you for participating in our 7th Annual Gingerbread House Competition.  We look forward to seeing next years' entries.