Local Farmers & Chefs Featured at State Fair

St. Paul- Enthusiasm and passion around local Minnesota foods continues to mushroom, and the Minnesota Cooks program at the Minnesota State Fair is pleased to take part once again in furthering this excitement and commitment to our local farmers. It's the 5-year anniversary of this engaging event, where some of Minnesota's premier chefs demonstrate how they use farm fresh and locally- and sustainably-grown ingredients to create award-winning fare for their restaurants.

The Minnesota Cooks program will take place on Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2007 in Carousel Park on the Minnesota State Fairgrounds, just west of the Grandstand Ramp. With seven 45-minute shows taking place from 10:00 am until 5:00 p.m., outstanding chefs from the Twin Cities and throughout Minnesota will demonstrate their talents and interact with emcee and host Andrew Zimmern, local food critic, celebrity, and host of the Travel Channel's Bizarre Foods, who will interview local celebrity tasters and the local farmers who produce the ingredients.

The chefs' fare and presentations will vary in style, but they will have one important thing in common - they believe ardently in local foods. Participating chefs include Tracy Singleton of The Birchwood Café, Alex Roberts of Restaurant Alma, JD Fratzke of Muffuletta, Scott Pampuch of Corner Table, JP Samuelson of jP American Bistro, Mike Phillips of the The Craftsman, Matt Annand of Prairie Bay, and many more.

"The State Fair is the place to show consumers how they are connected to that food," said Minnesota Farmers Union President Doug Peterson. "They will hear farmers explain how the food is grown, and see it prepared in really creative ways."

This event is co-sponsored by Minnesota Farmers Union, Food Alliance Midwest, and Renewing the Countryside.