Jackson Free Press

Chef Derek Emerson Makes James Beard Award Semifinals

Last week, the James Beard Foundation—a New York-based organization dedicated to educating chefs around the country and deepening food culture—announced the semifinalists for its 2014 Restaurant and Chef Award during a ceremony at East End Market in Orlando, Fla.

The awards cover more than 20 categories, including Best Chef, Best New Restaurant, Outstanding Service and Outstanding Wine Program.

Jackson chef Derek Emerson, owner of Walker's Drive-in Fondren and Local 463 in Madison, is one of this year's nominees for Best Chef. He also won the same award locally in the 2014 Best of Jackson competition, presented by the Jackson Free Press.

The foundation's selection process began in October with an open call online, in which anyone could submit up to two entries per category. After receiving close to 40,000 submissions, a committee of critics, writers and editors affiliated with the foundation selected the semifinalists for each award from the open call pool. This list is now moving on to a voting body of former Beard Award winners, Restaurant and Chef Award Committee members and other regional panelists who will select five semifinalists with the highest number of votes in each category for the finals.

The James Beard Foundation will announce the final Restaurant and Chef Award nominations, as well as the nominations for the foundation's Book, Journalism, Broadcast, and Restaurant Design Awards, at the Publican in Chicago on Tuesday, March 18. The 2014 James Beard Awards are in New York City on May 2 and 5.

Duling School and Local Businesses Host Test to Raise GMO Awareness

On March 16 at 6:30 p.m., the Mississippi Campaign to Say No to GMOs will sponsor a free multiple-choice test at Duling School Auditorium in Jackson to help raise awareness about the health and environmental risks of consuming genetically modified foods.

"We have all been eating hundreds of pounds of this experimental food since the mid 1990's, yet polls tell us that 60 percent of Americans don't think they have ever eaten any GMOs," campaign organizer Luke Lundemo of Rainbow Natural Grocery Cooperative said in a release. "Another 15 percent aren't sure. About the only thing people hear about these products is the promotional messages from the biotech industry that is making billions of dollars on these products."

The test will consist of 60 multiple-choice questions based on information in 18 audio interviews with scientists, doctors, educators and agricultural experts from a recent GMO Mini-Summit. The interviews are on a CD that participating businesses are distributing for free.

"Anyone who listens to these interviews is going to get an incredible education about our modern food system, government regulatory agencies, how food and health science is carried out, the effects of agricultural poisons on both the environment and consumers and also how we can all make choices about the kinds of foods we purchase and eat," Lundemo said.

The Conscious Life Project, one of the event's sponsors, has put up a $1,000 cash prize for the participant who scores highest on the test. More than 20 other valuable prizes donated by local businesses are available, including a $200 shopping spree at Rainbow Co-op, a $100 gift certificate at Cups, one of two $25 gift certificates at the Strawberry Cafe in Madison, a $45 guitar lesson at Fondren Guitars, yoga instruction at Butterfly Yoga, a deep tissue treatment at the Jackson Posture Center, a $100 gift certificate at Fair Trade Green, a $25 gift certificate at Sneaky Beans, a t-shirt from Gaining Ground, a $50 gift certificate from Computer Co-op and several more surprise gift prizes from Swell-O-Phonic, The Whole Foods Store in Greenwood and more.

For information call Luke Lundemo at 601-937-7224 or email [email protected]. Check out the event's Facebook page for a list of participating businesses that will distribute CDs.

Building Bridges' Grand Reopening

Local musician Andrew Dillon, whose family owns the Frank Jones Corner blues bar on Farish Street downtown, is looking to spread the word about the grand reopening of the Building Bridges Center for the Arts (4840 McWillie Circle), formerly know as Gisele's Studio. Dillon, 28, teaches string lessons, as well as music history and theory, in the building.

Building Bridges owner Jeremy Swayzer, 28, studied piano under the building's original owner, Gisele Gentry, when she still gave lessons and afterschool tutoring in the building. Gentry also taught piano at Jackson State University, where Dillon was one of her students. She opened Gisele's Studio in 1992 and turned control of the building over to Swayzer in January 2014 after health problems left her unable to continue working.

Swayzer recently rebranded the building and is celebrating its grand reopening. Building Bridges offers strings, voice, piano, drums, guitar, and music theory lessons, as well as afterschool care for young children. Swayzer is also looking to obtain recording equipment so students can get experience with recording their own music.

For information call 601-594-4748 or check out Building Bridges on Facebook.