Sitar of India hosts a Diwali celebration each year.
Diwali is a Hindu festival of lights, held in the period October to November. It is particularly associated with Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity, and marks the beginning of the fiscal year in India.
Sitar celebrates with their biggest Indian buffet of the year. It included special sweets, a super buffet with over 60 items, and other special offerings.
There were many items that were familiar to me, but then there were many that were new to me.
I, of course, had to get my standard chicken tikka masala. And I tried for the first time aloo bhaji, which is a potato dish with curry, turmeric and chili. So tasty.
For dessert, I enjoyed some kheer and gulab jamun - both fab.
There was also a sweet carrot fudge-like that I got seconds of.
Mint sauce and onion chutney - perfect on everything.
The Laurance Jones, III Childhood Language Center Mac 'n Cheese Cook-off is one of my favorite events of the whole year.
It's one of my favorite foods at one of my favorite places, all for a great cause!
1. WV Coal Festival Queens - Made with nutmeg, dried mustard, and had edible glitter to represent coal and chipotle crema on top
3. Alisa Bailey - Traditional with some add-ins
4. Sternwheel Regatta - Southwest mac & cheese
5. Bogey's at Capitol Market - Super creamy mac & cheese that you can get every day at the restaurant
6. Tondrea Davis-Powell - Creamy mac alfredo
7. The Pitch - Braised short rib mac & cheese with Pitch dusted panko
8. Charleston Dirty Birds - Classic mac with a touch of sweetness
9. Sierra Workman - Made with little ditalini
10. Nellita's Cocina - Bacon & jalapeno mac & cheese
11. Regatta Pro Wrestling - White and cheesy
12. Patriot Guardens - Bacon bliss mac & cheese with edible flower
13. Hope for All/New Horizons Church - Classic mac & cheese
14. Short Story Brewing - Beer cheese mac & cheese made with Short Story’s Oktoberfest, Turn and Fall
15. Stephen Fernandez - Street corn mac & cheese
16. Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Central - Nikki McClanahan - Classic mac & cheese
17. Rainbow Pride of WV - Multicolord mac & cheese
18. Cafe Appalachia - Cornbread mac & cheese
19. The Spry Guys - Classic mac & cheese with crunchy breadcrumbs
20.Hope and Carl Crowder Auction - Classic mac with a touch of sweetness
21. Chick-Fil-A Town Center - Regular mac & cheese with addition of bacon
22. Gettin' Piggy With It 304 - Super smoky mac & cheese with pulled pork or cajun smoked chicken
23. Sergio's - Bruschetta mac & cheese Cavatappi Pasta tossed with a vibrant blend of fresh garlic, aromatic oregano, basil, rosemary, and thyme, plus red pepper flakes, Federalist Chardonnay, extra virgin olive oil, and balsamic glaze
24. Sam's Uptown Cafe - Classic mac & cheese
26. Devis Sellears - Classic mac with breadcrumbs
JUDGE'S CHOICE
1st - Stephen Fernandez
2nd - Tondrea Davis-Powell
3rd - Sergio’s
PEOPLE’S CHOICE
1st - Stephen Fernandez
2nd - Tondrea Davis-Powell
3rd - Sergio’s
KIDS
1st - Bogey’s
2nd - Hope and Carl Crowder Auction
3rd - Sergio’s
Here's my latest column:
Many are familiar with the well-known snack created in Appalachia that drew inspiration from the coal mining community.
Delicious. Portable. Perfect for a lunch pail.
But, wait. We’re not talking about pepperoni rolls — not today. Nope. Today, we’re discussing the MoonPie.
That’s right. The celestial snack coated in chocolate with a marshmallow center and graham cracker cookies all started with a coal miner.
“It all began in 1917 when a KY coal miner asked our traveling salesman for a snack ‘as big as the moon,’” according to the MoonPie website.
That salesman worked for the Chattanooga Bakery in Chattanooga, Tennessee, which had already been producing over 100 items at the time.
“Earl Mitchell reported back and the bakery obliged with a tasty treat aptly named MoonPie. It was filling, fit in the lunch pail and the coal miners loved it. The rest, as they say, is history,” reads the website.
Selling for just 5 cents each, the MoonPie was affordable and tasty. It flew off the shelves, and by 1929, hundreds were produced every day.
Over the years, the MoonPie became firmly embedded in Appalachian culture — from providing a taste of home to soldiers deployed overseas during WWII to feeding a generation of Baby Boomers growing up needing a quick, affordable snack.
Today, 1 million MoonPies are produced each day and have expanded to include flavors such as banana, strawberry, pumpkin spice, blueberry, mint, salted caramel and vanilla. They also come in double-decker size and mini size.
The snack also shares a cultural tie with RC Cola. The pairing of a MoonPie and RC Cola was popularized during the mid-20th century, becoming a working-class lunch special throughout the South and Appalachia. For many, this combination represented an affordable luxury—two classic items that offered a taste of indulgence.
MoonPie’s accessibility made it popular during economic hard times, particularly in rural areas where homemade sweets were often a luxury. Today, Moon Pies are still a common sight at gas stations, country stores, and festivals across Appalachia.
The snack has remained a staple of Southern comfort food, symbolizing simplicity and nostalgia for generations in the region and beyond.
Here is this season's J.Q. Dickinson Appalachian Mercantile subscription box.
J.Q. DICKINSON SALT-WORKS
Blue Ridge Bagel Seasoning
Solar evaporated and hand harvested salt in the mountains of WV blended with traditional everything bagel spices to enhance any dish
SUGAR PLUM CHOCOLATES
Maple Boubon Pecans
Mother-Son team of Fran and Neil make high quality products in PA. These nuts are an addictive snack!
WHITETAIL LANE FARM
Shower Steamers
Made on a goat farm in central PA these natural steamers will make your shower feel like a spa. Place on the floor of the shower' and let the water dissolve it and release aromas as you bathe.
THE HIGH FIBER
Cotton Dish Towel
This beautiful towel is designed and hand printed in Asheville, NC. It is soft and absorbent. Brightens any kitchen.
OLD STATE FARM
Infused Maple Syrup
This family owned maple farm is a 20 year labor of love in north west Pennsylvania. This infused syrup is DELICIOUS!
UNRULY NATURE
Granola
This granola is full of organic ingredients and flavorful components. Use as a topping on ice cream, in a salad, or as a snack. Made in PA
Blue Ridge Bagel Seasoning
Solar evaporated and hand harvested salt in the mountains of WV blended with traditional everything bagel spices to enhance any dish
SUGAR PLUM CHOCOLATES
Maple Boubon Pecans
Mother-Son team of Fran and Neil make high quality products in PA. These nuts are an addictive snack!
WHITETAIL LANE FARM
Shower Steamers
Made on a goat farm in central PA these natural steamers will make your shower feel like a spa. Place on the floor of the shower' and let the water dissolve it and release aromas as you bathe.
THE HIGH FIBER
Cotton Dish Towel
This beautiful towel is designed and hand printed in Asheville, NC. It is soft and absorbent. Brightens any kitchen.
OLD STATE FARM
Infused Maple Syrup
This family owned maple farm is a 20 year labor of love in north west Pennsylvania. This infused syrup is DELICIOUS!
UNRULY NATURE
Granola
This granola is full of organic ingredients and flavorful components. Use as a topping on ice cream, in a salad, or as a snack. Made in PA
Dari-Land in Marlinton is an ice cream counter with a food menu that includes items like philly cheesesteaks, burgers and hot dogs.
They even have breakfast and coffee. Kinda like a one-stop shop for any meal, any time of day. Since I was passing by in the morning, I perused their coffee menu and landed on a caramel latte.
The flavor was a bit watered down, but I didn't mind the mild espresso flavor. I would like to check out the ice cream or food on another visit.
Grade: B
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