SAINT PAUL, Minn. – For the seventh year in a row, the Minnesota CooksTM program (http://minnesotacooks.net/) at the State Fair will celebrate the relationships between premier Minnesota chefs and local Food Alliance Certified farmers with a full day of demonstrations, discussions, and sampling of sustainable cuisine. The program will begin at 9:00 AM with a breakfast show and will continue throughout the day with a show at the top of each hour until 5:00 PM. All shows take place on the Minnesota CooksTM Stage in Carousel Park, just west of the Grandstand Ramp.
Minnesota CooksTM brings together the entire spectrum of those who have a stake in a sustainable food system: consumers and chefs, farmers and foodies. Onstage, chefs will create award-winning dishes using ingredients supplied by sustainable Minnesota farms. As chefs are preparing their creations, they will interact with former University of Minnesota chef Ray Thering and with Brenda Langton, owner of Café Brenda and Spoonriver. Emcees will engage chefs and farmers in rich discussions about their sustainable philosophies. At the end of each demonstration, fairgoers and a panel of Minnesota farmers and celebrity tasters will have a chance to sample the dishes created onstage. Light of the Moon, a string quartet from Saint Paul, will serenade the audience between shows with their eclectic mix of Southern old time rags.
"The Great Minnesota Get-Together is the perfect venue for the Minnesota CooksTM program because it brings farmers, consumers, and chefs together to showcase the great food we have to choose from right here in our state," said Doug Peterson, Minnesota Farmers Union President and creator of Minnesota CooksTM. "With the growing energy costs and concerns, Minnesota CooksTM also highlights ways you can use local resources to reduce those costs while also contributing to our local communities."
Participating chefs:
- Matt Annand, Prairie Bay, Baxter
- Judi Barsness, Chez Jude, Grand Marais
- Lisa Durkee, Amboy Cottage Café, Amboy
- JD Fratzke, The Strip Club, St. Paul
- Scott Graden, New Scenic Café, Duluth
- Brian Hauke, Red Stag Supper Club, Minneapolis
- Nathalie Johnson, Signature Cafe, Minneapolis
- Michael Murray-John, Vinifera, Wabasha
- Scott Pampuch, Corner Table, Minneapolis
- Mike Phillips, The Craftsman, Minneapolis
- Heather Reynolds, Spoonriver, Minneapolis
- Vale Riggs, Bethel University, St. Paul
- Alex Roberts, Restaurant Alma and Brasa Rotisserie, Minneapolis and St. Paul
- Danny Schwartzman, Common Roots Café, Minneapolis
- Tracy Singleton and Marshall Paulsen, Birchwood Cafe, Minneapolis
- Dick Trotter and Lisa Scribner, Trotter's Cafe, St. Paul
Minnesota Cooks will continue its tradition of creating a complimentary resource publication, including calendar pages and enticing recipes, available to all Minnesota Cooks attendees. After the event, it will also be available at Minnesota Farmers Union’s building at 1635 Dan Patch Avenue. In addition to beautiful photography and enticing recipes, it will highlight engaging stories about the rich relationships between Minnesota chefs and local farmers. This year it will have a fresh, new look and layout from the talent at EDesign (www.ed-design.biz) and professional photography of farmers, chefs, and Minnesota food by Amy Eckert (www.amyeckertphoto.com) whose photos have been featured in The New York Times Magazine, Life, Time, InStyle, House & Garden, and Martha Stewart Living.
Minnesota CooksTM is presented by Minnesota Farmers Union and Food Alliance Midwest and receives major sponsorship from Agricultural Utilization Research Institute. For more information about Minnesota CooksTM, please visit the website at http://minnesotacooks.net/ or contact Jill Grunewald of Food Alliance Midwest at 651-209-3382 or e-mail info@minnesotacooks.org.