Taste of Home sends local chefs to school

Yuma's cooks are heading to the classroom this Wednesday.

That's when the Yuma Sun brings a national cooking event to town. It's the Taste of Home Cooking School, an educational opportunity that delights cooks and thrills local taste buds every year.

"This event is just always a lot of fun," said organizer Karen Phillips with the Yuma Sun. "But it's not just entertaining. It's educational. That's why the Yuma Sun's Newspapers in Education (NIE) program sponsors this event."

Taste of Home Cooking School employs culinary experts who travel around the nation teaching cooks through these live demonstrations. The cooking schools were born out of "Taste of Home Magazine," which calls itself the largest cooking magazine in the world.

The Yuma Sun has sponsored the cooking schools locally for about 15 years. Other local sponsors this year are Food City, Dillards, C and D Disposal and Lowes Home Improvement Warehouse. All proceeds benefit the NIE program. National sponsors are Chex Party Mix, Gallo Family Vineyards, Rhodes Bake-N-Serv, Kleenex Via Towels, Ziploc and Ziploc Containers.

The theme of this year's event is "Fall Comfort Classics: Season Short Cuts."

The Taste of Home Cooking Show for Yuma is slated for Wednesday at the Gila Ridge High School Auditorium. The venue is located at 7150 E. 24th St., just east of Araby Road.

Tickets, which are $12 for reserved seats, are on sale now from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Yuma Sun, 2055 S. Arizona Ave. Credit card purchases can also be made by calling 539-6900. Remaining tickets will be sold at the door, but Phillips stressed that folks should buy early, because she expects the event will sell out quickly.

Last year's Taste of Home Cooking School drew 1,300 people.

"This event has grown throughout the years and last year was the first sell-out crowd," Phillips said. "We anticipate the same this year."

Ticket holders will be able to pursue vendors' booths from 3 to 5:30 p.m. The doors to the actual event will open at 5:30 p.m., with the cooking school starting at 6:30 p.m.

Phillips said participants are encouraged to eat before attending, since the cooking will be tantalizingly yummy, but logistics prevent samples being served.

Each participant will receive a free gift bag containing a gift or sample from national sponsors, plus coupos worth $15-20. Drawings for around 150 door prizes will also be held.

But the luckiest person of all will be the participant who wins all the food prepared during the event. Phillips said the food will be all dished up for the winner, so they can take the cooking home to their family.  

Cinnamon-Apple Chex® Mix (1)
5 cups Wheat Chex® cereal
1 cup lightly salted whole almonds
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped dried apples
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt-covered raisins
 In large microwavable bowl, mix cereal and almonds.
 In 2-cup microwavable measuring cup, microwave butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and cinnamon uncovered on high about two minutes, stirring after one minute, until mixture is boiling; stir.   Pour over cereal mixture, stirring until evenly coated. Microwave uncovered on high three minutes, stirring and scraping bowl after every minute. Stir in apples; microwave uncovered on high about two minutes or until apples just begin to brown on edges.
 Spread on waxed paper or foil to cool, about five minutes. Place in serving bowl, stir in yogurt-covered raisins. Store in airtight container.
 Start to Finish: 15 Minutes
Yield: 16 servings (1/2 cup each)  

Steamed Persimmon Pudding (2)
3 medium-sized ripe persimmons
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup (1/4 lb.) butter or margarine
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoon Brandy or milk
1 cup flour (unsifted)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup raisins (pre-soaked in E. &J. Gallo Brandy or Gallo® Family Vineyards Moscato)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
 Scoop flesh from persimmons – whirl in blender or through a food mill for 1 cup of puree. Stir in baking soda; set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs, lemon juice, vanilla, brandy and persimmon puree. Sift flour with cinnamon and salt into creamed mixture; stir well. Add raisins and nuts.
Thoroughly grease a 2-quart pudding mold and its lid. Spoon mixture into mold and secure lid. Place mold on a rack above boiling water in steamer; cover. Steam for 2-1/2 hours, adding more boiling water if needed.
Cool 10 minutes and un-mold.  Serve or cool, wrap and store.
Yield: about eight servings.
Serve with:
- A scoop of real vanilla bean ice cream
- A chilled glass of Gallo Family Vineyards Moscato

Crusted Chicken With Creamy Pepper (3)
and Mushroom Sauce
A creamy red bell pepper and mushroom sauce perfectly complements crusted chicken. It's a dish that's good enough for company.
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1-1/4 lbs.) pounded to 1-inch thickness
1/2 cup McCormick French Onion, Pepper & Herb Crusting Blend
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups thinly sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup sherry or Madeira wine
Moisten chicken lightly with water. Coat evenly on both sides with Crusting Blend. Discard any remaining Crusting Blend. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet on medium heat.  Add chicken; cook five minutes per side or until cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet; keep warm. Melt butter in same skillet on medium heat. Add mushrooms and peppers; cook and stir seven to eight minutes or until mushrooms and peppers are tender. Add cream and sherry; bring to boil. Cook four to five minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened. Serve sauce over chicken.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4
Test Kitchen Tip: Remove tenders from chicken breasts before pounding for more even thickness.

Braided Athenian Bread (4)
12 Rhodes™ Dinner Rolls or 1 Loaf Rhodes™ Bread, thawed to room temperature
1 tablespoon fresh minced garlic
1 can (6 oz.) whole black olives, halved
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
2 tablespoons capers, drained
1/4 cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten
poppy seeds
Spray counter lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Roll loaf or dinner rolls combined into a 10x15-inch rectangle. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest. In a bowl, combine garlic, olives, parsley, capers, tomatoes, sour cream and pepper. Remove wrap from dough and place filling lengthwise down the middle third. Sprinkle filling with Parmesan cheese. Make cuts 1 1/2-inches apart on long sides of dough to within 1/2-inch of filling. Alternately cross strips over filling. Press short ends together to seal and tuck under. Support braid with both hands and place on a large, sprayed baking sheet. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Cover with sprayed plastic wrap and let rise 30 minutes. Remove wrap and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Darin Fenger can be reached at dfenger@yumasun.com or 539-6860.