Outer Banks Epicurean, Kitty Hawk

Watermen set their calendar by May's full moon, when blue crab molting season starts. Within the scant hours it takes a crab to harden its new shell lies the chance to harvest the most luscious dish on the coast: the softshell crab. On the Blue Crab Kayak and Cook expedition, Kitty Hawk Kayaks guides participants along the sounds and creeks to learn about jimmies, sallies and sooks and to see how local watermen work. A cooking demonstration-feast at Coastal Provisions follows as paddlers learn how to sauté the softshells in a lemon caper butter sauce and deep fry the crab old-school style with a touch of hand-harvested sea salt. A sample of heritage-crafted Outer Banks Sea Salt is included as a remembrance. www.outerbanksepicurean.com

Barbecue Boot Camp, various locations: For some people, it's enough just to savor the taste of North Carolina's most famous heritage food. Others want to know how to work the magic at the pit to create the moist, delicate pork that people have crossed the ocean to feast on. Just ask the New Zealander who came to one of the North Carolina Barbecue Society's weekend Barbecue Boot Camp events last year. Premier pit masters tutor those hungry for knowledge in the way of cooking the traditional whole hogs and pork shoulders plus chicken, ribs, brisket, tenderloin, prime rib and salmon — plus collards, banana pudding and other meal-makers. Anyone who thinks that barbecue cuisine lacks sophistication will be delighted with sauces seasoned with blackberries, blueberries, juniper and other special ingredients. Boot camps are generally held near Winston-Salem in the spring, in Asheville during the summer and in Wilmington in the fall. www.ncbbqsociety.com

Elodie Farms, Rougemont

From the Durham area's celebrated restaurants, it's a short drive through the countryside to Elodie Farms, where top restaurants procure their chèvre, feta, queso fresco, and Camembert-and Manchego-style cheese, all made from farm-fresh goat's milk.  To explore the nuances of cheese craft, visitors can schedule a tour of the farm (time it right to see the goats milked and perhaps give it a try) and a Sunday class (available for groups of eight to 12). And check the schedule for one-of-a-kind Dinner on the Porch events, where distinguished chefs innovate on the possibilities. elodiefarms.com

John C. Campbell Folk School, Brasstown

Lessons start with the harvest. Organic vegetables and herbs from the garden, berries from the patch and honey from the hives go into the kitchen and open-hearth classrooms, where students absorb the teachings of experts schooled in tried-and-true techniques. Weekend and weeklong cooking classes in the southern Appalachian Mountains cover everything from fruit preserves and “Quail in a Hole” to chutneys and peach moonshine truffles, expanding the concept of folkways across time and around the globe. All of this higher learning takes place in a community setting where creative spirits, lively traditions and earthy pleasures abound. www.folkschool.org

No Taste Like Home: Get "off the eaten path" with forager Alan Muskat, who leads culinary treasure hunts in the mountains of North Carolina. Participants learn how to find, identify, appreciate and maybe even eat wild mushrooms, plants and other extreme cuisine. Wild medicinals and related topics are also covered. www.notastelikehome.org

Day as the Chef, Chapel Hill: Il Palio restaurant at Chapel Hill's four-diamond Siena Hotel is known for a creative, Italian-inspired menu that showcases the best of the area's local farms and artisan producers. With Executive chef Adam Rose presiding, visitors can join the culinary team and create a four-course menu, go shopping at the market, work alongside the chefs in the kitchen, then enjoy the fruits of their labor with friends.  www.sienahotel.com

Urban Chef Corporate Teambuilding, Charlotte: The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte adds a shot of chocolate to corporate teambuilding with its Urban Chef competitions and group cooking classes. The hotel's Bar Cocoa, where a life-size chocolate scupture serves as muse-in-residence, holds the events in its Cocoa lab, where participants concoct everything from confections to cocktails in a non-competitive or competitive format. Even the losers will go home happy.  www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/Charlotte/Default.htm

Top Chef Farmers Market Tour & Cooking Class: Liz Biro, trained chef and food writer, leads the way on this tour of Wilmington's Riverfront Farmers Market. There, visitors meet up with chef Jacob Hilbert of Manna, whose creative American dishes are inspired by the region's local bounty. After learning how Hilbert shops, visitors head to the kitchen to learn how he innovates. lizbirodailydish.com

Seasonal School of Culinary Arts, Asheville: Top chefs and beverage experts from the culinary capital of Asheville lead hands-on culinary sessions with tastings and multicourse meals. The weeklong school is based at Warren Wilson College, where a farm and organic garden are part of the setting. Anyone who wants a complete taste of campus life can opt for the upscale EcoDorm. www.schoolofculinaryarts.org 

Johnson & Wales University, Charlotte:  A three to-six-hour recreational cooking class won't get you into alumni gatherings with Aarón Sanchez, Chef Rock and Sam Talbot, but you can absorb the prestige of an acclaimed culinary school on a trip to Charlotte. Find the choices — including summer programs for kids — at www.jwu.edu.

Want more? Follows these leads and links:

• Fearrington, Pittsboro: Fearrington, a Relais & Chateaux property, offers Culinary Retreat packages with hands-on cooking classes hosted by Fearrington House Restaurant executive chef Colin Bedford and wine director Max Kast. www.fearrington.com
• A Southern Season, Chapel Hill: The specialty foods superstore offers cooking classes as enticing as what shoppers find on the shelves. Prominent area chefs and visiting experts cover an array of topics in hands-on sessions. www.southernseason.com
• Adventures in Foodtopia: Asheville, the culinary capital of Appalachia, extends its Foodtopian Society ideals to the classroom. Link to www.exploreasheville.com to see what's hot.

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CONTACT:

Margo Metzger
919-733-7420
margo@visitnc.com

Maureen Haley
212-444-7145
maureen.haley@aboutdci.com