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

Culinary Connection Stage to Feature Live Demos, 'Battle of the Burg'

HARRISBURG, Pa., Dec. 19, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- An all-star lineup of chefs, local celebrities and commodity producers will entertain visitors at the 2013 Pennsylvania Farm Show as they create dishes from Pennsylvania-sourced products on the PA Preferred® Culinary Connection Stage.

"The Farm Show proudly displays our state's diverse agriculture industry through every step from farm to fork," said Agriculture Secretary George Greig. "The PA Preferred Culinary Connection demonstrations give showgoers the opportunity to taste top-quality dishes with Pennsylvania products. Come experience local food and discover why this year's theme is 'Made in PA. It makes a difference.'"

Highlights at the PA Preferred Culinary Connection stage will include:

• Saturday, Jan. 5, noon and 2 p.m. – Cooking demonstrations by The Food Network's Chef Dave Lieberman, host of Food Network's Good Deal with Dave Lieberman and Dave Does;
• Saturday, Jan. 5, 1 p.m. – Returning is the PA Preferred® Battle of the 'Burg Cook-Off. Lieberman and Harrisburg chef Robert Dacko head teams featuring a host of local celebrities who are challenged to create an entrée that showcases PA Preferred products;
• Sunday, Jan. 6, noon – Cooking demonstrations by Pittsburgh native Justin Miller, The World's Youngest Chef®;
• Monday, Jan. 7, 1 p.m. – Pennsylvania First Lady Susan Corbett and Governor's Residence Executive Chef Barry Crumlich whip up a residence favorite;
• Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2 p.m. – The PA Preferred Best Cheeseburger Showdown, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Beef Council and Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association, pits teams of Pennsylvania celebrities competing for burger dominance using PA Preferred beef; and
• Friday, Jan. 11, 3 p.m. – Christine Greig, wife of Secretary Greig, will create dishes incorporating dairy products with Isabel Maples of Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association.

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 recommended for pairing.

Visitors can find inspiration in the wide variety of dishes being prepared on the stage, then walk 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 official brand of agriculture products made or grown in Pennsylvania.

"The blue keystone and gold checkmark of the PA Preferred logo make it easier for consumers to identify products made in PA and support our agriculture industry," said Greig. "PA Preferred makes a difference to your family, our farmers and our future."

The PA Preferred Culinary Connection is sponsored by Weis Markets, Thermador, Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association, Anolon and the Pennsylvania Winery Association.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Specialty Crop Block Grant Program provides additional funding for the PA Preferred Culinary Connection. The program enhances the visibility and marketability of fruit, vegetable and tree nut products.

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." "Like" PA Preferred on Facebook and find information, pictures and videos about PA Preferred members.

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. 5-12 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