Hurrah for Harrah's Cooking Demonstrations

Local celebrity chefs will offer weekly cooking demonstrations beginning Aug. 1 at the Riverfront Event Center in Harrah's Metropolis Casino.

The demonstrations will be at 11 a.m. Aug. 1, Aug. 8, Aug. 22 and Aug. 29. Participating chefs are Bob Hoppman, owner and operator of The Pasta House in Paducah; Shane "Bear on the Air" Parker of Paducah; Jason Ison, chef at the Range Steakhouse at Harrah's, and Jeremy Gutierrez, chef at the Fresh buffet at Harrah's.

Guests will receive a culinary gift after the demonstrations.
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For those who plan to attend the Kentucky State Fair in Louisville in August, stop by the Kids in the Kitchen exhibit in the South Wing Lobby A.

The exhibit will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays and from noon to 4 p.m. on weekends Aug. 14-24.

"Kids in the Kitchen" is designed for students in the third through fifth grade and meets many of the standards set in the Kentucky Core Content. Activities include a bingo game on nutrition and lessons on portion control, calories and cooking times.

The Kentucky Beef Council, the program's sponsor, also has posted the activities suitable for classrooms on its Web site at www.kybeef.com.
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Dairy Queen restaurants in Paducah, Calvert City, Benton and Mayfield, as well as Vienna, Ill., will donate proceeds from the sale of Blizzard treats on Aug. 7 to Children's Miracle Network.

You can feel good about sinning against the diet for an afternoon treat because the money helps children. Last year, the promotion raised $4 million for Children's Miracle Network.

By the way, the featured Blizzard of the month in August is the Oreo flavor. The Oreo Blizzard debuted in 1985 and is the most popular flavor.

Dairy Queen also has formed the Blizzard Fan Club at www.blizzardfanclub.com.
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We still have a few days left in July, which is National Hot Dog Month.

According to the Nielson Co., 956 million packages of hot dogs were sold at U.S. retailers in the past year. And the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council reports that mustard is the topping of choice.

Combine a grilled dog with baked beans or potato salad for a zesty meal. French's provides these recipes:


Zesty Potato Salad

1 1/2 pounds red potatoes, cut into small cubes
1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
1/2 cup light sour cream
1/3 cup honey mustard
1/3 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1 cup sliced celery
1/2 cup halved sugar snap peas
1/2 cup thinly sliced yellow or red bell pepper
1/4 cup diced red onion

Boil potatoes with 1/2 teaspoon salt in water to cover for 12 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Drain and cool. Combine sour cream, mustard, yogurt and 3/4 teaspoon salt in large bowl. Toss in potatoes, celery, peas, bell pepper and onion; mix well. Chill one hour before serving.

Barbecue Baked Beans

1 large bell pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 strips bacon, finely chopped
3 16-ounce cans pork and beans
3/4 cup Cattleman's Award Winning Classic Barbecue Sauce or Smoke House Barbecue Sauce
1/4 cup spicy brown mustard or classic yellow mustard
1/4 cup brown sugar

Place pepper, onion and bacon in large microwave-safe bowl. Cover bowl loosely and microwave on high for five minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients. Microwave uncovered for 20 minutes or until heated through and mixture is slightly thickened.


Leigh Landini Wright, The Paducah Sun's features editor, can be contacted at 575-8658 or llandini@paducahsun.com.