PA Farm Show to Feature Celebrity Chefs, PA Preferred™ Ingredients

Celebrity Chefs to Conduct Live Demos, Compete in 'Battle of the Burg'

HARRISBURG, Pa., Dec. 23, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- An all-star lineup of chefs, local celebrities and commodity producers will entertain, prepare and create dishes from Pennsylvania-sourced products at the PA Preferred™ Culinary Connection during the 2012 Pennsylvania Farm Show.

"The Farm Show is a great place to see the diversity of Pennsylvania agriculture," said Agriculture Secretary George Greig. "The PA Preferred™ Culinary Connection brings this year's theme 'From Farm Gate to Dinner Plate' full circle, taking items you can find throughout the Farm Show and creating top-quality dishes that showcase the hard work of our producers."

Highlights at the PA Preferred™ Culinary Connection stage will include:

• Saturday, Jan. 7, noon and 2 p.m. – Cooking demonstrations by Mike Isabella of Bravo's "Top Chef: All Stars";
• Saturday, Jan. 7, 1 p.m. – New this year is the PA Preferred™ Battle of the Burg Cook-Off. Harrisburg chefs Robert Dacko, of Home 231, and Travis Mumma, of Cafe Fresco, head teams featuring a host of local celebrities who are challenged to create an entree that showcases PA Preferred™ products;
• Sunday, Jan. 8, 2 p.m. – Pennsylvania First Lady Susan Corbett will prepare her corn pudding recipe;
• Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2 p.m. – The PA Preferred™ Best Burger Showdown, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Beef Council, pits teams of Pennsylvania celebrities competing for burger dominance using PA Preferred™ beef; and
• Thursday, Jan. 12, 3 p.m. – Mrs. Christine Greig, wife of Secretary Greig, will prepare her apple crisp with Chef Tim Harris.

The PA Preferred™ Culinary Connection stage, located in the Main Hall of the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center in Harrisburg, features a unique theme every day, from apples to veal, offering visitors ideas for enjoying the specialty crops and other food produced in Pennsylvania. Samples of every dish will be offered to audience members and a Pennsylvania wine will be suggested for pairing.

Visitors can find inspiration in the wide variety of dishes being prepared on the stage, then stroll through the adjacent Pennsylvania Marketplace and find a wide variety of items produced in the state available for sampling and purchase.

Products featured on stage are part of the PA Preferred™ program, the state's official brand of Pennsylvania-sourced products.

"Look for the blue keystone and gold checkmark throughout the 24-acre complex – and wherever you shop – to be sure you're buying quality products made in Pennsylvania," said Greig. "It's not just a logo; it's a visual representation of the family farms and many more small businesses and companies that are at the heart of our quality of life."

The PA Preferred™ Culinary Connection is sponsored by GIANT Food Stores, Thermador, Capital Blue Cross, Anolon and the Pennsylvania Winery Association.

For a complete schedule of PA Preferred™ Culinary Connection events, including biographies and photos of chefs, visit www.papreferred.com and click on "PA Preferred™ Culinary Connection."

The Pennsylvania Farm Show is the largest indoor agricultural event in the nation, featuring nearly 6,000 animals, 10,000 competitive exhibits and 300 commercial exhibitors. The show runs from Jan. 7-14 at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center in Harrisburg. Admission is free and parking is $10. For more information, visit www.farmshow.state.pa.us.

Media Contact: Will Nichols, 717-787-5085

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture