The Pigalicious Tasting Tent Will Feature Area Media Chefs
Celebrities square off - Cooking specialties and sharing their secret tips
August 5, 2007
By: O. J. Cunningham
2006 Celebrity Judges from last year's Pigalicious Event are pictured above.
The Labadie Pig Gig presented by State Farm announces a new "appetizing addition" to the already great line-up of family fun & food - The PIGALICIOUS TASTING TENT!
The Pigalicious Tasting Tent will feature area chefs, rib competitors, media personalities, choice sponsors, and newspaper columnists cooking their specialties and sharing their secret tips to their culinary creations!
Scheduled to appear are such notable Chefs as Chef John Zehnder, who is being inducted into the Honorable Order of Golden Toques in Las Vegas on July 15h. The Golden Toques membership is strictly limited to 100 chefs nationwide.
One must be asked - there is not applying for membership. It is an honor society recognizing twenty years plus dedication to the culinary arts.
Also cooking for our entertainment is Mid-Michigan's favorite "outdoor" chef, Dixie Dave Minar. Dixie Dave has been nationally recognized for his wild game recipes and his appearances on Mike Avery's Outdoor Magazine. Dixie Dave will be preparing a Wild Boar Ribs, in keeping with the theme of his wild game recipes and the national rib cook-off.
Many media personalities will be "showing off" their favorite recipes also. Art Lewis from WSGW's Cookin with The Mrs. will demonstrate his Chinese BBQ Pork Fried Rice recipe. Johnny Burke from WHNN, Mark Torregrossa with wife Lisa, and Pati Lalonde will all show Pigalicious Tent attendees their favorite recipes and culinary skills.
Of course the focus of the National Rib Cook-0ff is our national Rib Competitors. Most will be sharing their secret recipes, sauces, and techniques to prepare the best BBQ in the world.
On the healthy side of cooking both Covenant Health Care and Meijer will present Healthy Cooking classes featuring Ann Hoffman from Covenant HealthCare and Shari Steinbaugh from Meijer. They will demonstrate that eating healthy can also be very tasty.
Chef Andy Baaciagalupo and Linda Niedzwiecki from the Bay Areanc Career Center will focus on cooking for the little ones. Children are invited to participate in "hands on" cooking demos where they can not only make some fun and flavorful recipes, but get to eat their creations! Chef Andy will also be our official MC and surprise us with more than one of his talents!
The Bay Arenac Career Center "SKILLS USA" students will be manning the tent to help the chefs prepare their food as a fundraiser for their program. As attendees enter the tent, they can purchase "lottery" tickets for $2.00. Ten lucky winners will be chosen to sit "kitchen side" to watch the food preparation (and maybe help) and have the meal prepared for them to eat. The funds raised will all go the Bay Arenac students.
Along with the fantastic food, guests will see and "hear" some surprises along the way. A singing chef and singing introduction performances will keep guests entertained at the Pigalicious tent as well as enjoying the food demonstrations.
Barefoot Wine tasting will accompany many of the meals.
The kids' demos will be open to the first 50 children who enter the Pigalicious tent for each Kids Demonstration.