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Welcome to WFAEats — a fun adventure where we explore all things tasty and interesting in the Charlotte food scene. We want to share stories, recipes and culinary escapades and hear about yours!

Heritage And Heirloom... Chickens?

When you hear the words “heritage” and “heirloom” what comes to mind? For Chef Steve Pope, it’s chickens.

Pope will be visiting Charlotte’s 7th Street Public Market this Sunday, March 11 from 6:30 – 8:30 pm, for a special tasting, lecture and demonstration event.

“People are re-discovering the flavors, textures and appearance of heritage foods, such as tomatoes and apples,” explains Jacqueline Venner Senske, the market’s operations manager. When it comes to poultry, there are certain cooking methods that will highlight what she describes as the “fuller” flavor of the meat.

Chef Pope’s expertise goes all the way back to his youth when he worked on his grandparents’ poultry ranch. Like many food experts, Pope has traveled extensively – but he’s one of only a small number who can claim a regular guest spot on the “Chicken Whisperer” radio program.

Some urban poultry lovers are trying their hands at backyard chicken farming. Before you build a pen or bring home chicks, check out the rules that govern where you live. You don’t want to run “a-fowl” of the regulations.

Even if heritage birds aren’t on your menu just yet, this week’s event will appeal to folks eager to try different poultry preparation methods. Says Venner Senske: “This is a wonderful opportunity to learn from a chef like Steve. It’s great exposure for any home cook.”

And she agrees with his assertion: “Heritage cooking is the act of remembering through food.”

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Amy Rogers is the author of Hungry for Home: Stories of Food from Across the Carolinas and Red Pepper Fudge and Blue Ribbon Biscuits. Her writing has also been featured in Cornbread Nation 1: The Best of Southern Food Writing, the Oxford American, and the Charlotte Observer. She is founding publisher of the award-winning Novello Festival Press. She received a Creative Artist Fellowship from the Arts and Science Council, and was the first person to receive the award for non-fiction writing. Her reporting has also won multiple awards from the N.C. Working Press Association. She has been Writer in Residence at the Wildacres Center, and a program presenter at dozens of events, festivals, arts centers, schools, and other venues. Amy Rogers considers herself “Southern by choice,” and is a food and culture commentator for NPR station WFAE.