This meeting will celebrate the second anniversary of the CVC, which has brought together civic, government and business leaders who wish to create or extend their employee volunteer programs into a sustainable community investment.

The featured speaker for this meeting will be Anita Zucker, renowned SC philanthropist and CEO of the InterTech Group. She will share how encouraging employee community service makes good business sense.

CVC membership is free and open to business executives and staff who are interested in and/or committed to developing a culture of volunteerism within their organization.  

We are excited to provide a venue for the CVC and other members of the Charleston business community to come together and discuss volunteering. Employee volunteerism is important to us as a company, and we look forward to hearing a variety of different ideas at this meeting.

Anyone interested in the CVC is invited to attend and should call Trident United Way’s community volunteer coordinator Sally Burnett at 843-740-9000 for more information.

In recognition of National Employee Health & Fitness Day, Pearlstine employees met this morning & braved the mosquitos for 3 laps around the building. Thanks to Susan Pearlstine for heading this up for the third year in a row!

After the morning walk, we made it back to the break room where healthy snacks and water were provided. We encourage all of our employees to try to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity everyday. Way to go team!

Pearlstine Distributors is part of this celebration with tastings, tap takeovers, a brewery open house, pint nights and more! 

Join us for one or all of these events:

Monday, May 14

Total Wine, 1-4pm: Summer Beer Tasting. Sampling of 8 delicious summer seasonal

Tuesday, May 15

Charleston Beer Exchange, 5pm: Rare Beer Tuesday. Tapping Southern Tier Pumking, Crème Brulee, and Oak Aged Backburner Barleywine which will be tapped for 32 oz. growler fills

Wednesday, May 16

Palmetto Brewing, 6-8pm, $10: Open House with live music, food truck, beer sampling & brewery tour

Thursday, May 17

House of Brews, 5:30-7:30pm: Carolina Brewery Pint Night. Sky Blue and Flagship IPA on tap with pint glass giveaways. Stop in to meet the brewer.

Oak Barrel Tavern, 7pm: Southern Tier Tap Takeover. Come in for exciting and hard to find beers from one of America’s most adventurous breweries.

Friday, May 18

Closed for Business, 5-8pm: New Belgium Pint Night. Pint glass giveaway featuring a keg tapping of special Lips of Faith release, Tart Lychee

Hippodrome, 6:30-10pm: National Bike to Work Day featuring New Belgium. Celebrate with music, food, beer and festivities. All proceeds benefit Charleston Moves.

Saturday, May 19

Kudu, 5-7pm: Chocolate and beer event.

So come on out & raise a glass to American Craft Beer Week! If you’re on Twitter, use the hashtag #ACBW to join the conversation.

Follow @Pearlstine

PDI is a proud sponsor of The 6th Annual First Flush Fes”tea”val, which takes place on May 20, 2012 from 11am-6pm.

Dedicated to the commencement of the 2012 crop harvest, the First Flush FesTEAval is a celebration of America’s own tea garden and its popular product line, American Classic Tea. The festival name, First Flush, is defined as the growth of new leaves on the tea plants in the spring time after a winter of rest. Their “first flush” of new growth is harvested to produce what avid tea drinkers deem to be the most unique, fresh, and amazing cup of tea. However, the festival is not just about tea! Residents from Charleston and all neighboring towns trek to picturesque Wadmalaw Island to enjoy music, entertainment, art, and local cuisine. Fun for the whole family!

The following local bands will be performing at the festival:

11:30-12:00 – Annalise Morelli

12:15-12:45 – Matt MCkelcan

1:00-1:45 – Tyler Boone Band

2:00-2:45 – Gaslight street

3:05-4:20 – Blue dogs

4:45-6:00 – Long Miles

Tickets are available online here or by calling The Charleston Tea Plantation(843-559-0383, Ext. 206)

 Don’t miss this unique event. We hope to see you there!

Check out this awesome video of the team:

Watch more of their videos here.

May 10, 2012 // Barbados Night 5k

Train hard. Run hard. Then take it easy as we give a nod to our Caribbean neighbors with food from the islands at the afterparty.

June 7, 2012 // Taste of Italy 5k

Pasta. It’s a great way to carbo-load, sure, but a little taste of Italy is also a great way to celebrate after the run.

June 14, 2012 // Mexican Fiesta 5k

When the first settlers landed at Charles Towne, their first order of business was finding the closest burrito joint. We may be a few hundred years late, but you’ll be treated to the finest fiesta north of Mexico after the race.

July 19, 2012 // All American 5k

Hot dogs, hamburgers, and cold beer. There’s no better way to celebrate the final race of our series.

Follow @Pearlstine

Shift pairs well with light meals, such as a sandwich and chips. The grains in the bread compliment Shift’s bready malts, and the tomato works well with the fruity hops in this BLT with a twist:

The Ultimate BLT

BASIL AIOLI

1 cup loosely packed basil leaves

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

½ cup canola oil

2 egg yolks

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ teaspoon each dried mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper

8 slices artisan levain or sourdough bread, cut ¼ to ½ inch thick

12 applewood-smoked thick-cut bacon slices, cooked until crisp and drained

4 ripe tomatoes, sliced

1 cup loosely packed arugula leaves

8 ounces fresh mozzarella, drained and sliced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. To make the basil aioli, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Plunge the basil leaves into the boiling water for 20 seconds. Drain and squeeze out as much excess water as possible. In a blender, puree the blanched basil leaves with olive and canola oils. Empty into a measuring cup or small pitcher and set aside. In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, garlic, mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Whisk in a drop of the basil oil. Continue adding drops of oil, whisking until the mixture thickens to a mayonnaise-like consistency. Continuing to whisk, pour in the remaining basil oil in a very thin stream. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

2. Spread one side of each slice of bread with the aioli. On 1 slice of the bread, stack 3 slices of bacon and one-fourth of the tomato slices, arugula leaves, and fresh mozzarella slices. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with another slice of bread. Repeat for the remaining ingredients and serve.

Makes 4 sandwiches

A good pale ale can play up the spicy heat of certain foods. Try pairing it with a quesadilla, like this one with cranberry chutney:

Quesadilla with Cranberry Chutney

Cranberry chutney:

2 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup minced red onion

3 cups fresh cranberries

3 tablespoons honey

1 small bunch fresh tarragon, finely chopped

½ cup Pale Ale (Try with Michelob or Palmetto)

4 flour tortillas (12 inches in diameter)

4 ounces diced cooked pheasant or chicken

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded white Cheddar cheese

1 tablespoon diced canned green chiles, drained

¼ cup fresh corn kernels

1 tablespoon butter

 1. To prepare the chutney, in a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and cook until lightly golden. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. Cook until the cranberries are soft, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.

2. Place 2 of the tortillas on a work surface. Arrange half of the pheasant (or chicken) on each tortilla, leaving about a 1-inch border. Sprinkle each with the cheese, chiles, and corn kernels. Top each with 2 tablespoons of the cranberry chutney. Place the remaining 2 tortillas on top and press to pack gently. In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, melt the 1 tablespoon butter. Place a quesadilla in the hot butter and cook until browned and crispy on the bottom, about 4 minutes. Turn and cook until browned on the second side, about 4 minutes longer. Repeat to cook the second quesadilla. Cut each in half and serve immediately, passing some of the remaining chutney at the table.

Makes 2 servings

Lemon Shandy is perfect for the sun-splashed summer months, especially paired with backyard grill dishes. Try it with this recipe:

Chicken Skewers with Onion & Bay

1 ¼ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 very large red onions, each cut into 8 wedges

12 fresh or dried imported bay leaves

1 pound large white mushrooms, halved

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. In a large nonreactive bowl or zip-top plastic bag, combine the chicken, onion wedges, bay leaves, mushrooms, olive oil, salt, and pepper, stirring or turning in the bag to coat completely. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.

2. Soak 10 to 14 wooden skewers in water to cover for 30 minutes. Prepare a grill for cooking over high heat. First, oil the grill rack. If using a charcoal grill, prepare a solid bed of hot coals. If using a gas grill, preheat to high (you can hold your hand 1 to 2 inches above grill level only 2 to 3 seconds).

3. Thread the chicken pieces onto the soaked skewers, alternating with the pieces of onion, the bay leaves, and the mushroom halves and leaving a small space between each piece.

4. Lay the skewers on the grill rack. If using a gas grill, close the lid. Cook, turning as needed, until the onions and mushrooms are nicely browned and the chicken is opaque throughout (cut to test), 10 to 12 minutes total. Serve immediately.

The spiciness and subtle hint of lime in this dish pairs great with a Bud Light Lime.

BUD LIGHT LIME BRAISED SHRIMP

Makes 36 pieces

1/4 cup Light olive oil

10 cloves Garlic (large, diced)

12 oz. Bud Light Lime

1/4 tsp. Cayenne pepper (you can also chop a serrano or jalapeño chili for more bite)

36 pieces Shrimp (raw, peeled, de-veined)

6 Limes, cut in half

Salt and black pepper to taste

In a large skillet, on high heat, add the olive oil and garlic. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the shrimp, season with cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper. Cook 2 to 3 minutes and then add the Bud Light Lime and limes. Finish cooking the shrimp, about 5 more minutes or until shrimp are firm and white inside.

Courtesy: Stephen Chavez

http://latinofoodie.com/2011/09/02/bud-light-lime-braised-shrimp/