Join Your Favorite Chefs at the Minnesota State Fair

If you think the Minnesota State Fair is all about food on sticks, then Minnesota Cooks! is one state fair event you won't want to miss. Minnesota Cooks! brings outstanding chefs together to demonstrate how they use Minnesota-grown, farm fresh healthy ingredients to create award-wining fare for their restaurants.

Held Tuesday, August 31 in Carousel Park, Minnesota Cooks! will feature five 45-minute programs starting at 11:00 AM through 4:00 PM featuring two chefs per program cooking with locally raised food. The program emcee, Chef Andrew Zimmern, will interview not only the chefs but also local farmers and ranchers who produce the ingredients, highlighting their great flavor, how products were raised and their health benefits.

The event is sponsored by Minnesota Farmers Union and Food Alliance Midwest. "Top notch restaurants are making connection between farmers and consumers by demonstrating great dishes start with locally and sustainably grown food," says Jim Ennis, director of Food Alliance Midwest. "We hope to raise awareness about the great work being done by leading chefs, farmers and supporting organizations in Minnesota bringing local farm fresh healthy foods to their customers."

Samples of the chefs' creations will be made available to a panel of celebrity tasters and fair-goers. Featured chefs will include Brenda Langton from Cafe Brenda, Lenny Russo of Heartland, and Russell Klein from W. A. Frost.