Cooking up a Mother's Day story

M is for the many things she taught us, especially in the kitchen.

For Mother’s Day, I’d like to hear from anyone who is a mother or has a mother (and that’s just about all of us, isn’t it?)

For mothers, is there one thing you wish your children -- adult or otherwise -- knew about cooking and feeding themselves?

And for the rest of you: What’s the most important thing your mother taught you about food and cooking?

Post your comments here, or e-mail them to me at kpurvis@charlotteobserver.com.

Food calendar: Make sure you have these on the list

Coming up:

How's this for the perfect name for a chef? Patrick Maisonhaute. Maisonhaute is executive chef at The Eseeola Lodge at the Linville Golf Resort, the featured restaurant for Wednesday's annual Taste of the New South, the fundraiser for the Levine Museum of the New South. Tickets are $85 for Levine members and $100 for nonmembers. Call the Levine, 704-333-1887, for details.

It's not too late to get a ticket for Taste of the Nation, 7-10 p.m. April 14 at The Atrium in uptown Charlotte. Tickets are $60 ($85 for a VIP ticket that gets you to the restaurant tables an hour earlier). For that, you'll get food samples from more than 20 local restaurants, from 131 Main to The Liberty. You also get wine and beer, a mixologist's table, live and silent auctions and live music. It all raises money for the childhood-hunger organization Share Our Strength. Tickets and details: charlottetasteofthenation.com.

Breakfast: It's not just for cupcakes anymore. Polka Dot Bake Shop, 1730 E. Woodlawn, has added muffins to the lineup and is now open for breakfast. If you need a muffin fix, the shop now opens at 7:30 a.m. Muffins are $2.50 each; flavors include sweet potato cream cheese, lemon poppyseed, blueberry streusel and bran.

Roundup the 'Pioneer Woman' fans: A special giveaway

Ree Drummond calls her story "Green Acres Meets Harlequin Romance": City girl meets a cowboy, falls in love and moves to the ranch. She turned it into a popular blog, then an even more popular cookbook, "The Pioneer Woman Cooks." (Even Hollywood can't resist: There are rumors of a movie in the works, with Drummond played by Reece Witherspoon.)

Drummond is coming to Charlotte for a book signing at Joseph-Beth Booksellers at SouthPark, Friday, May 7, at 6 p.m. Sounds like a girls-night occasion to me. They'll also feature some of her recipes in the bistro that night.

Tickets are free, but you'll need to act fast. You have to go the Jo-Beth store to pick one up (you can't just call to have one held). It's first-come, first-serve and they'll be available starting Saturday morning.

In honor of Drummond making the trip here, let's give away a copy of the cookbook. I used a couple of her recipes when I was doing a Super Bowl story last month and I can say she does good versions of down-home dishes. You know the drill: Post your name as a comment and we'll draw a winner at random next Friday.

Dave Ballard, and more on Molly

Sad news from farm world: Dave Ballard, 50, of New Moon Organics in Mount Ulla died Wednesday, after a long fight against kidney cancer. My sympathy goes out to Dave's wife Suzanne, a regular at several farmers markets around here. Dave's memorial service is 1 p.m. Saturday at Back Creek Presbyterian in Mount Ulla.

Thanks, all, for the kind words about my column Wednesday on the death of Molly Mullen, who was featured in my story last summer on tomato sandwiches. Tomato farmer Maria Fisher has offered 20 pounds of tomatoes (if they're ripe in time) for the party for Molly in July. And Kris Reid of Hope Haven says she will donate a tomato plant from the HH fundraiser to any of Molly's friends who would like to grow tomatoes to use at the party. Nice touch.

Cookbook winner: Singing it out for Trisha

Happy Friday, Stephanie Grant. You're the winner of "Home Cooking With Trisha Yearwood." Send your mailing address to me at kpurvis@charlotteobserver.com and I'll get it in the mail for you.

Thanks for playing, everyone. I gather Trisha -- and Garth -- are both very popular. Stay tuned. We'll do another cookbook giveaway soon.

Cookbook Giveaway: Any Trisha Yearwood fans?

Country singer and Garth-spouse Trisha Yearwood just released her second cookbook, "Home Cooking With Trisha Yearwood." Home cooking it is, too. Recipes are definitely Southern, mostly easy -- and like a true Southern cook, her dessert chapter is the best.

I've got a copy of the book to give away. Just post a comment right here with your name, or a nickname you'll recognize when I pick the winner at random on Friday.

James Beard Foundation finalists: Reinhart, other Carolina ties

From the live Twitter feed from New Orleans of the finalists for James Beard Foundation Awards:

Charlottean Peter Reinhart is nominated for "Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Every Day," along with "Baking" and "Dam Good Sweet."

Best chef, Southeast: Bill Smith of Crook's Corner, Chapell Hill; Andrea Reusing, Lantern, Chapel Hill; Sean Brock of McCrady's, Charleston. Also Hugh Acheson, Five & Ten, Athens, Ga.; and Linton Hopkins, Restaurant Eugene, Atlanta.

Matt and Ted Lee are finalists for Book Awards/American Cooking, for "Lee Bros. Simple Fresh Southern." Also "My New Orleans" and "Real Cajun."

Bunch of Southerners/New Orleanians made the list for Who's Who: Leah Chase, Jessica Harris, Paul McIlhenny, Susan Spicer, among others.

Full list of nominees will be posted by noon at www.jamesbeard.org.