Food

By KELLY PREW
Food Editor

Organizers of the first Food and Kitchen Show, sponsored by the Tyler Morning Telegraph, Brookshire's and Go Texan are hopeful the community will enjoy a day filled with live entertainment and fostering new perspectives on the food industry in East Texas.

The show is set Aug. 19 from 10 a.m. to 8 pm. at the Harvey Hall Convention Center.

"One of the reasons for the show is to introduce people to products that are made and distributed here in Texas," said food show organizer Robin Land. "We picked this year partly because as gas prices rose, and consequently other products, we felt consumers would be interested in finding ways to stretch and save on food products."

Entry, parking and door prize registration is free to the public, but donations to the East Texas Food Bank are encouraged.

"We are encouraging attendees to bring two or more nonperishable items for the East Texas Food Bank as part of our efforts supporting the food bank," Land said.

Flowers Baking Company will open the show with breakfast from 10 to 10:30 a.m., followed by a lineup of events open to the public.

The bakery also will host a sandwich contest, and entry forms will be available in the Tyler Paper periodically, leading up to the show.

Contestants can enter favorite sandwich recipes featuring products from Flowers Baking Co., which include Nature's Own, Sunbeam, Cobblestone Mill and Nature's Own Whitewheat.

The contest prize drawing will be held 4 p.m. The prize for first place is $200, second place is $150 and third place is $100. Contestants do not have to be present to win.

Employees and family members of T.B. Butler Publishing and Flowers Bakery Co. are not eligible win, and contestants must be 18 years or older.

The Southwest Dairy Farmers will host a Mobile Dairy Classroom, teaching children about everything from milking a cow to how it gets to the consumer with hands-on demonstrations and a question and answer session.

Twenty-minute shows are set at 10:30 and 11:30 a.m.

According to a press release by the SDF, the Mobile Dairy Classroom is a traveling milking parlor which houses a real, live dairy cow. The trained instructor demonstrates the milking process and describes how milk starts with the cow and ends with the consumer.

Arron Sanders will lead the milking demonstration and said anyone who has never seen the process will be impressed.

This program brings the dairy experience directly to the children in the format of an outdoor classroom where they are literally up close and personal with the dairy cow. Students and teachers alike experience this new approach to math, science, health (nutrition and food safety) and agriculture.

"I think the little kids, probably about 3 or 4 years old, will be excited to see the cow, but those 6 and older will get a lot out of it," Sanders said. "We want to show people, tell them how milk gets from the cow to the table. They don't see a cow milk anymore."

Mobile Dairy instructors adapt their presentations for each age level to provide a learning experience. The SDF said the mobile classroom is great way for children of all ages to learn about the milking process, characteristics and anatomy of dairy cows, the health benefits of dairy foods and the latest environmental and food safety practices.

The SDF also will have an indoor booth with educational materials available.

Highlights throughout the day of events include several cooking demonstrations by local chefs.

"People attending the show will discover new products, new ways to use old products and with the three cooking classes have the opportunity to learn about new cooking trends," Land said.

Beginning at 12:15 p.m., chef Nancy Falster, of Winnsboro, will demonstrate how to make Beachole and Pasta and Pork Green Chili. Falster and husband, Karl, own Falster Farm in Wood County where they practice organic farming methods with beef, poultry and fresh produce.

At 3:15 p.m. chef Sue Hunter, owner of The Iron Skillet, will cook Chicken Pomporo, and at 6 p.m., Jane Keller, owner of Cafe Tazza, will feature foods that go with wine.

Door prizes will be given throughout the day and include a Texas Motor Speedway VIP package, weekend getaways at Sam's Town Casino in Shreveport/Bossier City and other merchandise from local companies.

For more information contact Robin Land at 903-595-6470 or rland@tylerpaper.com.

Updated Monday, Aug. 18, 2008 at 8:42 a.m. CDT