Cookie Dough Shots; Three Detroit Chefs Nominated for Food & Wine People’s Choice Award

AWARDS SEASON — Three out of ten chefs nominated for the People's Choice Food & Wine Best New Chef: Great Lakes are Metro Detroit contenders. Chefs Garrett Lipar, Marc Djozlija, and James Rigato are in the running for the category. Fans may cast their vote online from April 1 through April 8. [Food & Wine]

HIGHER EDUCATION — Michelin-starred chef Takashi Yagihashi and chef Tadashi Nagura of Slurping Turtle will host the first dinner in a new quarterly series of "educational dining experiences" called Slurp U beginning April 8. During the four-course meal, the chefs will explain how to work with ingredients and prepare Japanese dishes such as ramen. The event kicks off with a cocktail reception and each course is paired with a Japanese beer, sake, or shochu. Tickets are $75.  [DBiz]

FOOD NEWS — Chef Tom Colicchio recently visited Detroit to explore the city's restaurant resurgence for MSNBC. Colicchio spoke with the owners of  McClure's Pickles and Brooklyn Street Local about why they chose to do business in Detroit. [MSNBC]

GIMMICKS — In case you didn't already know, Roasting Plant offers raw cookie dough "shots," Sylvia Rector reports. The dough balls come in two sizes: the smaller retails for $1.49 and is equivalent to half a cookie, while the larger ones retail for $2.49 and are equal to a whole cookie. [Freep]