From John Frank, our Pintful columnist:

Lob questions at six local brewers with beers in hand and you’re sure to get a lively discussion about the craft beer industry.

As part of N.C. Beer Month, the Durham-based All About Beer magazine gathered such a panel last week to take craft beer enthusiasts behind the scenes.

North Carolina brewers are still riding a high from the national Craft Brewers Conference in March, where the state’s booming scene received quite a feting. “We were the stars,” said Brad Wynn, the brewmaster at Big Boss Brewery in Raleigh.

Find out the brewers' biggest surprises, answers to the saturation question, the scoop on North Carolina hops and the next big thing in this week's Pintful column here.

If you got a chance to read my column today, you know it offers readers' advice on what every beginner cook should know. I promised to share a few recipes. 

The one I really want to share with you is my go-to roast chicken recipe: Ina Garten's Lemon Chicken with Croutons. This is from her "Barefoot Contessa in Paris" cookbook. While indulgent, the croutons make this dish so don't skip them. 

Go HERE to see that recipe. 

Here's Emeril's simple balsamic vinaigrette recipe. 

And here is a recipe I found on a blog for a cheater omelet. 

And I'll like use Mark Bittman's money-saving marinara sauce HERE.

Is Raleigh really the best place in America to live? News and Observer columnist J. Peder Zane knows how we can keep that little secret to ... more