MORSELS

Food show promises to be fabulous

8/26/2012

Any event that calls itself fabulous, right in the title, had better do something to live up to the name.

The Fabulous Food Show, which will be at the I-X Center in Cleveland on Nov. 9-11, has lined up a roster of fabulously famous chefs to present cooking demonstrations. From Guy Fieri to Jacques Pepin to Cleveland's own Michael Symon, a host of chefs who have become well-known through television will appear on the food show's stage to show off their techniques, personalities, and telegeneity.

The rest of the show will be interesting, too, and maybe even fabulous. More than 250 vendors will crowd onto the display floor to show their food-related goods, from cookware and kitchen accessories to foods to sauces to chocolate.

But much of the attention will be on the chefs. Mr. Symon, an Iron Chef whose many restaurants include Lola in downtown Cleveland, will be featured at 11 a.m. on Nov. 9, and 11 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. on Nov. 11. Sara Moulton, the former executive chef at Gourmet magazine and one of the Food Network's most beloved early personalities, will take the stage at 12:30 p.m. and 3: 30 p.m. on Nov. 9. Anne Burrell, another Food Network favorite known for her flyaway hair and in-your-face personality, will perform at 2 p.m. Nov. 9, and 11 a.m. Nov. 10.

Jeff Mauro, who is known as the Sandwich King, will take the stage at 5:15 p.m. Nov. 9, and 1:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Nov. 10. Fieri, who is single-handedly responsible for what seems like at least 80 percent of all current Food Network programming and who also owns a couple of restaurants, will be doing his show at 12:15 p.m. and 3 p.m. Nov. 10, and 1:30 p.m. Nov. 11. And Mr. Pepin, who with Julia Child helped bring fine French cooking to average Americans, will be featured with his daughter Claudine at 12:15 p.m. Nov. 10 and 4:15 p.m. Nov. 11.

These demonstrations are free with general admission, but seating is limited. Seats nearer to the stage can be reserved for $45, and premium seats can be reserved for $60. Special tickets allowing you to meet and greet the celebrity chefs range from $125 (Ms. Moulton, Ms. Burrell, Mr. Mauro, and Mr. Pepin) to $200 (Mr. Symon) to $250 (Mr. Fieri).

General admission tickets are $25 for adults, $15 for children 7-16. Reserved seating tickets to see any of the chefs also provides admission to that day of the event.

For more information, visit fabulousfoodshow.com.

Pop!

If you have ever opened a bottle of champagne, you know the drill: First, you untwist that twisty wire thingy. Then you gently ease out the cork. Then you ease out the cork a little harder, because it's really stuck in there pretty well.

An increasing number of beers are now being closed off the same way, with a cork held in by what is known as a cage. There is probably some really good reason to do that, other than the fact that it looks so cool, but we don't happen to know what it is right now.

Maybe you can find out if you go to the Middle Grounds Market on Thursday from 5:30-7:30 p.m. The still fairly new store will have a tasting of six cork-and-caged beers, plus appetizers, for $15.

The store is in the Oliver House, 27 Broadway. For more information, call 419-351-3335.

Drought news

This year's unusual weather has been rough on a lot of local crops. One estimate is that we will get only half the usual number of apples (though the state of Washington, which is the country's biggest producer of apples, may see a record crop).

Also hard hit locally are raspberries. The local pick-your-own season has started, but according to one such operation, Whittaker's Berry Farm in Ida, Mich., the plants are much smaller than usual, meaning fewer berries. People who come in the early morning to pick should have no problem, but anyone who plans to arrive in the late morning or afternoon should call first to make sure there will be berries enough to pick for that day.

Ahem

If you will indulge us for a moment here, this column needs to get something off its chest.

You know how people say things wrong that you find so irritating, that just get under your skin? You know, people who say "different than" rather than "different from," or use "between you and I" or mispronounce "forte"?

This column keeps hearing and seeing something that is driving it crazy -- so crazy it keeps referring to itself in the third person. Folks, "mano a mano" means "hand-to-hand," not "man-to-man." Combat that is mano a mano involves two people in close quarters, typically using fists, knives, or light arms.

Thank you. We feel better now.

Items for Morsels should be submitted two weeks before an event to food@theblade.com.