Arts council sponsors "Dinner, Dancing, and the Arts"
Courtesy of Lois Bohnsack
Northwestern Randolph County Arts Council
The Northwestern Randolph County Arts Council is sponsoring “Dinner, Dancing, and the Arts” on Saturday March 15, 2008, at the Archdale Recreation Center in Creekside Park in Archdale. The event will start at 6:30 p.m. and conclude at 10:00 p.m.
The band for the evening is Timeless, an eight piece local band with brass and vocal. Their music covers a broad mix from big band to shag to oldies to beach to jazz to love songs! A sampling of their music or information on their members can be found at www.theyaretimeless.com.
Timeless members (left to right): Corky Waugh, Kitty Matkins, Ed Kiefer, Carol Sykes, Gary Lane, Bill Salter, Joe Sykes, John Campbell (Photo courtesy of NWRCAC)
The band is sponsored by Archdale Drug Company. Additional sponsorships are available for the event; interested companies or individuals should contact Lois Bohnsack (687-7972).
Art provided by established local artists will be on display around the Recreation Center. Also, in recognition of Youth Art Month, selected art from area high school students will be on exhibit.
The cost for “Dinner, Dancing, and the Arts” is $25.00 for members and $30.00 for non-members. Tickets, which must be purchased in advance, are available at Archdale Drug or PB&J in Archdale or call Dianne Coltrane (434-2039), Linda Varner (431-9819) or Lois Bohnsack.
Currently the Northwestern Randolph County Arts Council is conducting a membership drive with corporate and individual memberships at various levels. Information about the benefits of membership, the varying levels, and a membership form can be found on their website www.nwrcac.org.
The goal of the Northwestern Randolph County Arts Council is to bring arts to the community and the community to the arts by providing exhibition outlets for artists, providing educational opportunities for those interested in the arts, fostering appreciation of fine arts in the area, and collaborating with schools, businesses, and other organizations through the arts.
Chocolate
By Donna Roach
"Chocolate was thought to be a gift from the gods," said Theresa Ferguson as she spoke briefly about the history of chocolate. Sitting at one of the linen covered tables at "Just Desserts Bakery & Coffee Shop" in downtown Randleman, Ferguson continued her culinary history lesson. "Chocolate, as we know it today, was different; beans where crushed by hand," she said. Ferguson continued to explain that it was the later invention of machinery to extract cocoa butter that finally gave chocolate the pliability necessary to extract the butter and add sugar.
Also, with the extraction of cocoa butter, a new product - white chocolate - was formed. "White chocolate is cocoa butter and vanilla with nothing from the cocoa bean," Ferguson explained. It is not really chocolate. However, white chocolate can be tinted different colors with special pastry "paint". That makes it an excellent way to create special confections such as wedding cakes or to decorate chocolate candies. Recently, Ferguson created a wedding cake adorned with white-chocolate seashells.
Ferguson not only prepares hand-made and hand-poured milk chocolate, dark chocolate and white chocolate for her pastry business, she also teaches the basic skills to area residents. Through Randolph Community College, she works with continuing education students on the basics of cake decorating and follows up with a candy making class. Although students are not required to take the cake decorating class first, she says it is helpful because they already have most of the supplies needed for creating chocolates and they are more comfortable using the equipment. Her next cake decorating class, which is held in Randleman at "Just Desserts", begins on February 4.
The classes, held in the fall and the spring, are "very social and a lot of fun. And I really enjoy teaching them, " said Ferguson. In the candy class, "students tend to eat most of what they make." They are very interested in creating flavored chocolates such as those with peanut butter centers or chocolate covered cherries.
Since February is a time when chocolates are often given as gifts, Ferguson offered a few tips to the chocolate buyer. She said to stay with a "reputable company" such as the named brands. When you open the box or tear off the wrapper, "the smell of chocolate should hit you immediately," said Ferguson.
She also suggests checking the labels on the box for flavors and ingredients. "Make sure the recipient does not have nut allergies," cautioned Ferguson. She explained that there are more and more people with food allergies today. Since many chocolates contain nuts, even the ones without nuts are still processed in the same facility.
