Annual Big Chili Cook-Off benefits Lakewood Education Foundation

The eighth annual Big Chili Cook-Off to benefit Pillars of Lakewood and the Lakewood Ranger Education Foundation is Feb. 27 at Around the Corner Cafe.

Cash prizes are awarded for Judges' Choice and People's Choice categories. If you have a winning chili recipe and would like to participate, contact rkrivosh@yahoo.com.

Around the Corner is at 18515 Detroit Rd. in Lakewood. Visit www.atccafe.com for more information.

LDEI Cleveland kicks off the new year with a tour of Green City Growers

            The LDEI Cleveland Chapter began the new year with a tour of Green City Growers, a 3.25-acre hydroponic greenhouse and the largest urban greenhouse in the country.

            The host and tour guide was Jeremy Lisy, National Sales Manager for Green City Growers. Lisy noted that Green City Growers is a branch of Evergreen Cooperatives ofCleveland. Evergreen Cooperatives helps to create green jobs and economic stability in low-wealth neighborhoods.

            The state-of-the-art, industry-certified hydroponic greenhouse in Cleveland’s Central neighborhood is situated on a 10-acre site that was once urban blight. The inner-city site, with 3.25 acres under glass, now serves as a vibrant anchor for the surrounding neighborhood.

            Opened in 2012, the Green City Growers greenhouse is engineered and constructed to grow specialty greens prized by chefs, restaurants and retail clients. Rather than growing in soil, the greens float on pools of nutrient-enriched water. That enables a quicker growth cycle as well as producing tastier produce, appreciated by farm-to-table enthusiasts. During the winter, energy-efficient grow lights are used to maintain production. The carefully controlled environment in the greenhouse allows produce to be grown twelve months a year, to meet customers’ demand for the freshest product.

            The hydroponic greenhouse is industry-certified by PRIMUS/GFS, a leading name in global food safety. That means that Green City Growers meets the highest quality standards for food safety for hydroponic produce.

            Lisy said that specialty greens currently being grown in the greenhouse include Upland cress, mixed greens, butter lettuce, NuFar basil, red butter lettuce and Cleveland Crisp. The greens grow from seed to harvest in 35 to 40 days. Lisy noted that the greenhouse produces about three million heads of lettuce annually and 300,000 pounds of basil. It supplies restaurants and some grocers as far away from Cleveland as Indianapolis. Clients include Kroger, Meijer, Aldi and the Northeast Ohio Marc’s chain of stores. Green City Growers also operates a produce stand at Cleveland’s historic West Side Market.

            Green City Growers functions as a cooperative, with its business model getting noticed around the world, according to Lisy. He said that it is currently at about 90 percent of its profit potential but, as soon as it becomes completely profitable, it will be turned over to the 34 greenhouse employees. Lisy said that they have commissioned studies that show most of the employees spend the money they earn within 10 miles of their workplace, meaning the profit comes full circle and stays in the community.

            “If we can make this greenhouse business model work in Cleveland with our shorter and darker winter days, we can put this model out there to work all over the country,” Lisy concluded.

Culinary Vegetable Institute profiles "Healthy Plant-Based Living"

The healing power of plant-based living is the topic of the Jan. 30 lecture series event at the Culinary Vegetable Institute.

"Healthy Plant-Based Living" features an opening presentation by Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, director of the Cardiovascular Prevention and Reversal program at The Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute, collaborator in the documentary "Forks Over Knives," and the author of The Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease book. Esselstyn will discuss the results of his 20-year nutritional study on how we can end the heart disease epidemic in this country by changing what we eat.

Jane Esselstyn, RN, and her mother Ann Esselstyn co-authored the companion cookbook to Dr. Esselstyn's study, making the plant-based, whole food lifestyle accessible. Avid and inventive designers of plant-based recipes, they will be on hand to talk about the guidelines that form the foundation of wholesome living.

The evening will conclude with a five-course meal prepared by Culinary Vegetable Institute Executive Chef Jamie Simpson. The meal will feature cuisine from the Esselstyn cookbook.

Cost for the 6 p.m. lecture and dinner at the Culinary Vegetable Institute is $120 per person, plus tax. Copies of the Esselstyn books will be available for purchase. The Culinary Vegetable Institute is at 12304 Mudbrook Rd. in Milan, OH. Phone 419-499-7500 or visit www.culinaryvegetableinstitute.com to register.

LeBron James and CNBC team up for "Cleveland Hustles"

CNBC announced today that the network is teaming up with LeBron James and Maverick Carter's production company, SpringHill Entertainment, and Magical Elves for a new unscripted series set in Cleveland.

Set to debut in summer, 2016, the series will give local entrepreneurs the chance to realize their own dreams while helping to revitalize struggling neighborhoods. LeBron James and longtime friend Maverick Carter will enlist the aid of four trusted business experts and associates, who will in turn invest in and mentor fledgling entrepreneurs who need a little jumpstart. In success, these four business will provide jobs and services for neighborhoods that need investment.

CNBC is a division of NBCUniversal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies.

Fire Food and Drink announces a series of winter wine classes

Fire Food and Drink has announced a series of winter wine classes, starting with "Spain vs. Italy" on Jan. 21.

This heavy-weight four-round competition between two of the world's oldest wine growing region kicks off the series. In one corner with more than a 2,000-year heritage dating back to the glory days of Rome, producing more wine than any other country, is the fermentation nation of Italy. And in the other corner, with an equally long wine-making tradition and where the rain falls mainly on the plain, is the country of Spain. Those attending the 6:30 p.m. class will get to taste four wine samples from each country and then discuss what makes each one unique and the factors that contribute to their individual flavors.

"Wines We Love with the Food We Love," is the hot topic for a pre-Valentine's Day food and wine love fest on Feb. 4, 6:30 p.m. The theme is simple. A series of eight much-loved wines are paired with four of Fire's favorite dishes in small-bite portions. This promises to be a fun night of tasting, conversation and fun.

"Taste the Place" on Feb. 18, 6:30 p.m., is a class about geography and how it effects wine. Different soil types and weather patterns influence what eventually ends up in the bottle. However, that just scratches the surface. History and tradition also play a major role in wine making. This class examines how all of that comes together to make wine such a unique experience. In a world of so many homogenized products, wine remains true to its heritage. This class looks at how location makes wine individualized and celebrates its wonderful differences.

All classes are $40 per person, plus tax. Fire is at 13220 Shaker Square. Phone 216-921-3473 or visit www.firefoodanddrink.com to register.

Veggie U awarded $10,000 by Char and Chuck Fowler Foundation

Veggie U, a hands-on classroom program engaging children in the seed-to-plant-to-harvest experience, has been awarded $10,000 for its Cleveland program by the Char and Chuck Fowler Family Foundation.

The Fowlers moved to Cleveland from Indiana in 1988. Chuck Fowler is retired as chief executive of Fairmount Minerals of Chardon, a global supplier of purified industrial sands. In 2011, the privately owned company produced and shipped more than 3.4 million tons of sand, employed nearly 800 and had revenues in excess of $900 million.

The Char and Chuck Fowler Family Foundation is dedicated to improving lives through education, healthcare and the arts. As a family, the Fowlers are heavily involved in the operation of the foundation, with daughters Chann Fowler-Spellman and Holley Fowler Martens serving in administrative roles. The foundation and its trustees have provided million of dollars in funding for Northeast Ohio non-profit organizations since 2003. In the education area, the foundation seeks to fund programs that benefit a significant number of students, preschool through high school, that offer academic enrichment.

Veggie U asked the foundation to support a portion of the funding needed to place new Veggie U Classroom Gardens in Cleveland metropolitan second grades. After eight years of use, the Veggie U equipment used by Cleveland schools need updating. With an anticipated 125 second grade classrooms, the cost to support Veggie U in Cleveland for the 2016-2017 school year is about $56,000.

"We are excited to embark on this partnership with the Char and Chuck Fowler Family Foundation," Nadia Clifford, Veggie U Executive Director said. "The students of an urban system like Cleveland can learn so much from the Classroom Garden education. We are grateful that the foundation recognizes both the opportunity for enhanced learning with the Veggie U program and the need to provide the students with the most updated resources we have available. We are hopeful that our partnership will continue for many more years."

Katz Club Diner hosts a pop-up French Bistro Night

Try something new and different by attending a one-of-a-kind food event on Dec. 17.

Chef Doug Katz and his staff at the Katz Club Diner, 1975 Lee Rd. in Cleveland Heights, are hosting a pop-up French Bistro Night in the historic dining car. The ongoing series of pop-up dinners at the Katz Club Diner offer an opportunity to experiment with dishes from around the world.

The French Bistro Night menu includes pork rillettes with orange marmalade and baguettes, and frisee salad with lardon and poached egg. The entree is beef bourguignon with roasted vegetables. The main course is followed by Bloomfield camembert cheese with walnut and raisin croustades and a dessert of creme caramel.

Counter and community table seating is $63 per person. Tax and tip are included and beverages are sold separately. There are no cancellations, but reservations are transferrable. Guests should review the menu carefully, since the kitchen cannot accommodate dietary restrictions with the evening's special menu.

Visit www.thekatzclubdiner.com to make reservations.