Local Notes

French cooking January topic

Culinary instructor Karen Gros will teach French country cooking Jan. 11 at the CulinArts Center of Eureka Springs. Students will learn how to make a complete French country meal then sit down after the class to eat the delicious creations, featuring fresh, locally sourced organic ingredients. Class starts at at 10 a.m. at 515 Spring St. in Eureka Springs.

Working in the commercial kitchen at the Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow, this is a hands-on class where participants will learn how to make Boeuf Bourguignon, accompanied by dairy-free mashed potatoes. Dessert will be Julia Child’s chocolate-almond cake, modified to be gluten-free.

Gros enjoys teaching people how to cook from scratch with the seasons, using locally grown ingredients whenever possible. She also leads small group tours to Paris, Provence, Normandy and Brittany, emphasizing food, history and cultural traditions. She studied at Lenôtre Ecole de Cuisine and Francoise Meunier Cours de Cuisine, both in Paris; has taken culinary courses at the University of California at Los Angeles and Santa Monica College; and lives in Eureka Springs with her two children and her French husband, Patrice Gros, a certified organic vegetable farmer, gardening consultant and owner of Foundation Farm.

The cost for the class, which is a fundraiser for the Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow, is $45.

Reservations: (479)2537444 or email director@ writerscolony.org.

Professor Releases Book

Fort Smith’s rich history is detailed in a book released Nov. 11 by a University of Arkansas at Fort Smith faculty member.

Kevin Jones of Fort Smith, assistant professor of English education at UAFS, is the author of “Fort Smith: Images of America,” which was published by Arcadia Publishing. The 128-page book chronicles a town which has seen its fair share of history, including Civil War skirmishes, a judge notorious for hanging criminals and a diverse set of family backgrounds.

Jones said the book “helps share and appreciate the unique past of the area with current and future generations.”

The book features more than 150 vintage photographs from the 19th century all the way to the 1970s, and each photo is coupled with a brief narrative ranging from little-known facts and forgotten tales to new information on the area.

Jones will speak to the community about Fort Smith’s history at 2 p.m. Jan. 26 at the Clayton House, 514 N. Sixth St. The lecture will cover both his books on Fort Smith, and it is free and open to the public.

The book retails for $21.99 and is available by visiting the Arcadia Publishing website at www. arcadiapublishing.com.

Blood Center Seeks donors

Community Blood Center of the Ozarks donors are needed to provide blood for patients at 38 area hospitals. Every five minutes on average, a transfusion takes place. It takes around 250 donations each day to meet the area’s blood needs. Donations are scheduled at:

Bentonville — 9 a.m.-noon Friday, Northwest Medical Center Bentonville, 3000 Medical Center Parkway; noon4 p.m. Friday, Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport, 1 Airport Boulevard

Berryville — 10 a.m.3 p.m. Thursday, Mercy Hospital Berryville, 214 Carter

Fayetteville — 9 a.m.-noon Tuesday, Physicians’ Specialty Hospital, 3873 N. Parkview Drive

Gravette — 8:30 a.m.12:30 p.m. Monday, Ozark Community Hospital of Gravette, 1101 S.W. Jackson St.

Rogers — 9 a.m.2 p.m. Monday, Mercy Health System of NWA, 2710 Rife Medical Center; 2-5 p.m. Friday, Olivewood Apartments, 1006 North 31st No. 3

Information: www.cbco.org or (800) 280-5337.