'Tis the season for fun and festivities. For weeks we whirl between office holiday parties and sparkly New Year celebrations, with a stop for family gatherings featuring the annual retelling of Uncle Bob's "hilarious" flaming turkey story.

With all the dashing about, nobody could blame you for wanting to hunker down at home for a night and let someone else do the cooking. But that doesn't mean you have to order pizza or stop off at Bigbelly Burgers. Charlotte's local food scene offers plenty of tasty, healthy alternatives to mass-produced takeout meals.

• Beverly's Gourmet Foods

These days, most Americans can’t tell you where their food came from any more than they can tell you where Dubstep came from. It just appears on store shelves ready for consumption.

Unless you are a farmer or on a diet of whole organic foods, many of the ingredients in what you’re eating come out of a biotech lab. In this lab, they did historically unprecedented stuff like splice the DNA of fish with corn so that the corn wouldn’t die when sprayed with harsh pesticides.

“Cool, it’s science. Delicious science,” you say. The problem is, there have been no long-term independent studies of its effects on humans. Are you cool with being the test subject? Or making your children the guinea pigs?

Many countries are not. Foods derived from genetically modified organisms (GMOS ) have been banned in countries throughout the world. Those not willing to ban them have required they be labeled so consumers can choose whether or not they consent to eating them. Except for here in North America, where we take our freedom so seriously. Despite a 2007 campaign promise from President Obama to require labeling of GMO foods, they are sticking these experiments into everything from soda to tofu, and most of us are none the wiser.

Sherri Beauchamp has worked as a chef since 2004 and says she got into the food industry because of her passion for cooking. When we chatted recently, our discussion ranged from how she helped prepare special allergy free meals for a young client with autism to how to get the best quality fish at a high-end restaurant. Sherri is a true foodie. I asked her to tell me what her other passions were, she paused and asked “Can I pass on that question?”

Creative Loafing: What is the main request from your clientele? Do you have many clients who come to you because they need to change their diet due to a health concerns?

Sherri Beauchamp: The main requests are for healthy cuisines packed with a lot of flavor. Some of my clients have food allergies, gluten intolerances, and so forth and are tired of eating the same things. And, they don’t have time to be creative.

Tell me more about your client who had autism? What did his diet consist of? And, how did your prepared meals help him?

He had a Gluten-free, Soy-free, Casein-free, Apple-free, Corn-free diet which absolutely helped him. The combination of the food and other treatments his mother did for him really made a difference. If you saw him now you would never think he had an issue. He is learning just as well as his sister.

What are a few things a person who is trying to eat for optimal health should buy at the grocery store?

You need to have all the colors of the rainbows. Don’t limit yourself. Consume multiple veggies and more whole grains. Forget the white starchy stuff. Go for the healthy version of protein. Focus on grass fed and grain fed. And, know where your food source is coming from and how they are processing the food.

When you go to a restaurant, what do you normally order from the menu?

Items that are the freshest. I will ask the waitress which fish has arrived here the earliest and which has been sitting around the longest.

Do you teach cooking classes?

I teach one-on-one or in small groups in the home.

For more information about Chef Sherri visit: www.theseasonalkitchen.com.

Tara DiPetrillo was bedridden for about a year with a severe case of sciatica (which is severe pain that stems from the back to the legs) before getting back into a more health-conscious lifestyle.

The healthy lifestyle blogger and multimedia/make-up artist started a vegetarian diet when she was 14 years old. “I stayed on the vegetarian path for about six or seven years, not eating seafood for 10. After being in a relationship with a meat eater, I somehow started to eat animals again,” she says.

Since her re-dedication to the raw/vegan lifestyle — along with a hot yoga practice — she says her back feels much better.  “My skin looks healthy, young and has that glow. I'm often mistaken for being 10 years younger. I have more energy. Dark circles faded under my eyes. Cellulite, that I started to get while bedridden, began to diminish. My nails are stronger. The list can go on,” she advises.

With that, she also emphasizes that it's not only about the food you eat. Daily exercise and meditation strongly contribute to your overall wellbeing.

Creative Loafing: What does your diet consist of?

Tara DiPetrillo: I consume a mostly raw, organic, vegan diet. I eat a lot of fresh, organic fruits and vegetables as well as grains and nuts. I'm fond of “superfoods” and eat them daily. I also drink a ton of water (preferably alkaline water when possible), fresh-made juices and smoothies.

What is your favorite dish to prepare?

Fruit smoothies are probably my favorite. They are quick, easy, full of nutrition and tasty! I have also been hooked on making a quick bean and veggie salad.

What are the ingredients for the bean and veggie salad?

I gather organic garbanzo beans, tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, broccoli (cut up real small, as it is hard to digest raw), spinach, celery and red onions. I season it with Traders Joe's Everything Seasoning. That has become my new salad dressing. If you let it sit for a while the tomato juice starts to settle to the bottom [it acts] like a dressing.

Where do you buy your food?

I buy my food at Trader Joe's, Healthy Home Market and Earthfare.

What are a few things a person who is trying to eat for optimal health should buy at the grocery store?

Superfoods! They are high in phytonutrient content and are packed with vitality.

What are five things you have to have in your kitchen and/or refrigerator?

Juicer, blender, superfood powders, lots of greens, and fruit are essential.

What is your favorite local restaurant? And, what do you normally order from the menu?

Hands down, Luna's Living Kitchen is my favorite local restaurant. I love everyone in there, and they offer the most delicious living, vegan food. My favorite things to order are the "El Luchador" smoothie, the "Lunasagna" dish and for dessert the chocolate pudding! They also sell alkaline water by the jug.

Are there any great blogs or websites you frequent for advice, information and recipes?

There is an abundance of amazing sites out there:

• www.lovingraw.com

• rawon10.blogspot.com

• www.davidwolfe.com

For more information about Tara visit www.beautyfromlove.com/blog and www.taradipetrillo.com/blog.